“Oddly enough this page continues to grow in viewership and ranks as one of the highest viewed pages on this website. I’m impressed with the growing concern for ethics at this time. This paper was originally written for Leadership 520 – Organizational Ethics, while enrolled in the Master of Arts in Organizational Management program at the University of Phoenix in Arizona. It is a personal sharing and story of that time and personal space in my life. At the risk of appearing overly self-indulgent I have posted it here, making a few edits and including additional links below for further exploration. At worst, I hope this piece provides some encouragement for your own efforts. Thanks and blessings on your own journey…

Personal conviction and ethics statement: I will to do good for all, desiring to serve humanity in the highest and best use of my mind/body/spirit complex, in the facilitation of a new world order of harmony among people and planet through presenting alternative solutions to community service delivery, participating in local socio-economic and environmental service programs, development of a solutions-based state-of-the-art model community, and developing a website that promotes these endeavors.

It has been said that values, morals and ethics are inextricably tied together. Values are what we learn from childhood; the ‘stuff’ we absorb from our parents and immediate surroundings. Morals are the intrinsic beliefs developed from the value systems of how we ‘should’ behave in any given situation. Ethics, on the other hand, are how we actually do behave in the face of difficult situations that test our moral fiber. In his book, “”How Good People Make Tough Choices,”" Rushworth Kidder notes four basic paradigms of ethical decisions: justice versus mercy; short-term versus long-term; individual versus community; and truth versus loyalty. He goes on to define the concepts further:

• The point behind the justice-versus-mercy paradigm is that fairness, equity, and even-handed application of the law often conflict with compassion, empathy, and love.

• Short-term versus long-term, or now versus then, reflect the difficulties arising when immediate needs or desires run counter to future goals or prospects.

• The individual-versus-community paradigm can be restated as us versus them, self versus others, or the smaller versus the larger group.

• Truth versus loyalty can be seen as honesty or integrity versus commitment, responsibility, or promise-keeping.

Expressing one’s personal grasp of ethics and life may not always be understood in the context of the world at large, the immediate environment, or even amongst the intimate others in the household. This is usually due to the fact that every person has some difference, small or great, in the development of their belief systems. Belief systems are established early in life through environments of home, church, school, and social gatherings which help to mold and shape these beliefs. Most of these beliefs and patterns of behavior are established through the unconscious observations and experiences of childhood in the aforementioned environments. These I refer to as ‘outer’ experiences which are akin to the ‘nurture’ piece of the ‘nature-nurture’ developmental processes. Allow me to use my own ‘outer’ experience as an example.

I knew that I was adopted by the time I was five. My adoptive parents were ideal by some standards, demonstrating honesty, integrity, and willingness to address conflict with style and grace even in the most difficult of situations. Dad was a tool and die machinist, building plastic injection molds for General Motors optical division and was also a 32nd Degree Mason. Mom was an educator with a master’s degree in Music and English and taught middle school English and Literature. They were a formidable team for an adolescent with growing pains, encouraging me to challenge and explore my world. My parents taught me that honesty was the best policy, even when the details may not be too favorable. They taught me the meaning of trust which was not being afraid even when I felt vulnerable. Of course that does not mean that I am able to apply that knowledge always, although age does have its advantages. Where obvious bottlenecks occur in personal and professional environments I still tend to ‘go deep’ in conversations even at the risk of rejection. Paths need to be cleared of trash for solid relationships to develop.

I also began having metaphysical, or paranormal, experiences around my 6th birthday. I refer to these as ‘inner’ experiences, or what I feel akin to the ‘nature’ element of the developmental processes. Our intrinsic functionality in society stems from this place, although it is the ‘outer’ details that generally rule the scene. For most, the internal experience is often ignored because of the lack of external acceptance or validation. There was a disparity with my parents due to the lack of a frame of reference regarding my metaphysical meanderings which often caused me to question my own reality, by the way. ‘Trust but verify’ builds reliance on others and it is rare that one can find other psychic constituents in the workplace or in life for that matter.

Consequently, the balance toward trusting others was often weighted by desire rather than discernment. The discernment came later as I began to understand that not all people were like my parents. Even they kept their distance in discussing certain spiritual experiences or subjects. The lack of personal experience often creates barriers that are difficult to bridge, if at all. In fact, I found that disbelief and skepticism were more prominent than ever. People were often afraid of what they did not understand and sometimes allowed that fear to provoke unnecessary violence. Fear stimulates a plethora of disconnecting responses. I had learned that life was stimulated by connectedness so this presented a great enigma. How can one close this gap, at times a chasm, so that it can be reconciled or resolved?

Others’ motives were not always utilitarian. Heck, mine weren’t always either. We all have some selfish motivations from time to time. Some live their lives by those motivations. The resulting actions were often misplaced personal libertarian expressions of selfishness without regard to personal boundaries and affects on the environment, fueled by the presence of plethora of distractions from what is ‘healthy or prudent’ to what works for now or provides the most personal benefit. Honesty and integrity show up in the leaders who are willing to bear the cross, so to speak, of clearing the path to success of its garbage.

This process of restoring integrity (the congruence of values, ethics, and morals) can have emotionally devastating affects if one allows the projections of others to rule their lives. People with problems most often will project those problems onto others until someone or something presents a situation that challenges the person to change and provides a safe environment for them to do so. There are others who seem to attract these situations, usually because they have committed themselves to service in some way. The strength of character is reflective of the trials and tribulations one has addressed in their life and empowered by their ability to ascend from emotional manipulation and/or trickery. The proverbial look in the mirror allows us to see what we need to transcend, even in ourselves.

As I got older I learned that the inner life I was leading provided more concrete understanding of the nature of the outer reality and the actions of others. I read profusely for a time, gobbling up the great works of secular and spiritual masters to glean better understanding of my own experiences and to grow personally and professionally. Putting myself in the hot seat at seminars and workshops tested what I learned and tempered my sword of truth over time. I learned over the years that questions asked internally with sincerity are answered in a variety of ways, not always in the moment they are asked. We all still have to deal with human emotions and the occasional absurdity of the actions emotions precipitate. Whether exposing options changed those actions or not varied from situation to situation depending on my ability to question congruency, the awareness of connectivity, and framing the emotional feelings and sensations verbally so that we could discuss them. Articulation without projection is a most challenging process. Most ‘first responses’ in chelas on the path are projective in nature, often defensive and full of irrationalities. The challenge to change still presents itself as I get older and more experienced with introducing interrogatives that do not put people on edge, although sometimes its fun to watch them squirm. However, insecurity is rampant in our society and even the most innocuous questions too often produce defensive postures. Fear, guilt and shame have ruled our lives for too long.

In my teens the greatest influence came through the Order of DeMolay, which is sort of a young men’s (14-21) Christian-based precursor to the Masonic Order. It was named after Jaques DeMolay, a Knights Templar, who gave up his life rather than betray his brethren during the Crusades in Europe. I was elected Master Councilor at fifteen and at 17, competed at the state Conclave through a speech on filial love and in one-meter springboard diving, achieving an honorable mention for the speech and third place in diving. Receiving the International DeMolay Medal for Saving a Human Life was another significant emotional event at the Conclave. I had been quick to respond to an event at the public pool where I was a lifeguard the previous summer. I reached an unconscious young girl just after being struck by another diver, having perceived the outcome and entering the water before the actual event. Her parents pursued the newspaper and recognition of my attentiveness. I was just fortunate to have been watching and able to act on the event. Our Chapter Dad submitted the paperwork to the International Council without my awareness. Saving the life of another is a personal blessing for which there is truly no verbal or written example of the heart-felt response. I chose not to pursue the path of Free Masonry, although I honor its foundation of personal service toward the highest good of all.

I learned the value of teamwork in school through clubs, group projects and sports and individual participation in support of the team through baseball, golf (medallist my senior year), and track. The competitive spirit was alive within me, yet it was not a ‘win-at-all-cost’ attitude by any means. I had a lot of natural academic talent and physical ability that I took for granted. I realized later in life that my knack for accomplishment stemmed from simply not knowing what I could not do. I missed opportunities because I chose to clutter my head with drugs late in high school and early in college. In time I learned to be genuine with my affection and my attention; being cautious and sensitive in matters of the heart and a bit bold in exploring life’s opportunities. According to many authorities relationships should be more caring and considerate as we mature. Much later, my involvement in education and child development (divorced w/four children and an unfulfilled desire to be near them) demonstrated that the ‘norm’ during those years is quite ‘me-centered’ and emotional maturity comes later for most, if at all. I’m sure my behavior was quite indicative of a teenager, yet in the quieter moments my thoughts ran very deep.

I graduated 10th in my class of 300 and had no idea at the time that I could have been valedictorian had I put just a little effort toward excelling in academics. My classroom pranks brought my average down as well, having met the challenge of classmates without thinking of personal outcome. Teachers’ kids/preachers’ kids… not much difference. I got caught up in ‘wanting to be liked’ and did some inappropriate things. Academic and athletic abilities came naturally, yet my appreciation for them was diminished by my exploration into pot and hallucinogens. The drugs served two things – emotional escape and surprisingly a way to find a deeper connection with life – a paradox that seems to be prevalent in progressive lifestyles. Still some do not understand this path is only short-lived, a mere stepping stone on the way to enlightenment and not a destination by any stretch of the imagination. Unfortunately many get caught in the quagmire and never return to reality. Many more have moved on to greater accomplishments. I still find that I let secondary priorities affect my efforts to follow my true passions in life, which I sense is the norm for most of us. Daily living offers the chance of many opportunities which call for the ethical and moral considerations for self and others before acting on those choices.

My second quarter in college started off with a real bang. I’d been dating a girl since my sophomore year in high school; ‘breaking up’ with her upon entering college because I was not sure I would be able to maintain monogamy. The first quarter brought some heavy emotional days of missing her so during quarter break I went back to ask her to marry me. I lost it after I found out she was already married, nearly a month prior. I was an emotional basket case for a long time afterward. My heart sunk in devastation and I returned to school determined to give my life to something with meaning. In respect of this I knelt in prayer and asked ‘Father’ to know truth and was willing to die for it if necessary. It was the most intense prayer I’d ever made. A week later, while in meditation listening to ‘In the Morning Day’ on Journey’s first album, I heard a voice immediately after the lyrics of the song. It said, “Bruce, are you willing to die for what you believe in?” I paused for a moment, checking my beliefs (Christ in an ‘expanded’ view), and replied, “Yes.” Immediately I felt a tugging on my inner being. I let go and turned to see my body as I was moving away from it. O.B.Es were not unfamiliar, as I’d been having them since childhood. When I turned back to look where I was going, I was engulfed by white light.

I was only missing tactile sensations inside the light and as an impetuous teen, I asked if there was more. I felt another sensation of movement and found myself in the center of a sphere of pinpoints of light. After recognizing them as points of consciousness, whether in body or not I was not sure as I sure as heck was not, the voice resumed. “These are those that you are to work with in order to facilitate the new world order. … trust and allow.” At the completion, I returned to my body with a rush of energy followed by a gasp for air, leaving my eyes closed temporarily while getting reacquainted with my body. Returning to my body was in itself a significant emotional event, let alone the previous few moments. I felt my question was answered and I wanted to shout it from the rooftops, consequently told my parents, and found myself talking with a psychiatrist a week later. To this day I still seek answers to the questions remaining from this experience. A blessing in disguise, my tenure with the psychologist helped me to begin to balance my inner and outer experiences, and to find order in my life. I saw him twice before he reflected his findings to me.

After a brief conversation on my third visit, where he revealed that he believed I was not crazy by any stretch of the imagination. He said that I was going through a ‘spiritual awakening’ of classic nature, only that it usually happened when folks were in their 40′s. He asked me to follow him and we adjourned to the second story of his office in a beautiful historic home in Anderson, Indiana. This resulted in my first tarot card reading, which edified all we had discussed and more. I was ecstatic and intimidated by the ‘truth’ this session revealed. His advice was to keep my mouth shut because few would understand, especially my adoptive parents who just could not relate to a spiritual awakening instead of a psychologically skewed son for whom they cared dearly and were frightened for his life. At the time I did not know that schizophrenia ran in my mother’s family and fueled their fears. In time the psychiatrist said I would find ‘flow’ (congruency) with my experience and the world.

So, I learned that there was much more beyond my understanding of ‘truth’ and it seemed to be leaning toward being everywhere I looked. It took a couple of decades or so to get the picture focused a little bit better, through a starting a family, a cross-country move landing in Phoenix, Arizona, and a professional career that took me into many different industries. Metaphysical experiences were even more profound during this period and I feel they even helped to drive a wedge between my wife and I, eventually resulting in our divorce after 12 years of being together and birthing four beautiful children. Releasing emotional attachment to that whole scenario was the most difficult experience I’ve had, yet the essence of it has guided my life continually. I know that all things are connected, we just need to understand how and that emotional attachments are vastly different from ‘connections.’

I had and still have many questions regarding this supposed ‘mission’ I have been given.How was this ‘facilitation of a new world order’ all going to come to fruition? What are the ethical and moral considerations for engaging others? My professional background has become fairly extensive yet pales in comparison to those I hold as icons and leaders in various professional fields. As professional opportunities presented themselves, I began to conceptualize an environment that would demonstrate leading edge technologies in all fields and how they would work together in harmony with people and planet. It had to include every best practice and element of a global community on a micro-community scale. Eventually the plan began to develop with enough detail that I could at least write an overview of the project, eventually becoming Genesis II.

Some years later I met with Carl Bimson, a 91 year-old founder of a bank in Arizona, to share our Genesis II plan. He still had an office in the Valley National Bank building in downtown Phoenix and was available to talk with people by appointment. Mr. Bimson thought it was well thought out and suggested I go find the pieces. Quite unexpectedly, he then went on to explain how his wife’s psychic gifts and card readings had helped tremendously in his business and banking career. What a shock that conversation was… He and two brothers facilitated about 70% of the business development in the progress of Arizona’s growth.

After some time of considering Carl’s advice, I began my Master of Business Administration in project management in 1994 to continue the process of finding the pieces and knowing what to do with them when I did. Now, after achieving certification as a Hypnotherapist and in my second master’s program, I seek to continue the plan and assemble an organizational plan, including all necessary policy development, organizational duties and responsibilities, and management philosophy that will empower the assemblage of a team of dedicated professionals to take Genesis to the next level of development. Meanwhile, we continue to develop Be The Dream (www.bethedream.org, .com, and .net), our bridge of nonprofit and for profit endeavors, as an exemplary leader on the Internet through demonstrating the concepts of the community in a microeconomic environment. In a sense we are connecting the dots of commerce, education and community through our Cultural Creative ways. Ideas and visions need to have creative outlets, which meant that I had to learn a new skill – web development. What is interesting is that I truly have no idea how these concepts will accepted, let along embraced, by the corporate and/or philanthropic community. I am just a guy with ideas and a vision.

Over the years we have done much development work and are beginning to seek out potential backers and investors for the project. My personal ethics statement applies to the intrinsic dynamic of these projects, empowering results in our quest for success. Even though I’ve done extensive reading on a variety of subjects dealing with the socialization processes, actualizing these endeavors is proving to be quite the challenge, necessitating reflection on my personal code of ethics regularly. Am I really cut out for this? How do I/we engage others and fulfill their needs in the participative process? It is in this process that I am able to facilitate collaborative efforts in larger groups with others who have similar or congruent ethics and are doing something in their community about sharing them? This will continue to be a great challenge and hopefully secondary priorities will become less distracting and invasive. Faith in ‘doing the right thing’ is imperative throughout the process. I have learned that my own concept of ‘time’ and fruition is often incongruent with the ‘divine’ timing and I am reminded of the need for humility, releasing my personal criticisms of where I ‘should’ be now and allowing the faith and trust in the process to resolve all concerns. It becomes more apparent as we grow older that cleaning up, clearing up, and moving on with refined moral and ethical behavior is the key to success…. everywhere.

Now, having joined with a compatible life partner, we have launched into this program together in order to ‘force’ ourselves to take the next steps in making our dreams reality. I moved on from education to Life Coaching as my ‘next-step’ in acquiring the skills necessary to help bridge inner and outer worlds in others. My partner is currently teaching gifted children in district school. We both tend to need to be in positions where we are compelled to do what is necessary because it is a requirement of the process. Some people work best that way. It seems that most successful people also follow this pattern of creating situations where they have to perform, meet deadlines and rise above the pack to achieve their dreams. Everything turns out to be a process as time goes on. Utilizing the Internet to help ‘spread the word’ will undoubtedly meet with mixed results. As much as I have learned and know there is much more that I do not. I feel awed and inspired by this discovery process, engaged by the thrill of the next event. I have to rely on serendipity to move this project forward, where patience is a primary factor. I’m encouraged by the personal involvement and visionary efforts of a growing number of concern planetary citizenry, addressing the basic ethical and moral decisions within the scope of service to self and service to others. My hopes are that through this Master of Arts in Organizational Management program I will find more ways to make things real, practical and pragmatic, and continue to grow personally and professionally.

About the Author: Rev. Zen Benefiel is a multi-degreed author, coach, consultant and facilitator with a passion for education and facilitating partnerships. Zen experienced a spiritual awakening in 1975, an honors student in college, complete with a very profound near death experience. He founded Be The Dream, a sole-proprietorship consulting company, in 1988 as vehicle to promote holistic understanding in business and personal achievement. Be The Dream has transformed along with its founder to become a leader in establishing a new living awareness among seekers of harmony, truth and planetary stewardship. An international presenter on holistic project planning, he has co-created a vision for a holistic model community serving at-risk youth, called Spectrum Academy (visit this site). Zen resides in Gilbert, Arizona.

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Tags: morality, life, value, core, family

“I recently heard a friend of mine had lost alot of money and was turning into a nightmare. He had run to an affair, he began to hit every transaction he did on his credit card with a charge back, he was running to and fro doing anything to save himself. Sadly, the same ethics he was using to recover from his bad situation were the same ethics he used in building his business. My heart bleeds for him because this is not the man I knew as friend.

When ethics and morality are separated in business we all lose. We live in a day and age where anything goes, you are the most important person on the planet and you have to do what you have to do in order to get anywhere. Wow, look at the results of such lies and the trouble we’re all in and you’ll see it just isn’t so. The truth is we all can be successful with good hard labor and solid working ethics. Cutting corners makes a business weak and eventually the reality will hit: The weakest link in a business will make it fall.

So what is the answer? Go back to basics, go back to what made this country of ours exist.

With the autonomy that the internet holds never before have ethics become a major crisis. People become who they want to be behind a computer screen. Sometimes not for the better. I remember when I met some of my clients at a recent seminar for training development for their business and they said to me, “”You are no different than you appear on the computer! There’s really no cross over for you.”" That is the highest compliment I have ever received. That is my goal- what you see here on this screen is what you will get in person, actually, you’ll get a better me that you can’t experience here on the computer. Warmth, tenderness, eye contact, body language of sincerity and integrity are what you’ll meet in person.

A spirit of poverty has plagued our nation for far too long. Poverty causes people to blame, to accuse, to not take personal responsibility. Poverty causes people to play the victim and never take a good hard look at themselves and their life. Poverty will causes cutting corners and unethical immoral practices in business. I was bound by poverty not too long ago, and was groomed with poverty. Breaking free wasn’t easy but it was the best thing I’ve ever done for my business. When you cross over from the poverty zone over to the prosperity zone, trust me, you’ll know it. Things aren’t so hard anymore. Losses don’t matter as much, they are educational. Challenges are parts of success and obstacles are just challenges to break through.

I once heard a famous copywriter, Jay Abraham, say, “”Wealth and prosperity are two different things, wealth can be had by making a lot of money but prosperity affects all aspects of a person and a business.”" Wealth and prosperity are two different things. Wealth brings money. Prosperity changes a life.

When ethics and morality are separated in business we all lose. Make the choice today to walk the path that has always led to prosperity.

(c) Sandi Krakowski, 2007. All rights reserved.

Sandi Krakowski is a woman that decided to break the rules in her own life when in 2003 she was diagnosed with a fatal health condition. Recovering 100% and leaving doctors baffled, she went from being over $ 500,000 in debt to a totally debt free lifestyle that she now works under 20 hours per week from the comfort of her radical space in her home office, many times on the grass behind her house where the birds hang out. She is passionate about helping others to live the life they want now, sharing her own personal experience of facing a life threatening disease in the face and conquering fear, debt and illness. She now operates a marketing and copywriting business that has taken everyday average people to a place of notoriety on the net with very little effort. If you liked or maybe even LOVED this article, let Sandi know. She’s piecing together a book and wondering if anyone would even read it! Contact Sandi here.

Lawsuits are becoming a worldwide menace. Everyone should be afraid of lawsuits. You might think, “I’ll never be sued”.

How wrong you are!

It’s so easy being sued now days. Why?

Direct & Indirect Liability

We all know that we can be sued for direct involvement with an accident or by negligence.

You can also be indirectly involved with a lawsuit. Joint & Several Liability is a legal concept used globally to drag innocent bystanders into lawsuits.

Here’s how. Theft, Fraud, or Personal Injuries caused by your Spouse, Business Partners, or Employees can make you liable.

You can be sued and become “jointly and severally” liable for an injury to someone without having been personally negligent. All that is necessary is that you were connected in some way. If you are dragged into a lawsuit and the other defendants are without assets or insurance, you may end up being held liable for the full amount of the judgment!

WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE?

Many lawyers recommend you purchase at least $1 Million insurance for each of your businesses, homes, land, cars, motorcycles, and boats you own.

This will cost you $ thousands in premiums every year depending on how large a deductible (which you’ll pay to the plaintiff) you are willing to afford.

Is that enough?

$ MILLIONS CAN BE AT STAKE

Here are some recent civil court judgments from the United States:

$84.5 million for children drowned and brain damaged in a swimming pool.
$7 million to a laborer who lost a limb at work on a construction job.
$5.87 million for sponsoring a party where a guest later caused an auto accident.
$2.7 million for spilling some hot coffee on the legs while driving.

In addition to the court award, you must pay $ Thousands to your defense attorney! You will also endure a lot of wasted time defending yourself and your reputation. Let’s not even get into the physical & psychological Stress.

Not Just in the USA: Citizens of Canada, Europe, Russia, Central & South America, and even communist China are being sued for similar injuries.

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF?

The best solution is to strip you of all assets and become what is known as “judgment proof” amongst the personal injury trial lawyers around the world.

Most lawyers charge their clients no direct fee for filing a personal injury lawsuit. This is known as a “contingent” fee. It means that the lawyer will collect no fee unless he wins the lawsuit and can collect the court awarded judgment amount.

Before a lawsuit is filed, a careful lawyer will research the defendant’s ability to pay a court judgment. If the defendant is “judgment proof”, (he has no insurance, no ownership of assets that can be seized to pay off a court judgment) the lawyer will not want to sue that defendant. That’s because the lawyer will spend all of his time and money pursuing a lawsuit with no hope of ever being paid.

So, how can you make yourself Judgment Proof?

OFFSHORE CORPORATIONS & PRIVATE INTEREST FOUNDATIONS

Domestic Corporations: Owning a corporation set up in your own country may provide a little protection. However, a domestic corporation can be sued as well. In addition, your shares in a corporation are assets in which a judgment creditor can seize. So-called “Limited Liability” corporations, companies, and partnerships don’t really offer you bulletproof limited liability.

OFFSHORE CORPORATIONS: A better solution is to set up a corporation outside of your country (offshore). An Offshore Corporation can own real estate and vehicles in your country. For even better protection, set up different Offshore Corporations so each one owns only one of your major assets. For instance, one corporation owns your cars, another owns one piece of real estate, and another owns different real estate. As the old saying goes: “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.”

PANAMA OFFERS THE ULTIMATE IN

ASSET PROTECTION

WHAT IS ASSET PROTECTION?

Asset Protection entails protecting your accumulated wealth from unnecessary taxation, frivolous lawsuits, burdensome governmental intrusion, and greedy relatives or in-laws.

WHY PANAMA?

Years ago, former British colonies like the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands offered anonymous corporations & secret bank accounts. Not any more. Even Swiss bank accounts are no longer secret.

Panama is one of the few remaining countries allowing you total anonymity with setting up business entities and opening secret bank accounts.

Panama’s Bank Secrecy Laws are the best in the world. Your funds remain private, confidential, and safe inside Panamanian banks.

Panama’s Corporation Laws are the strongest around the globe. Corporate shares are never registered with any government agency in Panama. Panama is one of the last countries allowing total anonymous “Bearer” shares protecting the identity of shareholders.

THE COMPLETE OFFSHORE STRUCTURE

You read about Panama Offshore Corporations. Their main purposes are to Protect your Assets and provide you with Privacy regarding your financial affairs. Let us explore the ultimate in Asset Protection and Privacy.

The Complete Offshore Structure is a combination of Panamanian legal entities. A Private Interest Foundation owns the shares of Offshore Corporations. This is the utmost in Asset Protection, Privacy, Anonymity, and Convenience!

Here is How It Works: Panamanian Corporations own all major assets (real estate, commercial businesses, commercial bank accounts, vehicles, etc.). The Foundation acts as a holding company for the Corporations. The Foundation also holds passive investment accounts and bank accounts.

What is a Foundation? The Panamanian Private Interest Foundation is a legal entity that acts like a Trust and operates like a Corporation. Law No. 25 of June 12, 1995 created and regulates Panama Private Interest Foundations.

The Panama Private Interest Foundation based on Private Interest Foundation models from three different jurisdictions: Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. Panama carefully designed the Panama Private Interest Foundation as a more modern, flexible, and affordable Asset Protection & Estate Planning vehicle for people worldwide.

Banking: Panama has always used the U.S. Dollar as its official currency. Panama is a famous international banking center. Panama doesn’t share its banking information with any other country. It is a crime for any bank employee to disclose banking information to any third party in Panama.

Tax Haven: Offshore corporations and foundations do not pay Panamanian income taxes on income earned outside of Panama. Therefore, you can use your Panama entities to make money in other countries tax-free.

ASSET PROTECTION is necessary in today’s lawsuit crazy world.

While the steps we have summarized for you above may seem difficult and complex, they really are not. That’s because using experts who know how to set up Offshore Corporations and Private Interest Foundations will make this easy for you.

Lawsuit Protection can now be a way of life.

Steven Rich contributes to Go Panama is a new website dedicated to linking Panama to the world.

Visit us here.

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Tags: civil, law, ethics, morality, ethical

Being successful in business in usually based on the general idea that desire for making profits and self-interest are good and moral, however there still should be right ways and wrong ways to go about making a profit. Morals still should come into play no matter what, just because you are running a business it doesn’t give you the right to lie, cheat and do what you consider to be morally wrong order to make a living. This isn’t what the successful businessman is all about, although there are and have been many business men that have got to the top solely by making the mis-telling of truth an art form and where morals seem to have gone totally out of the window for the sake of success?

In today’s business world it can be hard to remain true to your morals when there are advertising campaigns to figure out. After all if you have a product or service to sell shouldn’t it be good enough to sell by telling the truth and not having to fabricate claims of what it can and cannot do. However, in today’s world it can be just as hard to find a businessman with morals as it can be to find a politician with them.

However, there are businessmen who will show a willingness to add ethical principles to the decision making structure of their business. When starting out in business it is important not to lose sight of your values and morals, some people value honesty and values above all else and will stick with them full stop no matter what while other have high ethics only to a certain degree then they fall by the wayside.

Some people regard ethics and morals as being the same thing, however they are not they are different and the difference is that a persons ethics determine what they see as right or wrong while morals are judgments, standards and rules of good conduct which guide people towards specific actions.

Morals vs. Ethics

Knowing the difference between the two can help business managers as ethics programs are part of life in business and managers can hold sessions to discuss their values, ethics and morals for the company. A business code of ethics should be in place in every business and this will protect individuals and address moral issues and value of the business during decision-making processes.

However having a corporate code of ethics program in place isn’t just an instruction manual put there to solve problems within the company. The whole idea behind the program is it will enable those who work there to have the valuable tool of saying “”That is against our company’s policy”" or “”It would violate the company’s code of ethics”"

This is a strategy that will enforce the company and bring values closer, it also makes it a much better working environment and can increase the commitment of those working in the company simply due to the fact that many people still do take pride and have a strong sense of moral.

The answer to your prayers… If you want to put your income on auto pilot, then you need to check out the PluginProfits Program. All the tools and techniques are provided for you instantly with simple-to- follow step-by-step instructions.

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Indeed John was set up. However, it was John’s choice to enter into the trap. She did not force him; she had no position of power to coerce him. All she did was to flirt with him and he, the manager, stepped over the boundary and entered into an unethical relationship. It wasn’t illegal and I will not judge its morality, but it was unethical because he was the manager and she was the employee.

John was not terminated for the offense. He was offered an equal position at another location with an appropriate reprimand. He did not want another location. He wanted this one. He was very angry and very bitter. He could not understand why she did not get any consequences. The company was wrong and had hurt him. After all, she blinked her eyes and seduced him! John quit the company, exclaiming “I hate her for what she has done!” he exclaimed. “I hate her and I hope she gets hers!” With that, he slammed the door and was gone.

John chose to enter into an unethical relationship and received a negative consequence. Then he created the outcome of lost opportunities by refusing the consequence and using the opportunity as a learning experience to move him forward to making ethical choices. John’s decision to leave was neither ethical nor unethical. It was merely an outcome

Every one of us, sometime in life, will be faced with temptation. It is a given. For each of us the temptation is different depending on the area of our life that needs the greatest growth. For John, it was this employee, for me it was embezzling money to maintain the illusion of success, for someone else it is drugs, alcohol, or prostitution. Take your pick, there are many lures.

You can’t wish the temptations away. An alternative to wishing is for you to know yourself and know your temptation well enough to recognize it when it raises its ugly head. Temptations present us the opportunity to strengthen our character, and create a foundation to stand on when making sometimes tough ethical decisions. Each time temptation presents itself and we choose the high road, we affirm our ethical foundation.

There are times we will choose the temptation. That is human and reminds us of the need to stay on track. The failure comes in not recognizing that we chose to enter into the temptation and hence, we blame someone else.

One of the interesting things about blame is that it gives the object of our blame power over us. In fact, we not only empower the object, but also we de-empower ourselves. How willingly we choose that. Mary Auda, founder of Change Through Transformation, shared with me an example of that principle. “Victims of sexual abuse often continue the victimization by continuing to blame their perpetrators for today’s choices.” She says that, “the perpetrators chose to cross the boundaries, violate the child and take his/her power away from them and are responsible for their unethical and immoral choices.” The damage of the abuse is significant. However, transforming from victim to survivor requires accepting responsibility for their own choices today thus taking their power away from the perpetrator. By no means is this an easy task but by holding the perpetrators accountable for the past and accepting responsibility for the present, they are able to move on in their journey.

Blame has no purpose but to cripple us. John was crippled because he continued in blaming Jane, and today still carries the grudge. Since this has happened, he learned that the employee setting him up had an ulterior motive. Jane set a trap for John so he could be removed from the location as she had chosen to defraud the company and was engaged in her own unethical and illegal behavior. She studied her prey and knew his weakness and created the trap to serve her own purposes. Because he didn’t know his temptation or himself well, he willingly walked into the trap.

While he still held anger at the events of the past, he gained some satisfaction. The consequences of her clear unethical choices resulted in more catastrophic consequences than he had experienced. Her choices resulted in jail time away from her family. He left the company and created his own competing company and is doing well today.

Choices always lead to positive results or negative consequences. We are personally responsible and accountable for our choices regardless of what motivates them in the beginning. Jane said the company was at fault for her theft because they had no controls (check and balances) on the money coming through the door. John said Jane was at fault for his unethical behavior towards her because she flirted with him. When each of them holds themselves responsible and accountable for their unethical choices, then, and only then will they be able to move forward and create different opportunities and choices in their life.

As an international keynote speaker, speaking about choices, consequences, and personal accountability, my audience is primarily business groups. In order to get the message about ethical behavior out to youth, the Choices Foundation (a non-profit organization) was created.

On a crisp October day in 1995, Chuck Gallagher took 23 physical steps… opened a door… and began a new experience that was life-changing. Gallagher explores that experience and the success that followed… while involving the reader in ways that could be life-altering for them. Gallagher captures the heart of the audience in an honest way that deals with human emotion. For information on Chuck’s keynotes and workshops go to here.

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Tags: moral, morality, ethics, implementation, business

Have you ever heard this: “”Money is the Root of All Evil”"? Most of us have heard that the Bible tells us that money is the root of all evil. Why someone would want to misquote the Bible about money is beyond me but it is done and sometimes on a regular basis. Is it because someone is poor and they are trying to defend their poverty status by making you think the Bible is telling them to be poor? Make sense? NO!! Our world system is set up on the monetary system so to do anything in this life it does take money.

But let’s quote the Bible correctly: “”The love of money is the root of all evil”". It comes from 1 Timothy 6:10 and in the amplified version is says exactly: “”For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many acute [mental] pangs.”" It is describing a craving; putting money above anything and anyone. We need to keep money in perspective and use it for good. Money in and of itself is not good or evil. Money is simply a form of exchange for services, goods and time. It is only when people become attached to their money and become greedy that difficulties arise. With money as a resource, great good can be done in the world. Hungry children can be fed, lands can be preserved for future generations and medical research can be conducted to cure diseases.

When I was reading the previously mentioned book about millionaire women, the common thread among them was that they know that money allows them to help others and help themselves. They received great joy in giving to charities. Think about what you can do with your riches? You may choose to do many wonderful things with money: you can assist others, pay for your children to go to college, donate to your favorite charities or treat yourself to a well deserved vacation, pay cash for a house or car instead of being in debt for it. The possibilities are endless. Money is not evil, it can do bad or good…the choice is yours. Allow yourself to dream about all of the wonderful things you will do with your money, and let these dreams drive your success!

Claudia Givens
see this site

I’m self employed and love the time freedom and choices it affords me. I am a mother of two children (so to speak), my daughter is 34 and my son just turned 18 and attends college (studying business for entrepreneurs). I love networking with other people to hear what others are doing with their lives. I love to travel and can’t wait to begin that part of my life again. My business is being an MMCII ProRep with Advantage Conferences, LLC-Home of the Millionaire Mindset Conferences.

I enjoy blogging as Millionaie Mentor here I’m also the founder/editor of the online magazine for women: Esther’s Legacy. I’m one of those people that believes life is getting better the older I get.

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Look around. Today, more than ever before, it has become fashionable to cheat. One could say, and come away without too much criticism, that everyone expects it. The funny thing is the person who expects it, or observes it, or knows someone who does it, never seems to admit doing it themselves. Ironically, they actually believe they are not infected. As noted, this is a national pastime.

Why is this? Why do husbands cheat on their wives and wives cheat on their husbands? Does not the vow to love, honor, cherish, and “”obey”", (some leave out the “”obey”" part now), mean anything. Well, it appears the times indeed are changing.

In America at least, spousal cheating, encouraged by theater, movies, partytime, and yes, peer pressure, is at epidemic proportions. Does anyone feel guilty? Absolutely, just before it is time to maybe do it again. Kids today, as a result, have groups of parents i.e. first there is the real father and mother, then there is 1st father and 1st mother, and 2nd father and 2nd mother, and so on and so forth, not to mention step brothers and step sisters galore. When we talk about extended families today, we are certainly not talking of the family of 50 years ago that included aunts, uncles, and cousins right down to twice removed. Now, there is no way to keep up.

Then there is the work environment. Parents who cheat at home, cheat on the job. They lie and steal to get ahead. Oh, it is not the felonious type of stealing, although that is always possible, it is the subtle kind — stealing someone’s ideas, words, concepts, suggestions, as well as time from the company on the phone, at lunch, leaving early on weekends, calling in sick when one is not sick, and taking paper, pens, pencils, paperclips and anything not to heavy to carry. If one is in construction, they take bricks, boards, mortar and tools. Cheating on the job has taken on national epidemic proportions. Wal-Mart with their 360-degree cameras strung from the ceilings from every store watch the employees as much as they watch the shoppers.

And what about the churches and among clerics, the courts and legal profession, our schools and among the educators, the health field and medical professionals, government at all levels and among the legislators? What do we find? Cheating permeates every level of our society.

And what about the kids? Where do they fit into this?

Over 70% of them admit to cheating before they graduate from high school. By the time they finish college, 80% are willing to admit they have done it in some way.

When college business students are asked what is the most corrupt field to go into, over 90% suggest it is business. Yet, they willingly choose it as their field of specialization because that is “”where the money is.”"

What about the tiny tots? At what age does a child learn to cheat? Studies now show that 3 out of 4 know how to do it by the time they are 5. And where do they learn it? Why, the parents, of course.

So the old adage, “”do as I say, not as I do”", really does have a beginning and a significance because it seems most have done it and really do fear their offspring or their charges will do it too. Why? Simply, because it is wrong. We all know it. We all feel it, and we all do not want our youngsters or our charges to do it. We really do want them to be better than us. The internal gut wrenching feelings get us every time. And if we don’t feel anything? Well then we are psychopaths, socially detached from society and any responsibility for good.

In today’s world the word “”ethical”" has taken on a new meaning of “”squeaky clean”" and “”please look at me or my organization for we are ethical practitioners.”" Do the new awareness responses mean much when you really know the facts? Lawrence Kholberg’s theory of ethical development may be hard pressed to determine why as human beings we seem to be stuck in moving forward. It seems the further we go in greater prosperity and technology development the be-hinder we get in moral development. Is it an illusion?

Actions speak louder than words. To be ethical, one must act ethically. One has to lead and show by doing and not accept society’s drifters who proclaim when observing ethical breeches that “”they’re just kids”" or “”everybody does it”" or “”it was only a fling”", or “”I had no choice”". Unless somebody is holding a gun to one’s head, everybody, no matter how small or how old, has a choice. They may not like what the potential outcome may be but they had a choice to do the right thing.

Is it tough? What do you think?

Fred DiUlus is an e-Education pioneer, the CEO of Global Academy Online, Inc.,(see the site), the first president of William Tucker University, author of The Ethics Doc (see the site), Homer’s Hot Tip (see the site), and a frequent public speaker and writer on ethics, entrepreneurship, e-Learning, and acquiring success.

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Tags: ethics, morality, moral, philosophy, theory

Sometimes stealing pays, especially if said stolen item is $24.99 or less and is stolen from Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart recently announced that it is changing its zero-tolerance rule when it comes to theft. Previously, Wal-Mart would prosecute anybody caught stealing from one of its stores – even if it was just a pack of gum. But, the zero-tolerance theft rule has now changed. Henceforth, prosecution happens only if an item stolen is worth $25 or more.

It’s all about economics. According to a J.P. Suarez, who is in charge of asset protection at the department store, “”it was no longer efficient to prosecute petty shoplifters. If I have somebody being paid $12 an hour processing a $5 theft, I have just lost money. I have also lost the time to catch somebody stealing $100 or an organized group stealing $3,000.”"

This raises the question, Should Wal-Mart be publicizing this new rule? Isn’t this like publicizing that anything in the store priced under $25 is free? Perhaps that’s why there are so many smiley faces pasted all over billboards in the store. Free equals happy! Happy shoppers can now feel free to steal items valued under $25 without fear of reprimand. I can just see some of them waiting, anxiously, for a sale to see that item that that they’d been watching drop in price, from $25.99 to $24.99.

Of course, I’m exaggerating; most shoppers are ethical and wouldn’t steal, no matter what the store’s theft policy is. Stealing doesn’t pay, kids.

On the other hand, I’m sure all Wal-Mart employees, by now, are well aware of the new theft rule. I’m just afraid that some will consider it a company perk, a way to supplement their minimum wage income – Steal from thy employer, as long as said stolen item is priced at $24.99 or less.

Tino Buntic created TradePals to provide free advertising to business professionals, entrepreneurs, freelancers, salespeople, and trades people across North America. Visit the site and create a professional profile to get started.

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Business Ethics have only come to the fore recently. They state that there is more to business than just making a profit. The new focus is also on how the business treats the environment, reacts with the local community and works with its staff to build a responsible company that is both sustainable and adds value to the people that it interacts with.

“Greed is good” is no longer acceptable to most consumers. The consumer is now better educated with new means at his disposal. High speed internet access and forums like Ecademy now mean that good and bad news travels almost at the speed of thought. They are now demanding more from businesses even though their own ethics at times might be questionable!

Business ethics are now included in most business courses and the top management schools. The top graduates enter the corporate world ready to incorporate what they have learnt in the classroom.

Businesses need to have specific programmes in place to manage their staff and workplace in a responsible manner. They must give social welfare a high priority if they are to maintain their public image. They have to be seen to be recycling their waste and disposing of old equipment in an environmentally friendly way.

Businesses now have to be wary of using sweat shop labour in the third world especially if they treat them badly. Everybody realises that third world country wages are lower but they expect Western companies to treat their employees with some respect and dignity. Businesses that employ children are now frowned upon even though child labour is the norm in these countries.

Many “watch dogs” now exist that “police” most large companies and report any blatant abuse of ethics. Most of these have only been set up in the last twenty years. Most large media organisations also have special reporters whose sole purpose is to identify where breaches are taking place and publicise them.

The top brands in the world need to be extremely careful now. The value of a brand might have taken decades to build but can be destroyed in a matter of weeks. An example of this is when Gerald Ratner made a speech to the Institute of Directors and in humour referred to a cheap necklace that “everyone knows is crap”. These comments served to wipe out over a half a billion dollars of the companies value and played a major part in the downfall of a once thriving jewellery retailer in the United Kingdom.

There are now funds that specialise in only investing in ethical businesses. They refuse to invest in companies that produce weapons or manufacture cigarettes as an example. These funds have taken of spectacularly and have billions of dollars to invest in the stock markets. Before they invest in a business they send their fund managers in to investigate the business fully to see if they comply with their guidelines. If the company is not willing to answer all their questions fully then they might not get approved for investment.

When properly managed and executed the use of business ethics can actually serve to enhance the profitability of the company concerned. The business can proudly declare their values in brochures, newspapers, internet and television marketing campaigns. Reputation is the strongest asset that a company has and maintaining this and the value of their brands is essential to the long term future of the business.

Naz Daud is the founder of CityLocal. This Business Franchise Opportunity is for people who would like to work from home and be their own boss.

Business Franchises and UK Business Directory

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Tags: business, value, issues, morality, conduct

In order to examine ethical issues, it is first necessary to define ethics. Today, we regard ethics as a “”rational process founded on certain principles.”" However, I believe a definition that is more applicable to this project is the ethical theory that existed in ancient Greece. There, ethics was the study of what was good for both the individual and society. We will look at some online issues and how they may be good and/or bad for society. Cyberethics is quite simply the study of ethics on the Internet.

“Ethics begins when elements within a moral system conflict.”
Cyberethics is often called as Information System Ethics. Information System ethics can be defined as “The study of moral, legal, ethical issues involving the use of information and communication technologies“
There are many unique challenges we face in this age of information. They stem from the nature of information itself. Information is the means through which the mind expands and increases its capacity to achieve its goals, often as the result of an input from another mind. Thus, information forms the intellectual capital from which human beings craft their lives and secure dignity.

However, the building of intellectual capital is vulnerable in many ways. For example, people’s intellectual capital is impaired whenever they lose their personal information without being compensated for it, when they are precluded access to information which is of value to them, when they have revealed information they hold intimate, or when they find out that the information upon which their living depends is in error. The social contract among people in the information age must deal with these threats to human dignity. The ethical issues involved are many and varied in Information System Ethics.

Ethics is required in information Systems to overcome the following ethical issues.

Privacy: What information about one’s self or one’s associations must a person reveal to others, under what conditions and with what safeguards? What things can people keep to themselves and not be forced to reveal to others?

Accuracy: Who is responsible for the authenticity, fidelity and accuracy of information? Similarly, who is to be held accountable for errors in information and how is the injured party to be made whole?

Property: Who owns information? What are the just and fair prices for its exchange? Who owns the channels, especially the airways, through which information is transmitted? How should access to this scarce resource be allocated?

Accessibility: What information does a person or an organization have a right or a privilege to obtain, under what conditions and with what safeguards?

Information System ethics explores and evaluates:

• the development of moral values in the information field,

• the creation of new power structures in the information field, information myths,

• hidden contradictions and intentionality’s in information theories and practices,

• the development of ethical conflicts in the information field. etc

Now let us take a look at privacy by the following examples. A few years ago, Florida lawmakers gave the go ahead to have monitors stationed in bathrooms at Tallahassee Community College to determine if the facilities were being underutilized. Students and faculty vehemently protested that the monitors violated their privacy. State officials said that the value of the information gained through the study was more important than the threat to privacy. Other issues like collection of private data of the users using internet by monitoring the traffic is strongly related to one’s policy as that information can be further used for illegal purposes. These types of privacy issues are needed to be addressed properly so that they should not exploit one’s freedom. One issue that I kept thinking about when I was constructing my Web page was whether it was ethical to lift an image from someone’s home page and use it on my Web page without crediting the source. Such ethical issues come under property.

One reason that topics such as online gambling and pornography have become such firestorms of controversy in cyberspace is the simple fact that so many people have access to the Web sites. Simply put, if no one had access to online pornography no one would care. With this another issue “Censorship” comes which should be deal in efficient way as it is not easy to implement. Ethical issues can also be religious, moral or any other.These type of issues are not easy to deal with.

Similarly, let us take China into consideration on the issue of “Censorship”. China has implemented the methods of censoring the internet that are somewhat harder to bypass for people generally unfamiliar with the way internet works. There is ,for example internet censorship as implemented in China—using a list of banned words that are censored on the fly. As users in china request a webpage , the incoming page is first inspected by government servers n blocked if a banned term such as “Democracy” is present. Human censors are also actively looking at what people browse on the internet, and block websites as they see fit.

Crimes on internet are also increasing in a continuous manner.Computer crime is a general term that embraces such crimes as phishing, credit card frauds, bank robbery, Industrial espionage, child porn, kidnapping children via chat rooms, scams, cyber terrorism, viruses, spam and so on. All such crimes are computer related and facilitated crimes. Many recent cases seen like Microsoft’s website was brought down for a little time resulting in a huge loss to Microsoft. Similarly, NUST, one of the best considered university in Pakistan got Hacked and redirected to another domain. Credit card fraud have grown in an increasingly manner. Leakage of Military information from internet is another internet crime. Software known as google earth, which shows information about different places including military land or can lead to robbery planning, is becoming an ethical issue around the world. Many people protest against this leakage of information but still one can’t deny that it is one of the major enhancements in Information Technology.

The question about how to police these crimes has already been constructed, but this task is turning out to be an uphill battle. Since the first computer crime law, the Counterfeit Access Device and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1984, the governments have been trying to track down and stop online criminals. The FBI of different countries have tried many programs and investigations in order to deter Internet crime, like creating an online crime registry for employers .The reality is that Internet criminals are rarely caught. One reason is that hackers will use one computer in one country to hack another computer in another country. And that criminal isn’t working alone. Loosely organized groups–which security experts call “”Web gangs”"–conduct much of the illegal activity online. The structure of Web gangs may be patterned on that of traditional organized crime, in which the members of the group may never come into contact with one another and may never be aware of who they are working for.

Conclusion:

We live in an exciting time in history. The widespread availability of computers and Internet connections provides unprecedented opportunities to communicate and learn. Unfortunately, although most people use the Internet as a powerful and beneficial tool for communication and education, some individuals exploit the power of the Internet for criminal or terrorist purposes.

We can minimize the harm that such individuals do by learning ourselves, and teaching young people, how to use the Internet safely and responsibly. The term “cyberethics” refers to a code of safe and responsible behavior for the Internet community. Practicing good cyberethics involves understanding the risks of harmful and illegal behavior online and learning how to protect ourselves, and other Internet users, from such behavior. It also involves teaching young people, who may not realize the potential for harm to themselves and others, how to use the Internet safely and responsibly.

Muhammad Bilal Azmat,
Operations Manager.

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Tags: it, ethic, morality, code, handbook

Igniting your workplace with a sense of integrity and joy- sounds lofty, huh? Truth be told the joy naturally follows from the integrity. Ever worked in a place that lacked integrity? I’m betting you didn’t have much joy there did you? What is it that makes a place be filled with integrity?

Webster’s defines integrity as an unwavering commitment to a firm moral code. In my experience it is much simpler. It is doing the right thing no matter who is- or isn’t- watching.

Take the grocery cart back.

Don’t detour to go to Walmart after your sales call & submit that on your mileage report.

Show up where you say you’ll be- when you say you’ll be there.

Keep the deal you said you’d make.

Don’t “”borrow”" the powerwasher from work.

Eat your green vegetables.

Expect to earn your salary- there is a reason it is called work.

Listen to your customers.

Inform and educate your customers.

Tell them the truth.

Don’t hide debt in off-balance sheet subsidiaries.

Refrain from price gouging.

Staying in a workplace that lacks integrity will soil your soul.

and a few specific ones for our friends in healthcare:

Adhere to the patient’s wishes.

Ask patients their names- AND what they want to be called.

Tell them your name & what in the heck you’re doing to them.

Worry about your scope of expertise not your scope of reimbursement.

Inform the patient- even if the new knowledge may cost you as a practitioner money.

Create a medical treatment plan not an insurance cost/benefit plan.

Remember “”getting creative”" is often a translation for “”Fraud”".

Demented patients do not benefit any differently from weekly psychotherapy than they do from a volunteer visit.

They actually benefit more from a visit from their dog.

Don’t order a dermatology consult on an actively dying patient.

Find out what quality of life means to your patient before initiating heroic measures in terminal
conditions.

Remember that no one ever has to die in pain.

Greet every day with love in your heart.

You’d be surprised at how few have the grit and the courage to adhere to these standards and demand them in their workplace. I met such a person today. She walked away from money and convenience and ease in the name of ethics and integrity- on multiple occasions. She simply has no stomach for grey areas when it comes to doing the right thing. She has paid dearly both personally and professionally for these high standards.

comfortable salary $320,000

retirement plan $1,000,000

health benefits $1,500,000

vacation, etc $600,000

ability to look self in mirror priceless- & that comes with a free dose of positive role modeling
for her kids.

What are you teaching your kids?

What do you see when you look yourself in the mirror?

MICE exists to ignite a sense of integrity and joy in your workplace or organization. We strive to make your workplace the place you most want it to be, and you the type of worker you most want to be. We do this by providing continuing education programs to healthcare professionals; customized consultation, training and direction to businesses; as well as entertaining and inspiring motivational seminars. MICE President and Owner, Jackie Barnes, is a licensed clinical Social Worker with an MBA who has over 20 years of healthcare experience in both clinical and managerial roles. Visit and contact her here.

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Tags: ethics, morality, philosophy, sport, management

The internet presents an enormous diversity of people. There are so many different people from different backgrounds, countries, religions, etc. it’s astounding. All in one place called the World Wide Web.

With those differences comes something else that we will never escape. Since the fall of Adam in Eden, man has struggled with the forces of good and evil. And with that comes the difficulty to define the line that separates the two.

Where do we draw the line when it comes to ethical uses of technology, programming and marketing… Where do we draw the line when making a decision if manipulating something or using a resource to bend the rules is wrong.

To pin point it directly: People are selfish creatures. Many of us think of our selves before anyone else… some of us take into consideration others… some of us don’t at all.

You want money and will do anything to get it.

Pursuing online opportunities can sometimes seem like a solitaire journey with not many people being effected by your efforts. I think that is very much opposite of the truth. The truth is the World Wide Web is spun tight and one flick of a thread can shake the whole web and cause effects… like a ripple in a pond.

Let’s expand this thought of the internet as a web. A place where everybody is an example for each other. We learn from each other – the amount of inspiration across the internet is enormous. You are responsible for your actions and ways of doing things, and if your website is at all exposed I bet your ideas and ways of doing things will be duplicated – for good or bad.

All in all the internet is a culture building phenomenon – a society beyond societies, countries, ethnic groups, time and place. The cultures of the individuals give impression to the internet cultures and the cultures that build up in the internet give impression to the cultures we are living.

Many people just think of themselves. And that I guess is understandable. The internet draws people that are looking to make a fortune, to make a quick buck, to do whatever it takes to bring in the dough. These people have vision I’m sure, but it is directed in a very narrow path with blinders and does not take into consideration the ripple it is causing…

I’m a believer that one needs to have this sort of vision to a degree. That’s how we reach our goals. To have a burning desire and to focus all our energy to attain it… BUT we cannot lose site of the entire web…

When you run into something that seems like it might be a little spammy or just doesn’t sound ethical or right, you should ask yourself some questions:

1) Can I live with myself… or don’t I care because I just want the money? What about my integrity?

2) How does this effect my neighbors online? (everyone is your neighbor; one click away).

3) Is this something that promotes the good of the internet and will create an environment that promotes a better web? Does this have a negative impact?

4) Do I understand what the internet is and where my place in it is? You may not… figure it out. It is a web. It is a place to hold & find information, to buy products and services, to communicate – to imitate and build up culture. Will I disrupt that purpose?

5) Will this short term gain be worth the long term price? Am I building for today or for my future? Will doing what I’m doing now actually destroy opportunities to make money elsewhere down the road?

You see… let’s take search engines for instance. You have to admit they play a vital role online… What if we do something that makes that piece of the puzzle problematic? Do you not think that will have an impact…

I always try and think of myself as the surfer (and that’s not to hard, because I am one… what would I want?)
Let us be part of the solution… Let’s not work against the system and instead help it… Let’s make decisions that are good for the public & business online…

…Won’t it provide you MORE opportunity?

Ethics will be ignored because the internet is populated by humans. And there will always be humans that will want to do things the hard way, manipulate and cheat the system…

At the same time, maybe if enough of us cared… We could make the internet a better place for us all and in the long run create better technology and more opportunity!

Imagine what the Search Engines could do if they took all the energy they use fighting unethical webmasters to create a better engine and experience for us!

I want to make money too. But I also have sight. I see the potential if we all work together for the common good.

Will I walk that fine line myself. To my very best knowledge… And I will ask myself those questions…I am not alone in the internet. I am responsible to myself, to my fellow surfers and siteowners and to God in Heaven.

Please give it a thought….

Lars Krogholt is an online entrepreneur from Denmark. Visit her here.

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Tags: ethics, internet, morality, global, good

In a village, there was a slaughterhouse, its owner, butchers and many goats. As time passed the number of goats increased in the slaughterhouse but number of butchers was same.

The owner thought instead of looking for new butchers, lets make one of the goat a butcher. He had a doubt in his mind that a goat might not fit into butchers role, but then he thought “”Lets take a chance and see how it goes. If this experiment succeeds I can make other goats a butcher.”"

The owner picked one wise goat and told him, “”I want to make you a butcher, are you ready for this?”".
Wise goat thought this is a good opportunity and said, “”Yes.”"

Next day the Wise goat came dressed like a butcher. As per rotation policy, it was turn of a goat who was the best friend of the wise goat to get slaughtered. The wise goat grabbed his best friend with a knife in hand.

All other goats cried, “”Wise goat, you are one of us, how can you do this. Don’t you have any ethics?”"

“”I am a butcher now, and to slaughter goats is my role. When I have a role to play I don’t care about ethics and emotions.”", wise goat replied and slaughtered his friend.

I believe if you are a faint hearted goat, don’t become a butcher. Once you become butcher be ready to slaughter any goat.

If you were in place of the wise goat what would have you done?

About Author -

A Simple Person trying to understand this complex world.
Open this Blogs and Read Slaughterhouse Ethics with comments.

I see this world with eyes of a curious child, In my mind questions gallore, All why’s and how’s I want to explore , My Blog is about my endless curiosity, The way I see the world, I am not an expert, neither wise nor gifted, I am The Ignorant, a curious child.

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When people from my grandfather’s generation retired after being with a company for decades they got gold watches. Gold watches no longer exist as far as companies are concerned. Now companies give out pink slips (a.k.a. their walking papers) after 25 years of service. We are living in a different world but it is humorous to me in a way.

Companies no longer have loyalty to those employees that have been loyal to them for years and years of service. When it is clear that companies no longer care about their employees in most cases, it is funny to me when the management of a company gets upset when the employees are no longer loyal to them either. They still expect the employees to be loyal without giving it in return. The same applies for customers. They get upset when a customer of 25 years leaves for a company just because of a cheaper price.

I have said in a previous article that I work for Liberty Mutual Insurance. Since I have gotten in the department I am in now, which is Personal Sales, I have seen some very good employees either forced out the door or forced into taking demotions. The new management comes in and decides they want their own people in place. They either eliminate positions to get some people out the door or they just “performance manage” them out the door.

I am not singling out Liberty Mutual by any means. In fact, I suspect other companies are even worse because Liberty has historically been a very conservative company. Other more aggressive companies are probably laying even more people off, or pushing more people out the doors so they can replace them with “their” people who are younger and cheaper.

I am also not saying that some of the older people do not deserve to move on. Some people I have managed over the last year and a half in this department just do not want to be here and they make it obvious. They continue to do things the way they have always done it. They make little effort to learn new technologies and procedures to keep up with the changing business world and customer’s demands. These people are not the ones I am referring to in this article. I am referring to the people who are on top of their game, still making a significant contribution to the company and they are just forced out because management does not like them.

I think Liberty Mutual is one of the last companies that still has a large population of employees who have worked their whole career for the company. I also think this is not going to be the case five or ten years down the road. It is a shame that business has become so ruthless and does not care about the employees any longer.

Scott Bianchi operates at this site. He writes on a variety of topics.

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Tags: modern, ethics, response, business, morality

Trust is the fundamental currency of business. Without trust our economies cannot function. And yet many organisations, teams and individuals struggle with trust. They struggle to gain their customers trust; they fail to develop their employees trust. Without trust stakeholders become cynical, disillusioned and de-motivated. Where they can, they move on. Hopefully to work with others (suppliers and employers) in whom they can trust.

How about your organisation? What level of trust do you think you deserve?

Here is a short test.

Consider how many of the following undermining behaviours are to be found in your organisation;

* Saying one thing and doing another
* Not following through on commitments
* Taking credit for another’s work
* Not sharing information in a timely manner or at all
* Shooting the messenger
* Listening with the intent to reply rather than understand
* Not delegating the best assignments to help develop others
* Revealing confidences and confidential information about others
* Showing superficial concern about others
* Acting like you know something you don’t
* Being defensive about feedback

If you see any of these behaviours regularly demonstrated by your employees then you probably have a problem. One that without action on your part could lead to the destruction of any trust that still exists. Ultimately low or no trust organisations become dysfunctional and fail to achieve results. The end result is going to be failure.

What can be done?

Firstly, own up to the problem. Recognise and accept that it is a real problem; one that needs to be given priority. Also appreciate that it starts at the top. Building trust cannot be achieved if the prevailing attitude is – Do what we say, not what we do.

One of the most effective ways to build trust is to work with the 3 C’s (as used by Novations Consulting Partners).

Consideration – conveying a genuine interest in the well being of others. People are more likely to trust you if they believe you share their concerns about the success of the organisation, if they believe you care about their needs and if they believe you will go out of your way to help them when they need it.

Credibility – conveying evidence that you are trustworthy and have relevant knowledge, skills and influence. People need to have confidence that you have the required knowledge and ability to do your job and that you can successfully exert your influence to be effective in the role. Most importantly people must believe that you are ethical and honest.

Consistency – providing steady, reliable guidance, support and follow-through to accomplish the work. Consistency is based on reliability and dependability. It means making sure your actions match your words. It means following through on the commitments you make. It means setting clear standards and expectations and then providing the support necessary to attain the goal.

Creating a climate of trust taps into people’s desire to contribute and feel valued. People who trust and are trusted are more productive and loyal. They communicate openly and directly. They are willing to share ideas and take appropriate risks. They show creativity and initiative. In other words – organisations based on trust work better.

Wouldn’t you want to work in one yourself?

Trust – takes a lifetime to build and just a moment to lose. You might think about including a session on trust on the agenda of your next board meeting or team session.

And contact me on +44 (0)1252 727980 for more information and advice.

John (Skoonie) Schonegevel is passionate about people. About how to help them live fulfilling lives at work. About how to create and sustain organisations in which people are able to give of their very best. Organisations where culture and practice encourages personal responsibility and enables every individual to be engaged, enthusiastic and effective. Because organisations need more people like this. You can share and swap ideas with him through his website.

Skoonie is a director of New Frontiers, behavioural change specialists and Novations Consulting Partners.

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Tags: business, ethics, today, corporate, morality

To say that we as human beings have ethical values implies something quite profound. It literally means that we are, in a manner of speaking “hardwired” with such values. If we were not we would not have the ability to ever gauge when something was “right” or “wrong”.

You see, before you can make such an assessment you need to have an “internal measuring stick” by which to make such measurements.

So where does this internal reference or “measuring stick” live inside of us? Well many would say that it is something we learn through our lives say from our families, religion, courses on ethics, involvement with or awareness of the legal system and so on. In other words that the “ethical measuring stick” is just a set of rules we have acquired and is represented by the many beliefs we have about what is considered “good behavior”.

If this were the case then that ethical measuring stick would be quite vulnerable to being altered the next time some new rule was espoused by some “authority”. In other words the whole foundation of what is or is not ethical would be again on very shaky ground. This of course might also bring into question the reason we have ethical values at all as they would have no place from which to originally germinate.

Now if you consider for a moment a situation that you would consider transcends your ethical values notice where within you you make such an assessment. If you notice it closely I think you will ultimately agree that apart from any beliefs you may have about the matter deeper down inside you also have some feelings about it.

For a moment notice these feelings. Notice where you feel them most intensely as you consider the situation that I asked you to focus on. Now do you “think” that these feelings were generated by you or did they just happen to emerge spontaneously without you having to do anything other than hold the situation in mind?

The next time you return to “thinking” about the situation at hand do you think that these feelings will “feel” any different? Likely not because the situation is what it is and you being human will “always” feel the way you do about it and nothing can change that.

So here we’ve come to an awareness of something inside you that appears immutable i.e. your feelings about the situation at hand.

Unlike one’s beliefs these are unchanging and hence hardwired in each human being. Isn’t this what we have been calling the “internal ethical measuring stick”, that which we rely on to guide us to the ethical high ground.

So if we all have this ethical hardwiring then why is it that we have any ethical problems to deal with at all on this planet? Shouldn’t we all automatically be in alignment with them and living the good ethical life? Well if you look around it’s clear that this is not the case so something must be seriously wrong.

What do you know is this problem here? Well when you look at what we rely on to guide us in life it has very little to do with this internal wisdom. Feelings in fact have been maligned for too long and the “mind” and what we have chosen to “store” there through learning has attained predominant mastery over our lives. How does that feel to you?

The whole idea of ethics is supposed to be about what is right and what is wrong, but for whom? Well for you! In other words this inner wisdom is the repository of information and guidance about what is right for you. That is what will lead you to a happy, successful, fulfilling life. What are the consequences to you of discarding or even denying this inner wisdom?

Well it means that you will feel lost, alone, confused, vulnerable to being manipulated and exploited, and therefore unhappy and unfulfilled. In other words your life and your success will be stolen from you.

If all that education of yours has left you feeling this way and you would like to find your way back to some clarity then kindly visit the web link below where you can download a free audio from me with a special message that will permanently alter your life.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called “Spirituality And Science” (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

His personal site here.

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Tags: ethics, questions, morality, professional, article

Exxon recently reported that their annual profit for 2006 was in excess of $39 billion dollars. Notice I did not say earnings, I said PROFIT. When this was being announced on the evening news, the reporters interviewed several people who were pumping gas into their Luxury SUVs at their local Exxon station. They were all singing the same song, “It is immoral for Exxon to make that much money while we are spending over $2.00 a gallon for gasoline.” Some were even suggesting that the government take action to keep Exxon from making that much money.

Does it make you angry to hear that kind of news? Not me. I believe in capitalism. It is the American way. It is why this country has propelled itself to become the world leader in commerce. It is why we have the highest standard of living in the world. It is why Bill Gates can go from being broke to the richest man in the world. It is the “American Dream.” To expect our government to put restrictions on corporate profits is an insult to our way of life. Besides, the report on Exxon did not explain the whole story. In order for Exxon to earn $39 Billion in profits, it had to spend $338 Billion, making its profit margin a slim 10.46%, hardly anything to write home about.

Why aren’t we complaining about Citigroup who earned 24.03% margin by gouging us with credit card interest? Or how about Pfizer and Merck, pharmaceutical companies who earned 22.82% and 19.59% margins respectively, while many of the people in this country can’t afford medication. No, instead we cry over Exxon’s earnings, not realizing that each year we spill more gasoline at the pumps than the Valdez did off the Alaskan coast.

Exxon is no different than any other business. They sell their products at a price based upon what the market will bear in order to make money, support economic growth, and satisfy their stakeholders. If you are unhappy with the profits of Exxon, buy your gas someplace else, stop driving around in inefficient, gas guzzling automobiles, support other forms of energy as a way to reduce our dependency on oil, car pool, use mass transit, but stop whining when you hear reports that prove capitalism works.

By the way, Microsoft earned 25.86% margin last year and soon we will all be forced into buying their new operating system, Vista. Are you enjoying that big screen TV you have in your living room? Texas Instruments earned 18.51% margin last year. Face it, Capitalism is not a dirty word.

To Your Success,

To receive a free copy of the audio CD “The 5 Foundations to Business Success” go to this site and sign up to be on our mailing list.

Rick Stephens is a recognized business advisor and consultant. He specializes in working with small to mid-sized business owners to strengthen their business processes and ultimately grow their business. Rick has been accredited by the Institute for Independent Business, an International accrediting body for senior executives.

Rick holds an MBA from the LeTourneau University located in Longview, Texas.

Rick Stephens is the Principle Advisor of the Consulting firm RG Stephens & Associates located in Plano, Texas. Rick offers business owners the opportunity to meet confidentially to discuss any business issue they may be experiencing. His initial meeting is always free and without obligation.

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Rick Stephens – EzineArticles Expert Author

Tags: ethical, moral, ethics, morality, literature

A man went into the local Big and Tall Man’s store several times looking for a job. Finally, on his seventh visit, the store’s owner told him, “I will tell you what. I have this suit here on the shelf that has been here for years. I cannot find anyone to buy it. I have some errands to run, so if you will watch the store while I am out, you will get your chance. If you can sell this suit while I am gone, you will have yourself a job.”

A few hours later, the store’s owner returns to find the man
grinning from ear to ear, his clothes in shreds.

The owner was horrified, “What in the world happened to you?”

The man responded, “I sold the suit!”

The owner queried further, “Okay, you sold the suit, but what
happened to your clothes?!?”

“Well,” he said nodding, “The guy loved the suit, but his
seeing eye dog was really mad.”

————

How many half-truths or white lies would you have told to get the sale and the job? I hope your answer is “None.” But, the truth is, not everyone is that honest.

Did the wannabe sales person tell the blind man that the suit was ugly? Not very likely. But hey, the customer was blind and did not know it was an ugly suit. And his friends probably won’t say anything to him about the suit since they know he is blind. Further, the blind man did love his new suit! So, what could be wrong with this?

All too often in the business world, honesty is not black and white, but various shades of gray. People who consider themselves Christians think little or nothing of exaggerating the features or benefits of a product or service they are selling. They believe “white lies” are ok. They reason with themselves that “Everyone else is doing it.”

But of course as Christians, we have an extra obligation to be honest in all our dealings with others, regardless of whether they will ever know or not. We are called to live to a higher standard.

Colossians 3:22 says:

“Obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not
only when their eye is on you and to win their favor,
but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”

If you find it difficult to avoid exaggerating and telling little “white lies” in the course of your daily living, you will be challenged even further when your family’s well-being and lifestyle are on the line. The responsibility of taking care of your family could very well push you to make decisions in your work you would probably never make outside of your job environment.

In our story above, our salesman isn’t even trying to justify his actions based on truth and honesty. He did not feel a need to.

He told the truth when he pointed out how well the suit fit the man. This truth would have been something the blind customer could have attested to by the feel of the fit. So you could say our salesman was honest in this regard.

When our salesman told his customer the suit looked good on him, how could he have done so if honesty was in his heart? This was not even a “white lie”, but an outright lie. Even the store’s owner agreed with the seeing eye dog — it was an ugly suit!

In the real world of business, a “white lie” could be something as simple as what is considered Standard Operating Practice in the car sales industry. If a buyer tells the salesman he wants this model in “blue”, the car salesman is instructed to tell the customer that he can get this car in “blue”, and proceed to show the “white” car as a sample. When all is said and done, the car salesman is instructed to sell the customer the “white” car because that is the one in stock. In the car sales industry, it is assumed that the client does not really care whether the car is “blue” or “white”. Therefore, it is okay to tell the customer a little “white lie” about whether they can get the customer a “blue” car or not.

Of course, this is only an example. Hundreds of examples exist in every industry, where the little “white lie” is considered okay and just a part of the industry’s Standard Operating Procedures. I am certain that if you applied just a few minutes of consideration to this question, you could think of dozens of examples within your own business where the little “white lie” is a perfectly acceptable means of conducting business.

The desire to be looked upon favorably by your customers and your co-workers is strong. Yet, you must always exercise caution in the statements you make, because failure to meet the expectation when you have exaggerated your ability to reach it, hurts your status and your business more in the long run, than complete honesty up front.

This is back to Business 101 — “Under Promise and Over Deliver.” It is imperative to the long-term viability of your business to meet the expectations you sell to your customers. Your clients have a strong need in being able to trust in you and your business.

Whether you are a Christian or not, “white lies” and “exaggerations” systematically erode your most valuable asset — your customers’ and co-workers’ faith in you. Can you really afford to pay the long-term price of this sort of behavior? Each time you find yourself in the position to have to make this choice, the final decision will be yours to make. Choose wisely.

“I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God
and man.” -Acts 24:16

Copyright Bill Platt – All Rights Reserved

Bill Platt is the owner of LinksAndTraffic

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This is not a link rental system or a reciprocal linking scam. We Guarantee our results.

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“The time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest and ourselves united. From the conclusion of this war we shall be going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every movement to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves, but in the sole faculty of making money… The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of this war, will remain on us long, will be made heavier and heavier.” – Thomas Jefferson

Henry Kissinger made a presentation to the Bilderbergs in Evian, France in 1984; wherein he spoke of the need for society to deal with the right wing religious extremists in order to prepare the Earth for acceptance by alien cultures. Although he spoke of the benefit of a common goal for the Nations of the Earth in the advent of the end of the Cold War, it is entirely possible these world leaders are working to a new Revolution like Jefferson was still aware was needed after the end of the American Revolutionary War. It is my sincere hope that this is the case and that they have something like ‘Star Trek’ in mind for us. Here is Jefferson’s letter to another high Mason who helped bring the U.S. into being and who Jefferson had spent a lot of time with when he was Ambassador to France. That was a time when Jefferson received the ‘Great Seal of the United States’ from some unidentified party (as the story goes, it may have been connected with Napoleon’s time in the Great Pyramid).

“I do not believe with the Rochefoucaults and Montaignes, that fourteen of fifteen men are rogue. I believe a great abatement from that proportion may be made in favor of general honesty. But I have always found that rogues would be uppermost, and I do not know that the proportion is to strong for the higher orders… These set out with stealing the people’s good opinion, and then steal from them the right of withdrawing it by contriving laws and associations against the power of the people themselves.”

Since he knew the association of his friends like Franklin, Paine, Hancock and Adams were in control; was he averse to their designs? Would he recognize any kind of government that was contemplated in the founding documents of the U.S. if he were alive today? Most people who read these documents agree that if you were to live according to their intents you would be in jail for treason or some other charges. The current leaders are no less connected and part of this same octopus that grows new heads and expands like a Medusa every few years. They deny they are interested in religion and politics yet they proudly point to the Templars who clearly were. It isn’t just Masons who are part of this octopus as we have seen. In Piatigorsky’s book Who’s Afraid of the Freemasons from 1997 he makes a circuitous attempt to show Mason’s are a kind of religion. They say that all religious denominations are represented in their organization. This is true; there are many hypocrites in religions and they will join whatever makes economic sense or fills some power need, as Jefferson has stated. Shackled at first with such ideas that more money can be had through association with this network, or MORE of prestige, or MORE of anything, many do join. Few are chosen to rise up and become better men without perspiration and perspicacity. They can say all they want about themself but what pray tell do they DO?

I believe I have already shown in other books that they are a religion in the words of Paine, MacDari and others. They are a religion that believes any good person when properly exposed to the truth (their ascending teaching) will do what they think is right. Here is one of the statements that we MUST consider! It is the words of Adam Weishaupt who founded the Illuminati in the 1700′s and whose followers will play an important role in the rest of this book and your life. (Cecil Rhodes who started the Boer War and left his diamond fortune to the Round Table/Committee of 300 is just one of them.)

“By this plan, we shall direct all mankind in this manner. And, by the simplest means, we shall set in motion and in flames. The occupations must be so allotted and contrived that we may, in secret, influence all political transactions.”

I will not pretend to give the final answer or try to compete with the likes of Alexis de Toqueville as I open doors to the closets of those in power and their predecessors in this book. I will simply try to make interesting possibilities worth further research become apparent. Some of these ‘possibilities’ will be too far out or weird to appeal to some readers, but heck what can I say? They often were weird for me too. Here is one seldom heard about a character or three that deserve looking into.

SILAS DEANE: – This is a ‘fella’ who arranged for all the Masonic leaders of Europe to send troops to help the American War for Independence. He worked with Beaumarchais who was a known French monarchist spy (he also wrote the Barber of Seville and other books made into operas) and arms supplier.

I suggest the arms supplier really was Pierre Dupont de Nemours’ family. He finalized the armistice between Britain and the US and was the gunpowder supplier to both sides. He came to America to live near the Randolph’s of Jefferson and the Hapsburgs who are Holy Roman Emperors. He founded the armaments industries referred to in Eisenhower’s exit speech.

“1737-89, political leader and diplomat in the American Revolution, b. Groton, Conn. A lawyer and merchant at Wethersfield, Conn., he was elected (1772) to the state assembly and became a leader in the revolutionary cause. He was (1774-76) a delegate to the Continental Congress, which sent (1776) him as diplomatic agent to France. There Deane worked with Pierre de Beaumarchais in securing commercial and military aid for the colonies, obtaining supplies that were of material help in the Saratoga campaign (1777). He recruited a number of foreign officers, such as the Marquis de Lafayette, Casimir Pulaski, Baron von Steuben, and Johann De Kalb. Late in 1776, Congress sent Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee to join Deane. Together they arranged (1778) a commercial and military alliance with France. Deane, however, was soon recalled by Congress and was faced with accusations of profiteering made against him by Lee. Embittered, unable to clear himself, and accused as a traitor after publication of some pessimistic private letters, Deane lived the rest of his life in exile. In 1842 Congress voted $37,000 to his heirs as restitution and characterized Lee’s audit of Deane’s accounts ‘a gross injustice.’

Bibliography: See C. Isham, ed., The Deane Papers, 1774-1790 (5 vol., 1887-91); biography by G. L. Clark (1913).” (2)

But we must not assume these wars are much more than an Orwellian de-population game in some Hegelian ‘play both ends against the middle’ gambit that ensures certain parties will finance and arm whoever gives them what they want. For example we have the Hessians who had been the only trained standing army at this juncture fighting on the side of the British monarch who also financed the other side. Those Hessians were working with or for Mayer Amschel Rothschild at the castle of William of Hesse who was a founding funding member of Weishaupt’s version of the Illuminati. The Hesse-Battenberg and Hapsburgs or other Royals always had the likes of Rothschilds or De Medicis who they were involved with in secrets beyond the pale of most people’s imagination.

The Hapsburgs are Merovingians too and here are some notes about the ancestry of the current heir of the Holy Roman Empire or House of Hapsburg that include the wise Quakers who located in Pennsylvania colony and no doubt kept in touch with their ancestry. Yes, the Hapsburgs were very much a part of the region where Pierre Dupont de Nemours came and founded the American armaments businesses after he arranged the end of the Revolutionary War.

“The recent marriage of Archduke Karl Thomas of Austria to Baroness Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza and the birth of their son is of some genealogical interest. Archduke Karl Thomas is, after his father (Crown Prince Otto), first in line to inherit the positions of Head of the House of Hapsburg, claimant to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and principal heir of the Holy Roman Empire.

As is increasingly the case with young titled Europeans, both Archduke Karl Thomas and Baroness Francesca have some American ancestry. Archduke Karl Thomas’s American ancestry has already appeared in print [The American Genealogist, vol 29, p. 139], and will not be reprinted here.

The American ancestry of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family has been referred to, obliquely, over the years, but has never, to my knowledge, been fully explored. The following material, taken primarily from the 1914 Harlan genealogy, should not be considered either exhaustive or definitive, but as a first draft. {They also have connections that will become apparent as the reader goes through this book to Long Island and some shady goings-on there, as we see during the period of the slave trade.}

Author of Diverse Druids, Columnist for The ES Press Magazine, Guest ‘expert’ at this site

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Tags: ethics, philosophers, philosophy, morality, essay

“A man can fall many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” (John Burroughs)

Indeed John was set up. However, it was John’s choice to enter into the trap. She did not force him; she had no position of power to coerce him. All she did was to flirt with him and he, the manager, stepped over the boundary and entered into an unethical relationship. It wasn’t illegal and I will not judge its morality, but it was unethical because he was the manager and she was the employee.

John was not terminated for the offense. He was offered an equal position at another location with an appropriate reprimand. He did not want another location. He wanted this one. He was very angry and very bitter. He could not understand why she did not get any consequences. The company was wrong and had hurt him. After all, she blinked her eyes and seduced him! John quit the company, exclaiming “I hate her for what she has done!” he exclaimed. “I hate her and I hope she gets hers!” With that, he slammed the door and was gone.

John chose to enter into an unethical relationship and received a negative consequence. Then he created the outcome of lost opportunities by refusing the consequence and using the opportunity as a learning experience to move him forward to making ethical choices. John’s decision to leave was neither ethical nor unethical. It was merely an outcome

Every one of us, sometime in life, will be faced with temptation. It is a given. For each of us the temptation is different depending on the area of our life that needs the greatest growth. For John, it was this employee, for me it was embezzling money to maintain the illusion of success, for someone else it is drugs, alcohol, or prostitution. Take your pick, there are many lures.

You can’t wish the temptations away. An alternative to wishing is for you to know yourself and know your temptation well enough to recognize it when it raises its ugly head. Temptations present us the opportunity to strengthen our character, and create a foundation to stand on when making sometimes tough ethical decisions. Each time temptation presents itself and we choose the high road, we affirm our ethical foundation.

There are times we will choose the temptation. That is human and reminds us of the need to stay on track. The failure comes in not recognizing that we chose to enter into the temptation and hence, we blame someone else.

One of the interesting things about blame is that it gives the object of our blame power over us. In fact, we not only empower the object, but also we de-empower ourselves. How willingly we choose that. Mary Auda, founder of Change Through Transformation, shared with me an example of that principle. “Victims of sexual abuse often continue the victimization by continuing to blame their perpetrators for today’s choices.” She says that, “the perpetrators chose to cross the boundaries, violate the child and take his/her power away from them and are responsible for their unethical and immoral choices.” The damage of the abuse is significant. However, transforming from victim to survivor requires accepting responsibility for their own choices today thus taking their power away from the perpetrator. By no means is this an easy task but by holding the perpetrators accountable for the past and accepting responsibility for the present, they are able to move on in their journey.

Blame has no purpose but to cripple us. John was crippled because he continued in blaming Jane, and today still carries the grudge. Since this has happened, he learned that the employee setting him up had an ulterior motive. Jane set a trap for John so he could be removed from the location as she had chosen to defraud the company and was engaged in her own unethical and illegal behavior. She studied her prey and knew his weakness and created the trap to serve her own purposes. Because he didn’t know his temptation or himself well, he willingly walked into the trap.

While he still held anger at the events of the past, he gained some satisfaction. The consequences of her clear unethical choices resulted in more catastrophic consequences than he had experienced. Her choices resulted in jail time away from her family. He left the company and created his own competing company and is doing well today.

Choices always lead to positive results or negative consequences. We are personally responsible and accountable for our choices regardless of what motivates them in the beginning. Jane said the company was at fault for her theft because they had no controls (check and balances) on the money coming through the door. John said Jane was at fault for his unethical behavior towards her because she flirted with him. When each of them holds themselves responsible and accountable for their unethical choices, then, and only then will they be able to move forward and create different opportunities and choices in their life.

As an international keynote speaker, speaking about choices, consequences, and personal accountability, my audience is primarily business groups. In order to get the message about ethical behavior out to youth, the Choices Foundation (a non-profit organization) was created.

On a crisp October day in 1995, Chuck Gallagher took 23 physical steps… opened a door… and began a new experience that was life-changing. Gallagher explores that experience and the success that followed… while involving the reader in ways that could be life-altering for them. Gallagher captures the heart of the audience in an honest way that deals with human emotion. For information on Chuck’s keynotes and workshops go to his site or for a free ezine on Ethical Choices contact Chuck

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Tags: moral, morality, ethics, implementation, business

On the 3rd of March I received reminders from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing that licences (road tax) on my car and my motorcycle will expire at the end of March. And I’m invited to apply online.

I go the DVLA website and enter the special reference number that I’ve been given for my car.

For some strange reason, my details cannot be found. So I try again with the reference number for my motorcycle. And again the details cannot be found.

I log off my computer and log on again thinking that this might help but to no avail.

I wait a couple of hours and try again. But still no success.

So I call the phone number for making payment on line and enter into an automated answering system. The system is not great but eventually I get through to the section for renewing licences. And before I can process any further a little message is given to say that I cannot proceed with my renewal before the 15th day of the month in which my existing licence expires.

Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

And sure enough there is a little bit of small print on the notices that I received to this effect. So I now have to keep the bits of paper for two weeks in a safe place and make a diary note to make the renewal after the 15th of March.

Now given that I’m a fairly busy person who likes to take care of things as soon as they arise. And given that my vehicles have valid MOTs and insurances. And given that I am prepared to pay right now, in advance! Can somebody please explain why DVLA will not take my money?

Derek Williams is creator of The WOW! Awards™ an International Professional Speaker and Chief Executive for the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Europe.

For more information about Derek Williams visit here.

For The WOW! Awards (including access to a FREE customer service newsletter) visit The Wow Awards here.

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