Subscribe to my Feed
Archive for September, 2008
« Previous EntriesIs the Church of England’s “apology” to Darwin really an apology?
Monday, September 29th, 2008Recently, a friend forwarded an article from the London Telegraph reporting that the Church of England was going to issue an apology to Charles Darwin for its initial hostility to his theory of natural selection. Written by Rev. Dr. Malcolm Brown, the Church’s Director of Mission and Public Affairs, the apology reads as follows:
Charles Darwin: [...]
How will the next President treat detainees?
Friday, September 26th, 2008We’ve been hearing for at least a week that the world was going to come to a cataclysmic end unless immediate, effective action was taken by Congress and the Administration to fix the Wall Street train wreck. No action (effective or otherwise) has been taken, the politicians continue to blame, carp, and maneuver, and guess what? [...]
The Post’s Pearlstein says Wall Street execs should apologize - but will they?
Thursday, September 25th, 2008Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein warmed my heart yesterday when he made a compelling case for why the Wall Street executives who brought the current financial crisis crashing down around us all should stand before the cameras together in the rotunda of the Capitol and say two words to the American people: “We’re sorry.” As Pearlstein [...]
How ethical is the pending Wall Street bailout?
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008This afternoon I had the opportunity to watch the Senate hearings on the proposed Wall Street bailout. It’s not surprising that legislators on both sides of the aisle are revolting against the current proposal to authorize the Department of the Treasury to buy out approximately $700 billion dollars of bad debt. Many issues on the [...]
Referee Hochuli may have missed the call, but it was the NFL that fumbled
Sunday, September 21st, 2008In the interests of taking a break from the melodrama on Wall Street, let’s turn to the world of professional sports, where another drama is unfolding. A week ago, referee Ed Hochuli blew a call in a critical game. Hochuli’s error cost the Chargers a victory and, with the amount of money at stake in pro football, [...]
Will the next President crack down on predatory lenders?
Friday, September 19th, 2008The drama in U.S. financial markets continues, with the Treasury Department, SEC and Federal Reserve banding together to shore up the financial markets. The plan they’ve cobbled together – guaranteeing money market funds, temporarily banning short-selling of certain stocks and, of course, bailing out Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and AIG - is a bold one. I hope [...]
The financial industry meltdown illustrates the high cost of bad business ethics
Tuesday, September 16th, 2008It’s been a remarkable couple of days in the business world as two prestigious investment banks, Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. and Merrill Lynch & Co., became the latest casualties of the subprime mortgage mess. Lehman announced that it will file for bankruptcy; Merrill was more fortunate, and is being bought out by Bank of America. [...]
Do your children know how to apologize?
Monday, September 15th, 2008When I talk to interviewers about my book, The Art of the Apology, they frequently ask if it’s important for parents to teach their kids how to apologize when they’ve done something wrong. The answer boils down to two words: you bet. Apologizing is an essential social skill that kids need to learn if they’re [...]
How will the next President interact with Big Oil?
Friday, September 12th, 2008Continuing my series on ethical issues facing the next U.S. President, let’s talk about future relations between the White House and the powerful oil and gas industry. The press has been having great fun this week with a report issued by the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of the Interior that accuses employees in [...]
Owe someone an apology? What are you waiting for?
Thursday, September 11th, 2008Ordinarily, I don’t post multiple blog entries in a single day … but then, September 11th is no ordinary day. It’s been just seven years since the bombings that claimed hundreds of lives and changed America forever. It’s only fitting to take time today to remember the victims of those bombings, and to pay our [...]
« Previous Entries