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« Previous Entries Next Entries »Was Governor Blagojevich really that stupid?
Thursday, December 11th, 2008It’s all over the news that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been arrested and charged with corruption in what prosecutors describe as an unapologetic campaign to trade President-Elect Obama’s Senate seat for money or a lucrative job for himself or his wife. As details of the scandal emerge, it turns out that Blagojevich has been under [...]
GM made a great pitch - but was it an apology?
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008Yesterday, General Motors took the unusual step of publishing a full page ad in Automotive News in which the troubled automaker acknowledged the mistakes that have put it near collapse. General Motors confessed that it had disappointed the American public with substandard quality, lackluster designs, lack of focus on the U.S. market, an unfortunate bias in its product [...]
When it comes to regulation it’s a matter of quality, not quantity
Monday, December 8th, 2008In the wake of the subprime mortgage meltdown on Wall Street, there’s been a lot of talk in Washington about whether we need “more” or “less” regulation of the financial services industry. These conversations completely miss the point.
Regulation is not something that can or should be measured quantitatively because it’s not the length of the [...]
Have you been betrayed? Here’s how to move on…
Saturday, December 6th, 2008As someone who writes and speaks about apologies, I get questions from readers about how to handle the pain and disillusionment that follow betrayal. Sometimes the questions come from people who feel that they’ve been betrayed, other times from people who admit they’ve been the betrayer. Either way, betrayal is no fun at all.
Recently, I [...]
Rendell’s apology for Napolitano comment is a flop!
Thursday, December 4th, 2008Pity poor Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, the latest casualty of the “shouldn’t have said it near an open mike” wars. At a meeting of the National Governors Conference in Philadelphia earlier this week, Rendell was unwittingly picked up by a table microphone when he opined that Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano - President-Elect Obama’s pick to [...]
When it comes to apologies, once isn’t always enough
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008Recently, one of my readers (let’s call her Beverly) asked for help resolving a conflict she’d had with a friend. Beverly had borrowed and lost a piece of costume jewelry that her friend particularly liked. Beverly apologized and replaced the piece with something similar, but her friend remained cool. Beverly is now a little miffed [...]
This holiday season cut spending, not ethical corners
Saturday, November 29th, 2008Thanksgiving is over, leftovers are drying out in refrigerators nationwide, and that means the holiday shopping season is upon us. Not surprisingly, the recent economic downturn is putting pressure on everyone to cut back on holiday buying. Early news reports suggest that most shoppers intend to spend less than they did in recent years and are aggressively [...]
This Thanksgiving, settle your unresolved feuds with an apology
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008Thanksgiving Day is upon us, which means that a great many Americans will be traveling long distances to sit down for dinner with family and friends. It’s a wonderful holiday - until one of those “issues” that seem to crop up every year rears its ugly head over coffee and pumpkin pie.
There are various ways to [...]
Is it ethical for the police to run want ads for informants?
Monday, November 24th, 2008The Washington Post Express reported this morning on the Albuquerque Police Department’s decision to use the want ads to recruit informants. According to the Post Express, the police department’s ad solicits “people who hang out with crooks,” inviting them to “Make extra cash!” by reporting criminal behavior, earning anywhere from $50 for a tip that [...]
When a minor refuses treatment, what should a doctor do?
Friday, November 21st, 2008A few days ago, the Washington Post Express reported the story of a 13-year-old who wanted to refuse potentially life-saving surgery. The story focused on the question of whether a minor should be allowed to refuse treatment, but I found myself wondering about a different aspect of the story:
What about the ethical dilemma facing the [...]