A public malaise?
I detect a public malaise. When the discussion turns to today’s politics or business or and government, the comments all sound similar. Continue reading
Author Archives: Don Neeper
Blog 21. Needed Now: A Constitutional Amendment
In Blog 20, I described the Citizens United decision of the Supreme Court, which gave corporations the constitutional right to free speech and to make unlimited monetary donations to political advertising and commentary. Reportedly, Senator (and previous presidential candidate) John McCain (R-AZ) said Citizens United is “one of the worst decisions I have ever seen.”
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Blog 20. Citizens United: more dangerous than climate change
Sophisticated bribery?
In Blog 16 I described the money feedback loop, in which industrial profits that are invested to influence government form a positive feedback loop, enabling even more profits with which to purchase more of government. I called this a sophisticated bribery, corruption. The Citizens United court case opened the gates for a new flood of this monetary feedback. Many people have raised their opposition, but I find no journalists who have identified the underlying amplifier-the positive feedback that leads to destruction.
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Blog 19. Making Ideology Conscious
Ideology = ideas
Ideology is the body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual person, group, or culture. Laws are based in ideology. A law tells what must be done or must not be done, how or how not to do it. A law is intended to restrict or to promote a situation. That situation reflects somebody’s ideal, even if it is a tax break for a particular party, money for education, or a prohibition of a private sexual act. Therefore, all laws are based in prejudice of some form, a pre-judgement of what’s best and what’s worst for somebody. Continue reading
Blog 18. Social Anxiety Rooted in Inequality?
Angst
In talking with people-including conservatives, liberals, the young adults, and especially the retirees-I detect an underlying tension, an angst, as though something is generally wrong, the world is decaying despite the visible affluence without a particular ill symptom or dissatisfaction. What’s going on? Continue reading
Blog 17. The Anthropocene: Mankind Overwhelms Geology
Geological forces move mountains, but now people do bigger things faster. Bigger is not always better. Continue reading
Blog 16. The Money Feedback Loop
Only profits?
Business fails without profits. Profits make business work. But should business be concerned only with profits? Milton Friedman, winner of a Nobel Prize in economics, said yes in an article that has now become famous. Continue reading
Blog 15. The B Team Has Plan B for Profits, People, and the Earth
Frustrated by change?
As Blog 1 discussed, society is changing faster every year, with the rate of change driven by the accumulation of prior changes. My frustrated colleagues issue complaints like this:
- The print and broadcast news media are becoming slanted because they are controlled by a few companies with political agendas.
- Commercial TV now fills 30% of its time with advertising.
- The news is no longer investigative journalism, but panders to spectacular events and personality displays.
- Politicians focus on making the other side look bad rather than solving problems.
- Blame and fear instead of facts and analysis recently dominate government.
- CEOs make tens of millions while outsourcing jobs.
- As soon as they are elected, congressmen invest half their time in fund-raising and politicking for the next election.
- Big businesses like oil and corporate farming get subsidies.