Tag: United States

Goldman Sachs Hit With More Sanctions (via Axsmith Law Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

No firm deserves sanctions more!

James Pilant

Goldman Sachs is being sanctioned by the Federal Reserve related to illegal mortgage practices, specifically robo-signing. Robo-signing is when a person signs affidavits used in a foreclosure case using someone else's name. Often these employees of banks or law firms will sign hundreds of documents in a single day – with someone else's name. … Read More

via Axsmith Law Blog

CBO … Federal Loan Guarantees for the Constructi​on of Nuclear Power Plants (via Point/CounterPoint)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

You weren’t aware that loans to build nuclear power plants were guaranteed by the federal government?

They had to, you see. No one would loan them money to build a plant because of the risk.

So, you might ask, “If the federal government did not guarantee the loans, would there be any nuclear power plants built in the United States from now on?”

No.

You may resent the fact that if you decide to borrow some money to build a factory, a restaurant, a day-care center, etc., the government isn’t going to guarantee a dime of it.

That’s very small minded of you. Isn’t obvious that the nuclear industry though its exemplary safety record, environmental activism and continuing careful and cost free disposal of nuclear waste, has earned these enormous government subsidies? (Whoops, they don’t do any of that, do they? – Oh, well, it’s still obvious that they are deserving and you aren’t.)

Maybe you should get mad?

James Pilant

Federal Loan Guarantees for the Construction of Nuclear Power Plants CBO's analysis examines the main factors that influence the cost to the federal government of providing loan guarantees for the construction of nuclear power plants. It includes illustrative cost estimates using the methodology specified by the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, which determines the budgetary cost of the program, and also estimates prepared on a fair-value basis … Read More

via Point/CounterPoint

Fault Lines: The Top 1% (via THE INTERNET POST)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Exactly. The distribution of income is this country is a great moral and ethical problem. If the money were allocated according to ability and work ethic, that might make some sense but walk around in this country and look at the hard working men and women reduced to penury by law that favor financial “innovation” over hard work and productivity.

James Pilant

The richest 1% of US Americans earn nearly a quarter of the country's income and control an astonishing 40% of its wealth. Inequality in the US is more extreme than it's been in almost a century — and the gap between the super rich and the poor and middle class people has widened drastically over the last 30 years. Meanwhile, in Washington, a bitter partisan debate over how to cut deficit spending and reduce the US' 14.3 trillion dollar debt is u … Read More

via THE INTERNET POST

Human Rights Facts (229): Tens of Thousands of U.S. Citizens Die of Poverty Each Year (via P.a.p.-Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

The data is for 2000 but as all of us familiar with the economic data know, we live in worse times. But don’t expect any concern from Congress or the President. They are scurrying to the commands of the tens of thousands of lobbyists in Washington. The poor are generally unable to deploy lobbyists and their campaign contributions are small, very small.

James Pilant

Human Rights Facts (229): Tens of Thousands of U.S. Citizens Die of Poverty Each Year (source) Poverty kills, it seems. As if it's not bad enough in itself. Although death is often multicausal, a study has tried to estimate in how many cases poverty is a contributing factor: For 2000, the study attributed 176,000 deaths to racial segregation and 133,000 to individual poverty. The nu … Read More

via P.a.p.-Blog

On Unemployment (via The essence of mathematics is its freedom)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

In this articles, a British student thinks about the job market and the unemployed. This guy thinks his own way based on the data before him. In my opinion as an instructor, he may not make a lot of money, but he will spend his life in the world of ideas with a mind never subject to boredom because of inaction. He will live a life rich in thought and deed.

Maybe, just maybe, he hears the music of the spheres.

James Pilant

Firstly it isn't always obvious whether or not technology is a good thing. Tale of two countries the divide between Silicon Valley and the rest of America I came across the above article from Hackers News,and it got me thinking about disruptive technology and its effects on workers. Recently in a conversation with a close friend, he was annoyed at me when I pointed out I could using Maths probably get a job easily once I graduate. With the blend … Read More

via The essence of mathematics is its freedom

The Beginning of The End of Rupert Murdoch? – Rebekah Brooks resigns over phone-hacking scandal (via Kempton – ideas Revolutionary)

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment

When I first saw this, all I saw was the first part of the headline, and I thought, “No, he can’t be stopped.” But then I caught the part where Rebekah Brooks resigns and thought, “Maybe he is mortal after all. ”

James Pilant

The Beginning of The End of Rupert Murdoch? - Rebekah Brooks resigns over phone-hacking scandal Given the business smart of Rupert Murdoch and the firepower one can buy from hiring Edelman, the largest global PR firm, it may still be too early to say this is the "Beginning of The End of" of Murdoch. But at least it is easier to say this may be the beginning of the end of Rebekah Brooks. Guardian, "Rebekah Brooks resigns over phone-hacking scandal – News International chief stops short of full apology, saying she no longer wants to be 'focal … Read More

via Kempton – ideas Revolutionary

My privilege is showing. (via Vomits Her Mind)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I like fighters. There are people out there who are just not going to take the status quo. This is one of them.

I have complete confidence that many of you will be in disagreement with some or all of her stances and beliefs. But pause for a moment and think what our society would be like without motion, without change, without difference, and most of all think what the world would be like if everyone agreed not to be different.

James Pilant

What I am about to write is important to me, and I think it's very important to my blog for me to take note of my biases, my privileges, my experiences. I live with scientists, and have been posing the question to them recently: does your personal experience, your bias, your privileges, your experience, do these things factor into how you interpret or accept new data?" This is important to the field of science. And, turning it inwards, I note: th … Read More

via Vomits Her Mind

NOAA Makes It Official: 2011 Among Most Extreme Weather Years in History (via madaboutthenews)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Facts are facts. Whether about evolution or climate change, the data is going to just keep accumulating in ever larger stacks of hard to ignore facts.

It’s getting hotter. Now, tornadoes are not very get indicators of climatic change – too many variable. Hurricanes are a little better but not much. The best indicators are average temperatures over time and weather volatility.

However, with the rise of “intelligent design,” more and more science is a matter of opinion. Thus, the United States is gradually losing that key part of the democratic process, critical thinking. If we don’t like what science or history or sociology says, we just get together with a few other disgruntled individuals and rewrite history or science. It’s easy. Pretend there is a controversy, and that you are God’s seekers after truth.

Will we be burning witches soon? Or giving faith healing status to collect insurance for services rendered? I don’t know. Let’s watch. The 14th century awaits.

James Pilant

NOAA Makes It Official: 2011 Among Most Extreme Weather Years in History Just past the halfway point, 2011 has already seen eight weather-related disasters in the U.S. that caused more than $1 billion in damagesAmplify’d from http://www.scientificamerican.comEXTREME WEATHER: Halfway through, 2011 has already seen eight weather-related disasters that caused more than $1 billion in damagesThe devastating string of tornadoes, droughts, wildfires and floods that hit the United States this spring marks 2011 as one of the mo … Read More

via madaboutthenews

Jewish group fights for chaplain monument at Arlington (via CNN Belief Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

If four guys die tough and three get memorials, then the fourth should get on too.

(That may be my best summary of an article yet.)

I am for the monument. If you are as well, please let your congressman know.

James Pilant

Jewish group fights for chaplain monument at Arlington By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor Arlington, Virginia (CNN) – Three German torpedoes ripped through the icy waters of the Atlantic off the coast of Greenland. On February 2, 1943, the USS Dorchester was transporting 902 U.S. servicemen to war. Only one torpedo hit, but it struck a deathblow — killing scores instantly and resetting the ship’s course to the bottom of the ocean. Amid the chaos, survivors later recalled, four U.S. Army ch … Read More

via CNN Belief Blog

Wind is Japan’s strongest alternative to nuclear (via madaboutthenews)

On By southwerkIn business ethics2 Comments

I suspect that Japan will retreat from nuclear power only temporarily. The influence of TEPCO, a very passive government sympathizing media and an aggressive nuclear industry will work for the necessary years to bring reactors back to the table as a choice.

However, over the next few years while the press, the government and industry struggle for more nuclear power, Japan will have to seek other energy sources. Should these prove workable and successful, history may be changed.

What is ethical here? Those pushing nuclear power argue that it is proven technology with only the most occasional of problems and that these problems are highly overrated. Those opposed point to its enormous cost, regular reports of problems, the vexing conundrum of what to do with spent nuclear fuel and disasters whose full scope won’t be known for centuries.

I believe that the pro-nuclear side has enormous sums of money on its side and that this may be blinding them to any interest but their own. On the other side of the argument, it is very difficult to point to any large number of those opposed to nuclear power and say, “You only oppose nuclear power because if we quit building nuclear power plants, you will become immensely wealthy.”

Ethics gets twisted when there is money and the more money the worse the ethical problems become.

I worry that in the United States today, the only sound heard on many issues is the rustle of the green.

James Pilant

Special thanks to madaboutthenews.

TWO months after the explosions and radiation leaks at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, the prime minister, Naoto Kan, has announced that the country will not build any new reactors.

If Kan really means it, the government will have to abandon the plans for expanding nuclear power it adopted only last year. To make up the energy shortfall, Kan has set the ambitious goal of using renewables.

From further down in the article –

Taking into account wind strength, available land and the potential for offshore farms, the report estimates that Japan could install wind turbines with a capacity of up to 1500 gigawatts. More realistic estimates in the report suggest that with appropriate financial incentives, turbines with a capacity of 24 to 140 GW could be installed. Assuming the turbines operate a quarter of the time, this would provide up to 35 GW of electricity on average, matching the combined output of about 40 of Japan’s existing 54 nuclear reactors.