12 Days in 1968

06 Saturday Jan 2018

Posted by Paul Kiser in 1968, Aging, Arts, Crime, Crisis Management, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Health, Higher Education, History, Honor, Panama, Photography, Politics, Pride, Print Media, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Relationships, Religion, Respect, Science, Space, Technology, The Tipping Point, Traditional Media, Universities, US History, Women

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1968, Apollo 7, Apollo 8, Apollo missions, assassination, Black Panthers, Catholic Church, Civil Rights, Elections, Feminism, Florida Education Association, George Wallace, Humanae vitae, John F. Kennedy, Jr., Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King, Moon, Moon landing, North Korea, police, Pope Paul VI, President Richard Nixon, Protests, Richard M. Nixon, Riots, Robert Kennedy, sit-ins, teacher's strike, USS Pueblo, Vietnam War, Women's Rights

May 1968 – Student injured in France in clash with police

1968. Fifty years ago our country was in chaos. Only five years had passed since President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. The man who became President, Lyndon B. Johnson, had accomplished amazing milestones in civil rights, protections for the elderly (Medicare and Medicaid) and had expanded programs in public broadcasting and the arts, but the country was torn apart by the war in Vietnam, and he had increased the number of U.S. troops in the war to over half a million.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was still recovering from the fire in January of the previous year that killed three astronauts as they sat helplessly in the command module on the launch pad, and the Apollo program had yet to launch a manned mission with only two years left to honor President Kennedy’s goal.

At the start of the year, everything in the world seemed to be collapsing. The year would test our society’s threshold of endurance. These are twelve days that defined 1968. (Source: Wikipedia – 1968)

Captured crew of the USS Pueblo giving the finger to North Korea

January 23
- North Korea seized the USS Pueblo, creating an international incident that remained in the news for most of 1968. North Korea claimed the ship was spying on their country and violated its territorial waters. Its mission was to observe and gather intelligence and at the time of capture, the crew attempted to destroy classified information on the Pueblo, but only succeeded in destroying a small amount of the documents and equipment. One crewmember was killed by North Korean fire in the attempt to capture the boat. The crew was tortured and starved during the eleven months of imprisonment. They were released just before Christmas 1968. The USS Pueblo is still held in North Korea and is still a commissioned ship of the United States Navy.
February 13
- Civil rights disturbances occur at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This would be one of many protests, sit-ins, and riots, in the United States, England, France, Germany, and other countries over civil rights, the Vietnam war, and other social issues. Many of those involved in the year of civil disobedience would be injured or killed in clashes with law enforcement.
- The Florida Education Association (FEA) initiates a mass resignation of teachers to protest state funding of education. This is, in effect, the first statewide teachers’ strike in the United States.
- NET televises the very first episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
March 16
- Vietnam War – My Lai Massacre: American troops kill scores of civilians. The story will first become public in November 1969 and will help undermine public support for the U.S. efforts in Vietnam.
- President Lyndon B. Johnson, the incumbent, narrowly won the first Democratic primary to a minor candidate on March 11, and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy entered the race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. President Johnson would end his campaign two weeks after Kennedy makes his announcement.
April 4
- Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Riots erupt in major American cities, lasting for several days afterward.
- A shootout between Black Panthers and Oakland police results in several arrests and deaths, including 16-year-old Panther Bobby Hutton.
- A double explosion in downtown Richmond, Indiana kills 41 and injures 150.
May 17
- The Catonsville Nine enter the Selective Service offices in Catonsville, Maryland, take dozens of selective service draft records, and burn them with napalm as a protest against the Vietnam War.
June 5
- U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Sirhan Sirhan is arrested. Kennedy dies from his injuries the next day.

Pope Paul VI: The man who brought the Church into couple’s beds

July 25
- Pope Paul VI publishes the encyclical entitled Humanae vitae, on birth control. This voided a church commissioned study (Pontifical Commission on Birth Control) that determined birth control to NOT be inherently evil, and that couples should decide for themselves about the use of birth control. The Pope’s decision inserted the church into a conflict that continues to this day.
August 20
- The Prague Spring of political liberalization ends, as 750,000 Warsaw Pact troops, 6,500 tanks, and 800 planes invade Czechoslovakia. It is dated as the biggest operation in Europe since WWII ended.
September 6
- 150 women (members of New York Radical Women) arrive in Atlantic City, NJ to protest against the Miss America Pageant, as exploitative of women. Led by activist and author Robin Morgan, it is one of the first large demonstrations of Second Wave Feminism as Women’s Liberation begins to gather much media attention.
October 11
- Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission (Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, Walter Cunningham). Mission goals include the first live television broadcast from orbit and testing the lunar module docking maneuver. The United States is back in space for the first time since the Apollo 1 disaster.
- In Panama, a military coup d’état, led by Col. Boris Martinez and Col. Omar Torrijos, overthrows the democratically elected (but highly controversial) government of President Arnulfo Arias. Within a year, Torrijos ousts Martinez and takes charge as de facto Head of Government in Panama.
November 5
- U.S. presidential election, 1968: Republican challenger Richard Nixon defeats the Democratic candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and American Independent Party candidate George C. Wallace. President Nixon would throw the country into a Constitutional crisis six years later and be forced to resign from office.
View of Earth from Apollo 8 as it orbited the Moon
December 24
- Apollo program: U.S. spacecraft Apollo 8 enters orbit around the Moon. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William A. Anders become the first humans to see the far side of the Moon and planet Earth as a whole. Anders photographs Earthrise.

Telsa Powerwall Has Product-Killing Questions Unanswered

04 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Branding, Business, Communication, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Ethics, Green, Honor, Management Practices, Print Media, Public Image, Public Relations, Respect, Science, solar, Technology, Traditional Media

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batteries, battery, battery cycle, battery lifespan, charge, cycle, discharge, Elon Musk, Fire, fire tests, Galaxy Note 7, journalists, lithium fire, lithium-ion, National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, power per kilowatt, Powerwall, punctured lithium battery, Reno Gazette-Journal, reporters attacked, safety, Samsung, SpaceX, Tesla

What is Tesla trying to hide about its Powerwall?

I have great respect for a person who pushes boundaries and engages in future-vision projects. We currently lack the great visionaries of the past who established our nations great growth in technology and commerce.

That said, I have no respect or love for someone who toys with great ideas in order to build up consumer and investor hopes for personal profit while remaining silent on the issues that may eventually kill the great idea.

Enter Elon Musk.

I have expressed my reservations about his idea to build a space program to go to Mars, and I have additional reservations about his Falcon Heavy booster that is scheduled to launch sometime later this month.

But it is Tesla’s ‘Powerwall‘ product that has gaping issues that seem to be ignored in all the hype and mystic of Elon Musk. Two issues have to do with lithium-type batteries and their limitations and dangers.

Fantasy Cycles?
Tesla has a ten-year warranty on their Powerwall system. That sounds great, but it is the same as saying if you leave raw fish on the counter at room temperature it will be safe to eat in a year.

There are rules in chemistry. Batteries are defined by these rules. Every battery has a limited lifespan even if it is not used. Batteries also have a limit to the number of discharge/charge cycles it can undergo before they are no longer effective in holding a charge.

Lithium-ion batteries are superior to other types of batteries because they hold more charge per kilogram and they can be recharged. This makes them a good choice for a home power application.

However, lithium-ion batteries begin to deteriorate the moment they have been built. They lose about 5% of their charge capacity per month, and even if they are never used the lifespan of a typical lithium-ion battery is two years.

According to one source, lithium-ion batteries in the Powerwall are limited to between 800 to 1000 discharge/charge cycles. Assuming the Powerwall undergoes only one cycle per day, its useful lifespan is less than three years. Considering that with both normal use, and the natural deterioration of the batteries in the Powerwall, it will fail in less than two years.

But they’re under warranty for ten years, so who cares?

The chemical limitations of the lithium-ion battery are a fact. If Tesla strategy is to deal with massive warranty claims, then both investors and customers should be made aware. If Tesla has come up with some miracle technology they need to explain how they have overcome the chemical limitations.

The danger is that Tesla is aware of the limitations and is preparing for an alternative strategy such as bankruptcy in three or four years after they have squeezed the profits out of the company. Without further explanation, an alternate business strategy is the most likely scenario.

Burn Baby Burn
There is a reason that the FAA required a ban on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 tablets on commercial flights. Bad lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries can overheat and burn or explode under certain conditions. If punctured they can burst into a fire that cannot be stopped by normal fire suppression tactics. The only way to prevent a lithium-ion fire from doing severe damage to the materials around it is to have a non-burnable barrier that can withstand the heat of a lithium fire.

The Powerwall encased in a metal, temperature-regulated, weather-proof housing. To my knowledge, there have been two tests performed on the Powerwall and its casing. Both tests were performed by a trade organization known as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA.) The NFPA is not a government, nor regulatory agency, and no information was found as regarding Tesla’s involvement in the design or limitations of the test.

One test performed a test of overheating one cell group to the point of failure. The fire did not spread to the other cells. The second test applied a steady flame to the exterior of the Powerwall. In that test, all cells overheated and failed, but the Powerwall did not explode, nor did the internal lithium fire breach the casing; however, the Powerwall was not mounted on, nor near any combustible material.

The Powerwall does include a system of heating and cooling to keep the batteries within the range required to prevent failure leading to a fire; however, I cannot find any test of a complete cooling system failure in a hot environment, other than the controlled test done by Tesla and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA.)

I cannot find any testing as to the result of a puncture to the Powerwall. YouTube offers many videos on what happens when a lithium-ion battery is punctured. A puncture test of the Powerwall has not been released to the public, to my knowledge.

If the Powerwall does not have extensive testing in various environmental situations then it may be impossible to know how dangerous the Powerwall is to mount on or near a wall that is combustible.

To my knowledge, Tesla is silent on this issue. On their website, I can find no information as to these issues about lithium-ion batteries or the safety testing done on the Powerwall casing.

In fact, Telsa is extraordinary reactive to journalists and media. In 2015, Tesla security guards used their ATV to reportedly ram a vehicle with journalists from the Reno Gazette-Journal, smashed their vehicle window, and cut their seatbelt to remove them, throwing them to the ground.

The journalists were taking pictures of the Tesla Powerwall plant under construction in Nevada. According to the newspaper’s attorney, Tesla security guards demanded the camera equipment and held the journalists against their will, created an alternate story that the journalist attacked them, and held them until the sheriff’s department arrived.

Image of inside of Reno Gazette-Journal’s vehicle after encounter with Tesla security guard

The incident suggests that Tesla is extremely sensitive to any unmonitored, unbiased release of information about its Powerwall product. The question remains: Why?

Nevada’s Pot Business About to be Smoked

03 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Aging, Branding, Business, Education, Employee Retention, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Green, Health, Higher Education, History, Honor, Management Practices, Politics, Pride, Public Image, Public Relations, Recreation, Respect, solar, Space, Taxes, Technology, Travel, Universities, US History

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California, Carson City, corporate tax cut, corporations, divorce, economies, economy, educational ranking, Elko, Ely, gambling, gaming, gold mining, Henderson, Indian gaming, Las Vegas, mining, Nevada, Reno, Unemployment, Violent Crime, Winnemucca

Welcome to Nevada, where citizens watch other people get rich

Nevada has relied on being the rebel for decades, and it always fails to provide a reliable economy.

When gambling was taboo in the nation, Nevada became one of the few places people could gamble. People flocked to Nevada to gamble. Nevada had a ‘gaming’ industry.

In 1988, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act opened the door to legalize gambling on Indian Reservations, and over the next three decades California built up an Indian Gaming industry that didn’t require taking chances with a trip to Nevada. Nevada’s gaming industry stagnated.

When a quick marriage and/or a quick divorce was taboo in the nation, Nevada made divorce easy. People flocked to Nevada to officially end or begin a relationship. Nevada had a marriage industry.

Then divorce became a fact of life and most of the rest of the country decided that government should be trying to inhibit the desires of a couple, so they made marriage and divorce easier. Couples no longer had to travel to Nevada to say their vows, or go their separate ways and Nevada’s marriage and divorce industry collapsed.

Gambling, divorce, prostitution have all been part of Nevada’s economic plan, and they all have created more problems than money for its citizens. It’s a consistent trait of Nevada’s leadership in pursuing big money that comes with little or no foundation in what is best for the average citizen.

For the last six months, Nevada boosted its economy with legalized recreational marijuana sales. Again, people from California flocked to the state to get what they couldn’t get at home. Pot. And again, Nevada’s economic boost will be short-lived as California recreational pot business gets underway in 2018.

Nevada is a state where a few people become filthy rich and pay very little in taxes. Nevada compounds the problem by prostituting themselves for marginal industries that are not stable and corporations that seek to avoid paying their share of taxes while reaping big profits.

The result has been that Nevada has no money to improve schools that are ranked near the bottom in the United States. Nevada’s poor education record has resulted in businesses needing a highly educated workforce to go elsewhere despite the seductive tax environment.

Nevada has to stop lusting after short-term economies and start building a real economy…or watch the hopes and dreams of its citizens go up in smoke.

Need a New Plan for Gaining Political Support

02 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Aging, Business, Communication, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Green, Health, Honor, Information Technology, Internet, Management Practices, Politics, Pride, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Relationships, Respect, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Social Media Relations, Taxes, Technology

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Democrat, Democrats, DNC, PAC, PAG, political action, political ads, political candidates, political causes, spam, spamming

About thirty percent of my emails are requests from political interests. They implore me to give them money to avoid the dire consequences that will surely happen if their cause is not successful. These are from progressive causes targeting liberals, not wealthy conservatives who actually have spendable incomes.

Begging for money works on the street sometimes, but I can’t imagine any intelligent person that will be motivated by street tactics. It is embarrassing that the liberal viewpoint is being represented by groups that have all the skills and tact of a late-night, off-channel, ACT NOW television commercial.

If you want my attention, tell me what you’ve done and why you’ve done it. Tell me how you’ve spent money up to now. Give me a link to a website that I can go to if I want to learn more. Don’t threaten dire circumstances. Don’t beg for money. Don’t send me emails on a daily or even weekly basis. If I support your cause I might follow-up on it, but not if you annoy me.

We have major problems in this country and if a group’s best plan to solve the problem is to send me an email begging for money, then they’ve failed. Political causes HAVE TO STOP listening to political media hacks that tell them how they raised money in 2008 and start thinking of how to mobilize people to respond to the issues of 2018.

In case they haven’t noticed, the wealthy have figured out how to win politics with money, and they are really good at it. It’s time to out think Soviet Republicans and that shouldn’t be difficult, but outspending mega-corporations and the wealthy is not a competition in which I will participate.

Dear Republican: Your Party Left Without You

28 Thursday Dec 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Aging, Business, College, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Health, Higher Education, History, Honor, Politics, Public Relations, racism, Relationships, Religion, Respect, Taxes, Technology, Universities, US History, Women

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Donald Trump, GOP, National Republican Committee, Neo-Republicans, Republican, Republicans, Roy Moore, Senator Dean Heller, Steve Bannon

Roy Moore: One of the faces of the new Republican Party

Republicans seem to fall into one of four groups:

People who truly believe in a rational approach to various issues, and are extremely frustrated with many of the current positions and actions of their party.
People who are embarrassed by their party and won’t admit that they voted for Donald Trump (“YOU don’t know who I voted for!!!!)
People who quietly believe that destroying our country’s government will magically result in a better personal situation for them.
People who believe that Donald Trump is the savior and who believe that everything he says and does is blessed.

There is some crossover in these groups, but these are the traits I typically see in Republicans with which I have interacted. The last two groups seem to have little loyalty to the United States of America. If left up to them, any person who disagrees with them should be lined up and hung or shot or both.

People in the second group seem to recognize the lies and absurd positions of the leaders of their party, but don’t want to be associated with it. They might feel great about winning their party winning the 2016 election, but they don’t want to be linked with what has happened since Donald Trump became President.

It is the first group, the original Republicans, that are paying the price for the takeover of their party by people who are just lashing out at anyone and anything that is rational or reasonable. This is no more evident than when Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee recently raced to support Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race. The Republican party has left the core of their party behind and now consists of a majority of people who only have their own self-interests in mind.

It’s unfortunate that good people in the Republican party have become mired in the antics of the fringe-turned-majority of the GOP, but as long as the new Republicans control the party, the core Republicans will face the backlash.

GOP War on the Spirit of Christmas

24 Sunday Dec 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Business, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Green, Health, Higher Education, History, Honor, Management Practices, Politics, racism, Religion, Respect, Taxes, Universities, US History, Women

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115th Congress, Christmas, Congress, corporate tax cut, corporations, Donald Trump, gloating, GOP, government rape, hate, racists, Recession, recession of 2018, Republicans, tax cut for wealthy, tax giveaway

GOP celebrates destroying Christmas 2017

The Republican party has gone to war with Christmas. It’s not just that they disrespected people’s desire to enjoy Christmas by ramming through a disgraceful and unpopular bill during the holiday season. That would have been bad enough, but what they did is craft changes to our tax code that violate almost every Christian belief at a time when a majority Christian nation sought to celebrate one of their most significant holidays.

I believe they did this just before Christmas for three reasons.

Distraction
First, the Republicans in Congress hoped to use the holidays as cover for their anti-Christian deed. They hoped that people would be so wrapped up in the excitement of Christmas that they would be distracted from a sacrifice of citizens and government to appease the GOP corporate gods.

Before We Knew What Hit Us
Second, the Republicans hoped that by acting quickly, people couldn’t find out all the details of the legislation before an effective campaign could be mounted against it.

A 2018 ‘Nice Guys’ Makeover
Finally, Republicans needed to allow time to do a personality makeover before the 2018 elections. By passing this bill in 2017, they can begin to pass minor, but popular legislation to make them not look like stooges of corporations and the wealthy.

Now we are left with a dark cloud hanging over the holidays. The wealthy will be allowed to steal more money from the government. Corporations will be able to use all the resources the government provides (roads, infrastructure, law enforcement, etc.) and pay little or no taxes for that service. Money and exemptions that were meant for the poor and middle class have been stripped away in order to give the wealthy lower taxes and more money.

Republicans won the war on Christmas. With laughter they destroyed the foundation of our country. The new year will dawn with Trump and Putin still laughing at us. They won. The United States of America lost.

Senator Dean Heller is Still a Stockbroker

20 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Aging, Business, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Health, History, Honor, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Taxes, US History, Women

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career politician, Carson City, Dean Heller, Government, Las Vegas, Nevada, Pacific Stock Exchange, political stockbroker, Reno, Senate, Senator Dean Heller, stockbroker, Tax Cut and Jobs Act, USC

Senator Dean Heller and his client, Donald Trump

Dean Heller is a career politician who has been on the payroll of the government for almost 30 years. His primary ‘real world’ employment consists of five years (1983-1988) working as a stockbroker for Pacific Stock Exchange in California, two of those years he was finishing up his undergraduate degree at University of Southern California (USC.)

Despite his short stint in private business three decades ago , Heller is still a stockbroker serving the needs of his wealthy clients. He is a friend to the Nevada gaming corporations, the Nevada mining corporations, and the energy corporations. As a stockbroker politician, it’s not that Heller doesn’t like those who are not wealthy, he just doesn’t care about them, unless he can trick them into voting for him.

Earlier this year Senator Heller feigned his support of the average Nevada citizen by waiting until it was clear that Trump’s plan to end health insurance for millions was going to fall short by more than two Republican votes needed for passage, then he announced that he would be the fifth Republican to vote against it. His ‘no’ vote was meaningless, but he did exploit the opportunity to make it look like he was for the ‘little guy.’

Heller’s vote for the Tax Cuts for the Wealthy is consistent with his political stockbroker role in government. He can also be relied on to make cuts in programs that are vital to average Nevada citizens in the new year…unless, of course, other Republicans fail to support it, and then he will likely beat his breast and say that he also opposes it.

It’s sad that the average Nevada citizen’s best hope lies in Republican Senators from other states doing the correct thing, while Heller serves his wealthy masters.

School Vouchers Are About Religion and Racism, Not Choice

15 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in About Reno, Aging, College, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Higher Education, History, Honor, Politics, racism, Religion, Science, Taxes, Universities, US History, Women

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Catholic Church, charter schools, Conservatives, GOP, Immigration, President Trump, President Ulysses Grant, private schools, Protestant Church, religion, religious schools, Republicans, schools, taxpayer funded, The Blaine Amendment

School vouchers are a campaign to steal money from the public school system and give it to parents to spend on private religious schools. It is born out of ignorance and racism in an attempt to take our country back to segregated schools. Schools consisting of well-financed white religious-based schools, and poorly funded minority public schools.

Nevada’s Illegal School Voucher Bill

In May of 2015, the Nevada conservatives won a major victory with a bill that stole money from the public school system and gave it to parents to use for alternate education, including school operated by religious organizations. The following month Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, whose children had attended a Catholic school, signed the bill into law, even though it clearly violated the Nevada Constitution that forbids taxpayer funding for a church-operated school.

The Klan Doesn’t Support Education for All

Fortunately, the Nevada Supreme Court stepped in and nullified the law, ending conservative’s attempt to steal money meant to offer education for all, and redistribute it to those in favor of education for a privileged few.

Public School Evolution

Public schools were established in the early and mid-17th century to overcome the problems created by parent-based education. (SEE: The Atlantic October 2017 on Public Schools) Parent-based education limited the advancement of future generations to the ignorance of their mother and father, who were both working full-time to maintain needs of the entire family.

Unfortunately, the early public schools primarily served white males. Over the next two hundred years public schools were refined to; 1) become compulsory, 2) include female students, 3) promote women as teachers, 4) expand curriculum, and 5) ultimately require education regardless of race.

The Protestant Conflict

Ironically, most early public schools were influenced, if not run, by Protestants. Their beliefs included the idea that children should have a broad-based education. The problem arose when a flood of Catholic immigrants created a conflict in the public education of children. When public schools became battlegrounds of differing church doctrines, it caused pointless disruption of the goal of education for all. Ultimately, the issue was indirectly resolved by President Ulysses Grant and Congressman James Blaine.

President Grant called for an amendment to the United States Constitution to forever separate church and state interests in education and forbidding public money to be spent on private schools. Congressman Blaine sponsored a bill to do exactly that and it passed in the House of Representatives. The Senate; however, failed to pass it by a two-thirds majority and the bill died.

However, individual States passed amendments to their Constitutions and eventually all but ten States adopted Blaine-type laws.

A Return to Past Mistakes

The post-Blaine Amendments environment have been an era of astonishing success in elevating the education of United States citizens. In 1950, only 34% of adults in this country graduated from high school. By 2010, the number of high school graduates increased to 90%. The miracle is that the increase in high school graduates occurred during the same period when the nation’s population doubled.

Despite this success, conservatives have made public education their target (SEE: Slate.com November 2016 on Trump Gutting Public Schools) for three reasons. First, conservatives don’t believe in paying taxes, especially when the money doesn’t directly help them, nor their families.

Second, conservatives believe that public-funded secular, unbiased education is biased because it doesn’t promote their personal egocentric and/or religious beliefs.

Third, conservatives are overwhelmingly white, and the idea of paying for the education of another race is repugnant to many of them. They advance the ideas that education is wasted on minorities. It is noteworthy that white people demanded that schools be segregated in the south. When the courts ruled that schools must be desegregated, white people began characterizing public education as failures. That was the beginning of the push for alternative school choices.

A Holiday Letter to the Aliens Observing Us

08 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Communication, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Honor, Politics, racism, Religion, Respect, Space, Taxes, Travel, US History

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abduction, Alien, aliens, Donald Trump, egocentric, Greed, holidays, racism, visitors to Earth, Vladimir Putin, winter solstice

Dear Alien Race:

Happy holidays! Welcome to our planet! If you are here, and if you have been observing us, please let me apologize for our behavior, especially the behavior of the wealthiest, most privileged country.

The fact that humans are broken up into factionalized groups is an inherent issue with our society. The idea that we are all equal, and that we should respect and reach out to one another is mostly rhetoric. Despite consistent historical examples of the success for all when we all work together and treat each other with respect, there are elements of our society that hold an egocentric opinion of life. They seek to destroy the philosophies of harmony and mutual benefit because those concepts don’t put them ahead of everyone else.

This brings me to my request.

We could bring our country and our world into balance if we didn’t have those who oppose a world based on fairness and equality. We know that through violence we could remove those humans that refuse to behave as decent members of our species; however, that type of conflict is against our core beliefs. Also, those types of conflicts also harm innocent people.

I am assuming that since you have the technology to visit our planet, you have other advanced technologies that could be useful in addressing our problem. What I am proposing is that you remove the elements of our society that don’t play well with others. I’m not asking that you destroy them…although I know accidents can happen, what I’m asking is that you just take them away for a few years.

I see this as a win-win situation. You can perform a thorough analysis of dysfunctional humans, and we can get our world back. You would not be held liable for any damage caused to the humans that you study.

I understand that you may have a ‘non-interference’ type of prime directive; however, please accept this note as an exemption of your policy.

It would be a great start if you could remove all humans associated with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. That would send a positive message to the rest of the world. If you need a list, please contact me.

We are currently celebrating our shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere, which means it is our darkest, longest night. I cannot imagine a greater gift during this holiday season to know that we have been through our darkest time.

Warm regards,

Paul Kiser

P.S., If you get this note at some point in the future and have the ability to come back in time, this would be the time in which to come back. Again, Happy Holidays!

The Nuclear Amendment

30 Thursday Nov 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Health, Higher Education, History, Honor, Politics, Public Image, racism, Religion, Respect, Science, Taxes, US History

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115th Congress, Affordable Care Act, Amendment, citizenship, Donald Trump, GOP, Republican, Republicans, tax reform, United States of America, US Constitution

Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

Upon ratification of this amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America by at least two-thirds of all states and/or territories of the United States of America, all acts of the 115th Congress and of the 45th President shall be nullified and repealed retroactively. This amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America supersedes all other past and current federal, state, and local laws to the contrary.

In addition, upon ratification of this amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, all members of the 115th Congress who voted in favor of any legislation relating to adversely changing and/or the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and/or who voted in favor any tax reform bill shall have all personal assets seized, here and abroad, and shall lose citizenship to the United States of America.

In addition, upon ratification of this amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, the 45th President shall have all assets seized and shall lose citizenship to the United States of America.

In addition, upon ratification of this amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, all official and unofficial political appointees and/or advisors of the 45th President, including those nominated by of the 45th President, regardless of whether or not they are still holding the office, shall have all assets seized and shall lose citizenship to the United States of America.

In addition, upon ratification of this amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, all businesses and/or organizations that gained favored treatment, or profit on measures passed by the 115th Congress, or on actions, policies or, executive orders of the 45th President or any or his advisors, nominees, or appointees, shall forfeit twice the value of the actual, or estimated financial value of said action.

This is NOT an Excuse: Why Older White Men Sexually Harass Women

22 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Business, Communication, Crime, Crisis Management, Employee Retention, Ethics, Generational, History, Honor, Human Resources, Lessons of Life, Management Practices, parenting, Politics, Pride, Public Image, Public Relations, Relationships, Respect, The Tipping Point, Women

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children, Donald Trump, Education, management by intimidation, men, power, Ray Moore, sex, sex ed, sexual harassment, sexual relationships, wealth, Weinstein, Women

I need to be clear. Sexual harassment is and always has been wrong.

However, as an older white man, I can say that I am not surprised by the revelations coming out about women who have been sexually harassed by powerful older white men, I have to admit that I have been guilty of the same attitudes and behaviors.

Nothing that I have to say should be construed as an excuse for the behavior. No one should read this and feel any sympathy for men who have engaged in sexual harassment. This is simply an explanation of why I am not surprised by the recent revelations, and why I think almost all men of my age or older have a propensity to sexually harass women.

“Nothing that I have to say should be construed as an excuse for the behavior. No one should read this and feel any sympathy for men who have engaged in sexual harassment.”

I was born in 1957. My parents that raised me were married in 1939. My Dad was twenty years old, and my mother was fifteen…on the day she married. That was not typical; however, older men marrying younger women, even girls, was not uncommon, and during my childhood years, almost every Mom was a housewife.

As a child of the 1960’s, the idea that the man was dominant over a woman was not even questioned. Women were created to please men. The mindset was, women should not be overtly sexual and modest; therefore, it was the man’s place to initiate sexual actions. There was no formal instruction about initiating sexual intention with women, it was just expected that boys would learn as they go.

It was blatantly obvious to me, and probably most men my age, that power and wealth made men sexually attractive, and that women craved men who boldly took the initiative, so they didn’t have to pretend that they didn’t want sex. One way to win over a woman was to be in a position of power, and create a situation where the woman could submit to them.

“…that power and wealth made men sexually attractive, and that women craved men who boldly took the initiative, so they didn’t have to pretend that they didn’t want sex.”

The problem was, it worked. In hindsight, it didn’t work because the myth of women secretly wanting sex was true, it worked because the intimidation of a powerful man, and because most fell into the belief that it was a societal norm. Until I was in my late 20’s, the concept of sexual harassment was not even recognized as a problem in the workplace. A man marrying a subordinate was commonplace.

During my adult years, the development of workplace training began to take hold, and one of the primary topics became sexual harassment training. I, and most other men, were told that we had to be careful how we handled ourselves in the workplace, but that seemed to be focused on the workers, not so much on the executives.

When an issue of sexual harassment did come up with someone in management, companies hushed it up “to protect the woman,” and often the woman was given some type of compensation and moved out of the situation. In the business world, the human resources department enabled men to sexual harass women by treating it as an embarrassment for the company that needed to be dealt with internally, without law enforcement involvement.

There is no excuse for my behavior, nor the behavior of white men my age. In part, the problem is born of myths that are created in the absence of discussion and awareness of sex. Young boys will believe what other young boys will tell them when reliable information isn’t available.

We have to stop pretending that sex is only for married adults, and prior to marriage sex isn’t supposed to happen. Abstinence is an abomination to human interaction, and people who promote that idea don’t realize the damage they are doing to our society. Sex is not taboo or should it be embarrassing to discuss. It is a natural function of life.

We also have to stop letting companies deal with sexual harassment issues. Profit, public relations, and efficient operation of the business have no place in how a workplace sexual harassment issue is resolved.

“Profit, public relations, and efficient operation of the business have no place in how a workplace sexual harassment issue is resolved.”

Finally, I apologize to any woman who feels I have offended and/or been sexually inappropriate with. There is no excuse.

Don’t Look To The FBI To Bring Trump To Justice

24 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Crime, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, History, Honor, Management Practices, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Relationships, US History

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Conservatives, FBI, FBI Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey, L. Patrick Gray, liberals, Nixon, President Richard Nixon, Watergate

Former FBI Director James Comey: A Man For No Seasons

FBI Director James Comey was fired by Donald Trump. Was it because he was protecting our country’s interest against an unethical, perverted, traitorous President, or did the Dark Lord have tantrum over a lack of absolute obedience?

There is little reason to believe that James Comey was prepared to act against Trump in the Russiagate investigation. Prior to being fired, Comey had declared to Congress that he believed it was perfectly acceptable to publicly announce unsubstantiated, baseless evidence against a Democratic presidential candidate just prior to an election; however, it was not acceptable to publicly announce substantiated evidence against a conservative and/or Republican prior to, or after an election.

He was correct. That is the role the FBI has historically taken, and continues today.

The FBI investigated Watergate from the moment the burglars were arrested. They had evidence that President Nixon, and his administration were involved, and yet, the FBI somehow failed to find the key evidence of a wider conspiracy that would eventually force Nixon out of office. While we don’t know the full extent of the FBI’s role in hindering the Watergate scandal, we do know the following:

A former FBI agent was recruited to wiretap the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate complex.
Acting FBI Director L. Patrick Gray during Watergate
Acting FBI Director L. Patrick Gray helped destroy Watergate evidence that came from a White House safe of Howard Hunt, eleven days after the burglary.
On October 10, 1972, less than a month prior to the election, the FBI publicly revealed a list of crimes that their investigation had uncovered to date, and that the crimes were linked to staff in the White House. Despite this announcement, the FBI, nor Department of Justice took no action, nor threatened action, giving credibility to White House denials of the facts. Nixon won the election by a landslide, largely because Nixon and his administration were able to convince people that the FBI’s lack of action proved their innocence.

It could be reasonably argued that, in October of 1968, the FBI and the Justice Department were in a state of confusion about the depth of the Democratic National Headquarters break in, spying, eavesdropping, and cover up. It is possible that no legal action occurred before the election due to their own lack of understanding of the real situation. It could also be argued that based on the involvement of past and current members of the FBI in the Watergate break in and subsequent cover up, that the FBI was caught in an internal struggle between protecting Nixon, and not looking like they were protecting Nixon.

J. Edgar Hoover and John and Robert Kennedy

The FBI has historically been a politically motivated investigative body that has a friendly relationship with conservatives, and an adversarial relationship with liberals. The 1987, four-part mini-series, Hoover vs The Kennedys: The Second Civil War, depicts the adversarial relationship of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had with President Kennedy and his brother Robert.

The FBI Director role has historically been defined by a cozy relationship with conservative politicians, and an adversarial role with liberal politicians. James Comey’s replacement will likely follow that tradition.

Can The FBI Arrest The President?

23 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Crime, Crisis Management, Ethics, Government, History, Honor, Politics, racism, Religion, US History

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arrest, betrayal, Crime, criminal, Donald Trump, FBI, GOP, Homeland Security, Mike Pence, President, Republicans, Russian, traitor, vice president

Keep your small hands where we can see them Mr. President

Air Force One lands at Andrews Air Force Base late in the night. it taxis to a stop and the security teams move in as normal. As President Trumps steps off the plane several SUV’s filled with FBI and Homeland Security teams pull up and the Secret Service is told to stand down. Trump and several of his staff are arrested.

VP Mike Pence: “I’m with Comrade Trump

At the same instant, additional security teams at multiple locations close in and arrest Vice President Mike Pence, all of Trump’s top administration, and multiple House and Senate Republicans. All are charged with collusion with a foreign government, acts against the United States of America, and violations of U.S. laws.

Not possible? Not so fast.

While most believe that the only way to get remove a President from office is to impeach him or her, the Constitution doesn’t address the issue of being arrested. It is a grey area. There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents a President from being arrested and charged with a crime, providing the cause of the arrest doesn’t come from the Legislative branch.

In the case of a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives, they also have rules for being recalled; however, those rules have not prevented them from being arrested and charged with a crime.

The problem is not so much, ‘can it be done,’ as ‘what would happen if it were done.’ If the President, Vice President, and several Republican Congress members were found to have colluded with the Russian government, the structure of our government would be affected as all three branches (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) would no longer be operating under a Constitutionally prescribed system.

Unfortunately, we are already in that situation, as the evidence indicates that Trump’s administration is festering with Russian influence, Trump has apparently attempted to obstruct the investigation, he has passed on classified information to the Russians, and the Republican Congress has failed to act. Effectively, our Constitutional government has been voided by a widespread infiltration of foreign influence meant to destabilize and/or destroy it.

It is unlikely that the FBI and/or Homeland Security would arrest a significant portion of our federal officials, even if all the evidence were delivered by FedEx to their offices; however, it is now obvious that our forefathers failed to protect us from a situation of corruption of more than one branch of government.

If any legal entity were to be forced into action to protect our government they would have to do something extraordinary. They would have to create a plan for a temporary government to replace our Constitutional government. That is a dangerous move, as few countries have succeeded in removing their corrupt leadership and replaced them with a caretaker that effectively restored a fair and ethical government.

Compounding our situation are as many 20 million citizens that actively seek the destruction of our Constitutional government. They are the source of our current problems and many of them are making noises about an armed insurrection if anyone interferes with the destruction of our country into a lawless, unethical, white-dominated society where the violent rule.

There is also the question of whether or not Vladimir Putin is attempting to push the United States into a chaotic state in order to take revenge for what President Reagan did in the 1980’s. If that were true, arresting our country’s leadership would be a big step in Putin’s goal.

So can Trump be arrested? Yes. Will he be arrested? Probably not….but one can dream.

Trump Supporters Are Born-Again Wallace Supporters

22 Monday May 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Business, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, History, Honor, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Taxes, US History, Women

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1968, 2016, 2017, Donald Trump, George Wallace, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, Trump supporters

Wallace supporters – 1968

Recently my personal research took me to the October 24, 1968 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. On page 57, was an article about supporters of the then presidential candidate of Alabama Governor George Wallace. Wallace was in a three-way race with Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. Wallace was a poor third place against Nixon and Humphrey; however, he did manage to keep Nixon and Humphrey in a statistical tie with each failing to receive more than fifty percent of the vote.

What is interesting about the article is the quotes by Wallace supporters, and the uncanny similarity in tone to today’s Trump supporter. For example:

Regarding Wallace:

Now I keep hearin’ about an old Nixon and a new Nixon, and an old Humphrey and a new Humphrey, Now I don’t know which is which, but I can tell you there is no old Wallace or new Wallace. He’s sayin’ and believin’ the same things as when he ran for governor. And he’ll be sayin’ and believin’ the same things as President.”

Dick Smith, October 1968

“We’ve already given Democratic and Republican presidents a chance and they can’t straighten things out. Let’s give somebody new a try. We don’t have anything to lose.”

Bob Miller, October 1968

Regarding Trump:

The other politicians are controlled by their handlers. He’s not.”

Vern Engel, Kansas City, August 2015

“I backed Trump from the beginning. Because he calls things out. He does not allow lies to live. He just exposes things. Pastors sometimes need to be politically correct, and Donald Trump is not politically correct, and I love that about him”

Crystal Myers, California, May 2016

Regarding Wallace:

I’m a racist, but that’s not the reason I’m supporting Wallace. I’m behind him because he’s the most patriotic man I know. I just can’t stomach these liberals. I think they’re scum.”

William Napier, October 1968

“I’ve moved twice because of Negroes moving in. All that loud rock and roll music.”

Elmer Genie, October 1968

Regarding Trump:

I was actually sitting in the chow hall (in Qatar) when they announced the results (when Obama won in 2008,) and he gave his speech,” he says. “I saw such a division at that time. Every black member of the military was cheering. Everybody else was sitting there mute. Like stunned.”

Former Marine, June 2016

“….these people, that are from other countries, non-speaking—I’m not biased, I have no reason to be—but . . . I’m seeing them getting cash, getting their bills paid, and, as a taxpaying citizen, I don’t get anything. And so the border thing really resonated with me.”

Stephanie from Minnesota, June 2016

Ideologically, there is no difference between the 1968 George Wallace supporter, and the 2017 Trump supporter. Both act on emotion and opinion with few facts to support their position. They are unified in the opinion that non-whites are, at least in part, the cause of their problems. They are also completely deaf to any idea or fact that doesn’t support their position, and ignorant of how corporations and the wealthy have manipulated them into making decisions that go against their own interests.

Our country’s problems aren’t caused by bad politicians. They are caused by uneducated and unintelligent voters who don’t have the ability to understand what they are doing…and never will.

Quotes were taken from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (24 October 1968,) BBC News (9 November 2016,) The New Yorker (11/18 June 2016)

1968: The Year of Fear and Hate

04 Thursday May 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Communication, Crime, Crisis Management, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Health, Higher Education, History, Honor, Politics, Pride, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Respect, Taxes, Traditional Media, Universities, US History, Women

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1968, Alabama, Civil Rights, Democrat, Democrats, Elections, George Wallace, Governor, Hubert Humphrey, Protests, Richard Nixon, Riots, Robert Kennedy, Vietnam, Vietnam War

October 1968. Richard Nixon, Hubert Humphrey, and George Wallace, and were desperately trying to win the Presidential election. Former Vice President Nixon had moderate conservatives and war-hawks backing him. Vice President Humphrey had Democratic core voters and intelligent liberals backing him, and Alabama Governor George Wallace was the darling of racists and right wing extremists.

1968 Democratic Convention (The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)

1968: A Year of Chaos
In 1967, most had assumed President Lyndon Johnson would run, and likely win reelection. Those in his administration’s military leadership offered an optimistic view of the Vietnam War, with one of his recent close advisors publicly saying that the enemy was losing their will to fight.

Despite the rosy picture, over 70,000 U.S. soldiers had been killed or wounded during the war, and 1,000 more were being killed each month. Opposition to the war was tearing the Democratic party apart, and it overshadowed almost all other political issues.

In late January 1968, North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive. Ultimately, the invading armies were beaten back, but the offensive shocked the United States. Those confident of Johnson’s ability to bring a successful end to the war waned in their support, and in March, the New Hampshire primary gave Johnson an uncomfortably narrow win over Eugene McCarthy, who was considered a relatively minor candidate that focused on an anti-war campaign.

Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (AP Photo/Dick Strobel)

Soon after the primary, Robert Kennedy entered the race, and Johnson ended his campaign. (Although Johnson probably dropped out because he doubted he could beat Kennedy, it is noteworthy that President Johnson’s decision to drop out was heavily influenced by his health concerns. Specifically, that he would likely not live through another term.) Without Johnson in the race, there was no single, obvious choice for President.

The year became more chaotic after Johnson dropped out. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4. Robert Kennedy was assassinated on June 6. Anti-war and civil rights protests and riots, along with mounting U.S. casualties in Vietnam dominated the news everyday.

Baltimore, Maryland, 1968 (Photo by Afro-American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images)

By October, voters were reacting to the the presidential election as the prescription moment in the United States. The next President would either cure or kill our country, depending on the point of view. People who sought a calm return to normalcy were split between Nixon and Humphrey.

However, there were people who sought a disruptive choice for President, in the hopes that he would revive the Confederacy’s goal of remaking the United States into a white dominated government that would undo decades of work to create equal rights for all citizens. Their choice was George Wallace.

While many may believe that Wallace was a bigger threat to Nixon’s campaign, the reality was that the Governor from Alabama was luring as much as half of the support of the unions that normally support the Democratic ticket. Uneducated, Caucasian, blue-collar workers were taken in by Wallace’s hardline racist positions.

The civil rights riots generated fear among white voters, many of whom, felt they were not racist, but were of the opinion that life for the African-American would be fine if they would just settle down and accept their lot in life.

In the end, Nixon won with less than half the vote, and was in a statistical tie with Humphrey, but he had a significant electoral college margin. Wallace won over almost ten million voters, and certainly had an impact on the outcome.

Both Nixon and President Johnson used last-minute tactics to sway voters in the final weeks. President Johnson publicly suggested that a Vietnam peace deal was imminent, and Nixon’s campaign used back channels to interfere with those peace efforts, coupled with a spy in the White House that kept the Nixon campaign informed of Johnson’s diplomatic efforts.

NEXT: A hard look at the Wallace voter

Conversations With Conservatives: The 37 Year Lie

13 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Business, Communication, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Health, Higher Education, History, Honor, Human Resources, Management Practices, Politics, Pride, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Religion, Respect, Space, Taxes, Technology, US History, Women

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conservatism, Conservatives, economic growth, economy, Employment, GDP, Gross domestic product, high paying jobs, Iran Contra Affair, Iran Hostage Crisis, job growth, jobs, President Richard Nixon, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Watergate

(NOTE: This is Part II of this article. Read Part I, here.)

The social and economic issues that people are concerned about in the United States of America don’t necessarily fall along party lines. Some issues, like immigration and applying religion to public policy, have a distinct political division; however, many other issues cross the lines of the ideologies.

In conversations with conservatives I learned that the deep division between conservatives and liberals can be traced back 37 years, to when Republicans managed to break the hold of Democratic leadership of our country in 1980. For 37 years, conservatives have been able to maintain control of our country by singing one anthem, ‘Everything is the government’s fault, and business is the solution.’

Ronald Reagan: Founder of the Cult of Conservatism

Ronald Reagan was elected on the idea that Democrats had failed the country. It was an easy story to sell for one reason. The Iran Hostage Crisis. Every night the news reminded our country of how many days our citizens had been held and humiliated by a group of Iranian students. Most in the United States did not understand the complexities of the situation, and were angry that we didn’t go to war with Iran.

The result was to give Republicans an early opportunity to erase the shame caused by Richard Nixon’s illegal involvement in fixing the 1972 presidential elections during the Watergate affair. The Hostage Crisis ended at the exact hour that Reagan was sworn in as President, a coincidence that causes questions of Republican collusion with the Iranian government during the crisis. Suspicions of collusion were raised again when Reagan’s administration worked a bizarre deal to sell arms to Iran several years later during the Iran/Contra Affair.

The Big Lie
Reagan is famously quoted in his first Inaugural speech when he said:

….government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem…”

Ronald Reagan, January 1981

The demonization of government was necessary for conservatives to achieve their goals. Government is the ethical referee that prevents business from underpaying employees, polluting for profit, abusing and endangering the customer, engaging in banking practices that protect the account holder, etc. Government oversight and regulation keeps business from devouring itself in greed.

Additionally, government collects business taxes for the privilege of having access to our country’s rich consumer markets. By eliminating these taxes, business could keep more of the spoils of capitalism and drain revenues from the entity that kept business fair and ethical.

The other shoe dropped by conservatives was to preach that the solution to our problems was business. In the holy corporate world, business was the shining light on the hill for all to worship.

37 Years Later: The Cult of Conservatism
In my conversation with average conservatives I have discovered that conservatism has now become a cult. The code word for a conservative is ‘fiscal conservatism.’ Ask anyone who votes for a Republican candidate why they vote for the party they will automatically answer, “I believe in fiscal conservatism.” They don’t even pause.

For conservatives, issues are caused by government and solved by business. Among the issues discussed with conservatives I learned the following:

Finance regulation: Conservatives believe that the government is at fault and less regulation will solve the problem, even though a lack of regulation and business greed caused the 2007-8 financial/bank crisis.

Housing Inflation/Bubbles: Conservatives that government is the problem because…I didn’t get an answer on this, but the free market will solve the problem, even though the bubbles that occur with rapid housing price increases are caused by capitalisticitic factors, not government involvement.

Economy: Conservatives believe that business is the creator of jobs and growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and government inhibits both. The evidence contradicts this as job and GDP growth have been anemic under almost 35 years of Republican economic policies, and the pre-conservative period of government initiated infrastructure projects and the space program generated massive job and GDP growth.

Healthcare: Conservatives believe that government has been the cause of uncontrolled price increases in healthcare and drug prices, even though it’s the lack of government regulation that has allowed the price increases, especially in the prescription drug market, where Republicans pushed for, and passed an end to competitive market that would help to restrict price increases.

Trump and Republicans have succeeded in creating a cult-like status around the concept that government is the problem and business is the solution…and like any cult, the believers surrender themselves to ‘faith.’ Truth and facts are fiction to a conservative.

The Republican party has no need to be logical, compromising, or reasonable. Their believers have no choice but to hate government, and worship business.

Conversations With Conservatives

12 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Business, Crisis Management, Customer Service, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Health, Higher Education, History, Honor, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, Taxes, Technology, US History

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2008, conservatism, conservative, Conservatives, corruption, deregulation, Drug prices, economy, GOP, Healthcare, healthcare reform, Housing crises, Housing inflation, jobs, Regulations, Republican, Republicans, Unemployment

Recently I have had a couple of face-to-face, civil conversations with conservatives. The conversations gave me a better understanding of how Donald Trump and the Republican party have managed to stay in power for the last 37 years.

The Issues
Among the issues we discussed:

Finance regulation: Banks unethical practices
Housing inflation: Housing prices increasing too fast
Economy: Not growing fast enough
Jobs: Not enough good paying jobs
Healthcare: Taking care of people who can’t afford healthcare, keeping healthcare costs down
Drug pricing: Prescription drug unfettered pricing

Government or Business Corruption?
There are many more issues; however, the ones discussed offer insight to the driving attitude of conservatives. It was not surprising that conservatives believe that the government is inherently corrupt. They also have an unshakable opinion that business and capitalism are the solution to almost every social and/or economic problem.

When asked about the above issues, conservatives will automatically assume the problem can be attributed to government corruption, interference, or mismanagement. They also believe that government is holding back, or preventing from business solving the problem.

It is admirable that most conservatives don’t need, nor care if their opinions have no proof, or facts to support their position. Even when it is apparent that business is/was the cause of the problem, conservatives have the ability to double down on the fallacy and ignore anything that contradicts their opinion.

Cause of the Housing Crisis: Business as ~~Usual~~ Unethical

Regulation: The False Enemy
In one conversation I was told of how a bank sold the fixed rate housing loan of this person to another bank and the new bank raised the interest rate without the consent of the owner. Though the person kept paying on the loan, they were finally told that they were in arrears on the loan because they had failed to pay the additional interest on the new loan. Ultimately, the person was forced into either spending thousands of dollars on legal fees, or walking away from the house.

Three factors are key to this situation. First is the greed of the banks to make more money for the investors. Second is the lack of ethics by the bank. Finally, the lack of government oversight over the banks to prevent them from selling the loan, remaking the loan, and then forcing the homeowner into foreclosure.

Business was the corrupt party in this situation, and a lack of government oversight was the contributing factor; however, to the conservative, this was another example of a corrupt government.

NEXT: The Thirty-Seven Year Lie

PR Fail: What United Airlines Should Have Done

28 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Branding, Business, Communication, Crisis Management, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Employee Retention, Ethics, Generational, Honor, Human Resources, Internet, Management Practices, parenting, Politics, Pride, Public Image, Public Relations, Respect, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Social Media Relations, Travel, Women

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buddy pass, buddy passes, children, dress code, fashion, gate agent, girls, HR, leggings, non-rev, non-revenue, policies, tickets, UAL, United Airlines

United PR: At least we don’t shove the children out at 35,000 feet!

Sunday morning United Airlines once again proved that they have some of the worst public relations people in the business, which is likely a reflection of their top management.

The Situation
Two young girls, ages estimated to be around ten to eleven years old, were prevented boarding a United Airlines flight from Denver to Minneapolis with their family. These were children, not adults, nor young adults. According to United Airlines, they were flying on what is known in the industry as a “Buddy Pass,” which is a relatively free (taxes have to be paid) ticket that is one of the benefits of airline employees.

The girls were wearing leggings, which again, according to United Airlines, is in violation of the dress code of people flying on a Buddy Pass. The gate agent apparently approached the family and told them the girls could not board the plane wearing leggings.

It is important to note that two of the girls did not have any other clothing options at the gate, and the family apparently checked bags with the girl’s clothing in them at the main ticketing, where a United representative had to weigh the bags, check the tickets, and confirm the identifications of each of the passengers. Despite this close contact with the passengers, the ticket agent did NOT prevent the children, nor the rest of the family from heading to the gate.

The gate agent that confronted the family was involved in a “tense” discussion of the dress code issue in front of other passengers. At one point the gate agent bragged, “I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them.”

This became a major public relations issue because passengers in the area were witness to the scene and a passenger from another gate investigated the situation and reported it on Twitter. The gate agent’s handling of the situation was overt enough to cause another family, not involved in the incident, to have their daughter put on a dress over her leggings.

United later reported that the girls later changed and boarded another flight.

What United Should Have Done
It boggles the mind as to the many public relation fails occurred by United staff, but here is what the public relations people should have said and done:

On Sunday, March 26, a family was boarding one of our flights on a special ticket that includes a dress code requirement for the passenger. One of our gate agents determined that the children were not dressed according to that policy, and the family was not allowed to board the flight.

While the gate agent technically followed our policy, we regret that this situation became a public scene. We also regret that our staff did not remind the family of that policy when they checked their bags at the main ticket counter, when the children would have been able to obtain appropriate clothing before their bags were checked.

Our policy is meant to encourage a professional appearance of those passengers who are flying as a benefit of being employed, or being a family member of one of our employees. When this involves children, we attempt to be sensitive to the difference in the typical appropriate dress for their age.

We regret to the manner in how this situation was handled and apologize to the family involved and to the passengers who were witness to this situation at the gate. We are reviewing our policies and how those policies are enforced.

The United Blood Bath
Rather than apologizing, United decided that it would work to sway public opinion against the traveling family and humiliate them further. Their announcement in response to the situation put all the blame on the children and their family and implied that the gate agent who created the scene was the hero.

It is a Trump-like strategy that is based on never admitting failure, even when the failure is obvious. It did produce a wave of approval by people who enjoy watching someone being crushed by a more powerful and insensitive force.

However, this type of strategy builds mistrust of an organization and clearly demonstrates United’s lack of empathy for its passengers, paying or not. It also demonstrates the lack of humanity by a corporation that doesn’t understand the deferred cost of bad public relations, and proves that United doesn’t know the quality of mercy.

Trump Leaks Own Tax Form?

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Business, Communication, Generational, Government, History, Honor, Politics, Privacy, Public Image, Public Relations, Taxes, Traditional Media, US History

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2005, David Cay Johnston, Donald Trump, Dr. Evil, President, tax form, Trump, Trump's finances, Vladimir Putin

Trump: “It’s illegal for you to see this but look at how great I am!”

It is the centerpiece of the Trump agenda to keep the subject off Putin’s overthrow of his administration. And just when the topic would be coming back to the KGB agent that seems to be in contact with all the Republican leadership, suddenly, a bone is thrown to the media. Trump’s 2005, rosy tax form…but only two pages. Who gave it to the media? Nobody knows. It just magically appeared.

Trump and his Iraqi-styled minions didn’t even snicker when they scolded the unknown person who ‘illegally’ released his alleged tax document…all two pages. Nothing about the tax form reflects badly on Trump, and that alone casts suspicion that the President who can admit to no wrong, personally selected these two pieces of paper to be ‘anonymously’ delivered to a journalist.

Trump’s tax release has all the cleverness of a Dr. Evil plan

Even David Cay Johnston, the journalist who landed this punt, is suspicious of how he came to obtain this sudden flattering twelve-year-old snapshot of Trump’s financial qualifications. It is too coincidental that a minor aspect of Trump’s tax reporting, that creates a positive impression of his finances, appears with no explanation, no authentication, nor no information as to who is behind the release of the two pages.

Perhaps if this weren’t so blatantly manufactured to change the subject, it wouldn’t be so silly, … but we are talking about Donald Trump and his friend Vladimir Putin.

Sean Spicer: Trump’s Baghdad Bob

13 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Communication, Ethics, Generational, Government, History, Honor, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, Traditional Media, US History

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Baghdad Bob, Disinformation Officer, Donald Trump, Iraq, Iraq war, Press Secretary, Russia, Sean Spicer, Soviet Union, Vladimir Putin, wiretapping

As U.S. troops were rolling into Baghdad, Saddam Hussein‘s Disinformation Officer, known as Baghdad Bob, was telling the media that U.S. soldiers were committing suicide outside the city to avoid dealing with the Iraqi Army, and as U.S. tanks were a few meters away, Baghdad Bob (Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf) denied that any U.S. forces were in the city.

Spicer’s poetic truth: U.S. flag is upside down

This is apparently the model Sean Spicer, Donald Trump’s Disinformation Officer (a.k.a. Press Secretary,) has chosen to emulate. Spicer doesn’t have a working relationship with the media. His function seems to be an attempt by the secretive Trump administration to create a sideshow that manufactures lies and deception to cover Trump’s idiotic rants and actions.

Spicer’s latest performance included a claim that Trump didn’t mean that the Obama administration wiretapped his phones in his March 4, Tweets, where Trump twice accused President Obama of wiretapping his phones. Spicer said that when Trump meant ‘observing’ and not wiretapping.

The Soviet Spy Now Trump’s Daddy

The reality is that Spicer’s job is to distract from the deeper controversies that Trump doesn’t want in the news cycle. It seems obvious that the influence that Vladimir Putin has over Trump’s administration is requiring Spicer to create a diversion for the media.

The reality is that we seem to have proof in evidence and deed that Putin has gained significant control of our government. Trump’s administration may simply be attempting to destroy as much of our government as possible before they are taken out of power.

The question remains, how much more can we continue to be mesmerized by the silliness, before appropriately respond to the crisis?

Preparing for the Post Trump Era: Step One

10 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Business, Ethics, Generational, Government, History, Honor, Management Practices, Panama, Politics, racism, Taxes, US History

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Donald Trump, GOP, Jerry Falwell, Michele Bachmann, Mitch McConnell, Newt Gingrich, Paul Ryan, Republican, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Trump properties, Vladimir Putin

Donald Trump is the apex of the Republican model of government. What is happening today is exactly what has been desired by conservatives like, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, Jerry Falwell, Rush Limbaugh, Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, Mitch McConnell, and Paul Ryan. It is a corporate government, not to serve the public, but as a corporation to satisfy the desires of the wealthy.

It is racist. It is secretive. And it is illegal. Our model of government is that it is a government of the people and by the people. What Trump is doing is anything but that.

It is a model of government that Vladimir Putin has perfected, and it seems apparent that he has been trying to export his perversion of government to create subsidiaries of his corporate government in democratic countries.

There is ample evidence of a Trump/Putin connection that is inappropriate for the Office of the President. It would be cause for investigation and removal from office; however, our Republican leadership is in the same bed as Trump.

Still, the tolerance of the political fiasco in our country is wearing thin, and the United States doesn’t suffer fools for long. Before that happens, our country needs to establish a plan of how we will move forward and not let this happen again.

Step One: The Disposal of the Trump Era
It will not be enough to remove Donald Trump from office. He will need to be prosecuted for his crimes against our country. There seems to be enough evidence to suggest that he should be charged as a traitor. If found guilty, he must face punishment. There can be no pardon for him.

If he is found guilty of crimes against foreign countries, extradition should be on the table.

Trump’s tower in Panama

All his assets, and any asset using his name should be confiscated and placed in the public treasury. He cannot be allowed to walk away with the fortunes he is gaining at the expense of the citizens of this country, and we should not be forced to see his name on buildings, projects, and programs.

His children must also be investigated, and prosecuted if they are suspected of acting against the interest of the people of the United States of America.

All Trump appointees, and anyone hired into federal service during the Trump administration should be removed from office immediately. All actions taken by Trump and/or his appointees should be immediately rescinded.

There is likely no legal precedent to allow all of these actions, but Trump has violated the established norms and mores of our country, and legal precedent does not apply.

Republicans Living Down to Expectations

09 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Business, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Health, History, Honor, Human Resources, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Respect, Taxes, US History, Women

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GOP, health insurance, Healthcare, healthcare reform, Obamacare, Paul Ryan, Republican, Ryancare

GOP’s big loser takes from the elderly and poor to give to the rich

They did exactly what was expected and then went further. Republicans put together a plan to shred our healthcare, and then added more tax breaks for the wealthiest. Ryancare could best be described as the bomb dropped on the United States to distract us from noticing how deep Vladimir Putin is in Trump’s pants.

‘Repeal and Replace’ is, as expected, ‘Flush and Make the Wealthiest, Wealthier.’ By bullet point, this is what the Republicans shot down.

Mandatory coverage, gone. A return to pre-Obamacare
Subsidies, still there, but smaller
Medicare money raided to give the wealthy a big tax cut
Elderly and people with pre-existing conditions will pay up to five times more for insurance

Many believe that Ryancare will undergo significant changes; however, none of the discussed changes will improve the existing law. Republicans are committed to carnage and destruction. Business as usual.

ICE Becoming Trump’s Version of Nazi SS?

28 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Crime, Ethics, Government, History, Honor, Politics, Pride, Privacy, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Respect, Travel, US History

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Children's book author, Germany, ICE, immigration officers, LAX, Mem Fox, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Ali Jr., Nazi, Schutzstaffel, SS, US Customs

Mem Fox – The 70 year-old children’s book author deemed a threat to the US

The seventy year-old children’s book author from Australia was on her way to a conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mem Fox was a pro at travelling. She had entered into the United States over 100 times before, and she was expecting the normal review of her documentation when she arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on February 9.

What she didn’t realize was that she was about to experience her first encounter of Trump’s version of the Nazi SS.

On January 27, Donald Trump began his campaign to unleash a security force to terrorize foreign visitors to the United States of America. His first step was to sign an unannounced Executive Order to ban Muslims from six countries from entering the United States.

This was the signal to immigration officers implementing border control that the rules that held them to a standard of honor and decency were going to be eliminated. Now those agents who joined U.S. Customs for the power and thrill of humiliating people could be unleashed on the public with the complete support of the Holy Trinity of Racism: Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and Vladimir Putin.

When Ms. Fox entered the United States an immigration officer falsely accused her of having an improper visa, and then began a two-hour detention by officers that felt the glory and power of their ability to humiliate and terrorize. She later explained that, “‘I have never in my life been spoken to with such insolence, treated with such disdain, with so many insults and with so much gratuitous impoliteness.”

I have never in my life been spoken to with such insolence, treated with such disdain, with so many insults and with so much gratuitous impoliteness.

Were this an isolated incident, it might seem to be a fluke, but two days before in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Muhammad Ali’s son and his mother were detained by U.S. Customs agents when they returned from Jamaica. Muhammad Ali Jr, unlike Ms. Fox, was born in the United States and had a valid US passport, nevertheless, he was detained for two hours after being asked if he was a Muslim.

These incidents indicate a larger strategy by Trump’s administration. Trump seems to be empowering a group of people with the ability to terrorize and humiliate people, including U.S. citizens with little or no concern for accountability to the people of the United States of America.

Hitler’s Enforcement Force – The Nazi SS

Trump’s plan to build up a force that answers solely to his administration and is given the mission to aggressively humiliate and intimidate groups of non-white, and/or non-Christians is an effective recruiting incentive for the racist elements that brought him to power. It is likely that by the end of this year, a military-style federal police force will be in place to be utilized in any manner deemed necessary for Homeland Security.

Trump’s actions recent actions to an immigration threat that doesn’t exist indicate that he is using the issue to create an independent force of that will operate outside current U.S. laws. This Nazi-like SS (Schutzstaffel) force that will serve to eliminate dissent and ensure a white-dominated authority.

The God Test

21 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Branding, Ethics, Generational, Government, Honor, Politics, Relationships, Religion, Respect

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Baptists, Catholic, Christian, Christianity, Islam, LDS, Methodist, Muslim, nature of God, Protestant, religion

Christ crucifixion statue, Isla Grande, Panama.

Question 1

Is God infallible? (Incapable of making mistakes or having an error in judgement)

If God is not infallible then God is capable of making mistakes and has failings that could lead to unneeded pain and suffering.

Question 2

Is God omnipresent? (In all places at all times past, present, and future.)

If God is not omnipresent then God cannot be aware of all things, nor intervene on all situations.

Question 3

Is God’s always good and honorable? (Does God always desire good for those who believe in Him/Her, and seek to do good rather than evil?)

If God is not always good and/or honorable, then followers cannot trust in Him/Her to do what is correct.

Question 4

Does God have/know all the correct answers to every possible question?

If God does not have/know all the correct answers to every possible question then He/She is not infallible, nor omnipresent.

Question 5

Does God love humans? (Have a unique and caring relationship with humans.)

If not, then a basic premise of the nature of God and His/Her relationship with humans (that God loves humans) is not true.

Question 6

Are humans the most important part of the universe?

If not, then God’s purpose is not human-based, but based on caring for the larger universe, thus, He/She does not always have our best interest in mind, as the needs of other aspects of the universe may have priority.

Question 7

Are humans to serve God? (Provide a service, act or behave on behalf of God, or produce material goods for God.)

If not, then humans have no compelling need to have a dependent relationship with God.

Question 8

Are humans to worship God? (To glorify, honor, praise, exalt, and please God.)

If not, then humans have no obligation to please God.

Question 9

Do humans and God have a quid pro quo relationship? (There is an equal benefit to both humans and God in the relationship)

If not, then there is an imbalance in the relationship that could lead to neglect or abuse of the relationship.

Question 10

Is it impossible for humans to survive without God? (God’s existence is necessary for human existence.)

If not, then humans don’t need a God.

Question 11

Does God determine when and how a human is born and how a human dies?

If not, then human lives are a random chance and God is not the creator of all things.

Question 12

Is there an existence for a human after death?

If not, then there is no reward or punishment for a human’s acts and/or failure to act during life.

Babble Blog

17 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by Paul Kiser in Aging, Branding, Communication, Ethics, Generational, Government, Higher Education, Honor, Management Practices, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, Respect, US History

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babble, Communication, contentless communication, Donald Trump, nonsense, Republicans, Trump, Trump supporters

I’m working on an article that you are going to really enjoy. The article is going to come out tomorrow, or maybe next week, or sometime, but you are going to love this article.

People, so many people, have wanted me to write this article, and they come to me, everyday, I’m telling you they come to me every day. Every. Day. And they want me to write this article.

This article is so important. So. Important. I can’t even tell you how important this article is, but believe me, this is an important article. And I’m not just saying that. Other people, smart people, these people are so smart it will blow you away. Blow. You. Away. And these smart people are saying that this is the article that needs to be written, and I’m going to write it, because the people want me to write it.

There is such a mess out there, you don’t even know how bad of a mess there is, but once I write this article you will see how big of a mess there is, and the media, the liberal media has been hiding this mess, hiding this mess. I’m telling you they have been purposely hiding this mess from the public, because I’m telling you that they’ve been hiding this mess, and I’m going to tell you about it, because I’m not going to let the liberal media hide this mess anymore. We’re going to fix this mess and were going to make everything better because you deserve better. You. Deserve. Better. Better than what these other people have been giving you.

This is what the people want. They want me to write this article, and they want me to do it because I am the best person to write it. You can’t find a better person than me to write this article. I write. It’s what I do, and I’m great at writing. I’m the best. You will not find anyone more qualified than me to write this article, and this is why I’m the one who the people want to write this article. So this article will come out in the next few weeks, or next year, at the latest.