The Art and the Artist: Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in a World of Controversial Creators

I grew up admiring figures such as Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, even O.J. Simpson, and others who have since been revealed to have led questionable, even criminal lives. Despite this, their artistic contributions remain significant. The challenge lies in how one can separate their work from their personal misconduct. Of if one should. What happens to the consumer of such "scandalized" or "discredited"  artists and performers who have proven to be "disgraced", or a become a too "controversial" figure?

I'll get to the point but first this is going to be a bit of a trip around the block...

While I still appreciate Allen’s art I now find it difficult. But I cannot avoid it as I had studied his work along with Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick at university. But expressing such things could expose one to criticism. As an artist myself, would it impact my professional standing? Should it? Shouldn't it? How can one ethically navigate this dilemma, balancing an appreciation for their art with an acknowledgment of their behavior? Especially when they have become unavoidably integral to who I am as a person and an artist?

What do you do with that? Even if one is not an artist and as a consumer who once enjoyed their works. This has bothered me for some time now. I have my own thoughts on it but it occurred to me to ask an AI what it thinks. First off, what do I think?

In point of fact, it pisses me off! It pisses me off because these artists whose lives were so warped, first they did those things to those they did them to. Then once you get past that, because they got us to buy into their brilliance and decades later waylaid those of us as fans with reveals of their despicable acts. But it's not them but their products and the brilliance of what hey produced. Respecting their minds, and their talents, but not their personal lives. I've always tried to give them their personal lives. They, most of them, deserve their privacy. 

So getting past all that, maybe ask the AI and see if it's more clear headed about the topic. Often when I do that I get an answer that includes things I had forgotten to consider, even though I would have later. Or it offers things I had not or would not consider. Or offers a new perspective.

So I asked ChatGPT what it thought.

But first, how did this come up. Well? That's a story. Two weeks ago I started binge-watching The West Wing. I'd tried to do that during the Trump presidency but I couldn't. I found it too depressing. Even though the staff at MSNBC was doing that to get THEM through that clown show. So when I considered it recently I thought I'd give it another try.

It worked. Took about a week to get through all 7 seasons. I learned a lot. Like Aaron Sorkin is a genius. Also, that Bradly Whitford and Lawrence O'Donnell were writers and actors on that show. I had a great time watching it. I did some research and found after that show, Sorkin did Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. 

Then The Newsroom. Which has one of the greatest opening scenes to a series perhaps ever (video). I'd watched The Newsroom when it was first on TV and loved it when it was on. But not Studio 60, about a Saturday Night Live type sketch show. 

I loved SNL when it arrived in 1975. I was sitting alone at home one night in Spokane in my downtown apartment waiting on my wife to get off work at the hospital a few blocks up the hill from me at midnight.

I was sitting on the couch wrapping the scabbard of my 14th-century Wakasashi (long story about how I got that for $2 in 1973 from a friend after we'd just graduated high school, hanging at my girlfriend's apartment. He was a garbage man and had found it in pieced on a garbage can. I'd offered him $2 thinking he'd laugh at me. He laughed at me and said, "Cool! Cost of a torpedo!" A "torpedo" is about 66 ounces of beer. 

I was alone at home wrapping the scabbard in string so it would not fall off, it's still wrapped from that. Then I painted it black. While I was doing that, took a couple of hours, I looked in TV Guide and saw Saturday Night Live was on. Never heard of it so I put it on. Long story short, it was amazing. 

Anyway, after binging The West Wing, I found The Newsroom on the MAX streaming channel and watched it. I got the idea to see if I could get the DVDs. I found them on ebay and bought them. Then I found Studio 60. Which just arrived and I'm watching it now. I can remember when it was first on TV but I ignored it back in 2007 not knowing what it was about and anyway, I wanted to watch The Unit about spec ops team, a show created by David Mamet, of whom I've long been a fan. Since studying screenwriting at university in the early 80s.

I thought about getting The West Wing DVDs but 7 years? That's about $80 so I figured I'd hold off. I'm really liking Studio 60. On the wall in Matthew Perry's character's office was a framed poster of a cover of a Life magazine with Woody Allen and Humphrey Bogart on it.

Mark McKinnon (from Kids in the Hall, playing a depressed writer), Bradly Whitford and Matthew Perry in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

I've had that magazine cover in a frame hanging on my wall forever but since I moved here 6 years ago in a too small house, it's in my spare room with all my other art and framed works.

I know, so said about his passing, my friends seemed to think back in the 90s when people were trying to figure out which "Friend" you were in your group of friends, that I was Chandler. I was never quite sure how I felt about that, but, he was funny, so... 

SO, finally getting to the point...I kept seeing the Life mag cover in the office in Studio 60 and I started thinking about where my framed copy was. Should I hang it? If I do, where? If in the living room and people see it who come over, well then what? How will they react? How should I react? Should I hang it? That pissed me off because I loved his movies, books, plays, and then he had to be human and do weird things and now what? 

Sigh... so many people like that. My mother couldn't stand Charlie Chaplin who was incorrectly maligned for leaving for France. I grew up separating the artist from their art or I felt, we'd have no art. Or much much less.

So that got me to thinking again about the philosophical, ethical and moral implications of all that all over again. Which led us to here, now.

Anyway, this is what ChatGPT said:

This is a challenging issue, especially as many public figures and artists have seen their legacies reevaluated in light of revelations about their personal behaviors. The tension between appreciating someone's artistic output and acknowledging their harmful actions is real, and there isn't a single answer that works for everyone. However, there are some thoughtful ways to navigate this, especially as an artist who has to balance personal ethics with public perception.

Here are a few approaches to consider:

1. Separate the Art from the Artist (to a Degree)

Some argue that art should be evaluated on its own merits, independent of the artist’s personal life. The work may still have value, evoke emotions, or offer insights regardless of who created it. In this view, you can appreciate Allen’s storytelling or Cosby’s comedy as cultural contributions, without endorsing their personal behaviors.

However, publicly defending this perspective can indeed invite criticism, especially if people feel it minimizes the harm caused by those individuals. If you choose this approach, be prepared to explain how you separate appreciation for the work from endorsement of the artist's personal choices. You could acknowledge their actions as reprehensible while recognizing the influence of their art.

2. Ethical Engagement with the Art

You could continue to engage with the art, but do so with critical awareness. For instance, you might highlight how problematic aspects of the artist’s personal life inform or even taint their work. In Woody Allen's case, some have pointed to themes in his films that might now be viewed differently in light of his personal controversies. By engaging critically, you demonstrate that you’re not ignoring the ethical issues.

This can also extend to how you publicly talk about the artist’s work, showing that you’re aware of the complex dynamics and not just passively consuming the art.

3. Reframe Your Engagement with Their Work

Instead of completely avoiding or wholly embracing the work of controversial figures, you might frame your engagement with it in a way that opens a discussion. For example, you could discuss how your feelings toward Allen’s films have evolved over time, or how you now see certain aspects differently. This acknowledges the impact of the artist’s actions without dismissing their artistic contributions.

As a fellow artist, this can be particularly valuable because you’re showing that you are conscious of the relationship between art and morality in a way that others might appreciate. You're not endorsing bad behavior, but you’re also not erasing the value of art.

4. Limit Financial Support

If it’s important to you to maintain some ethical boundaries, consider how you engage with their work financially. For example, you can still watch Allen’s movies but avoid purchasing new releases or giving direct support to ongoing projects. You could also donate the money you might have spent on their art to causes related to the harm they caused (e.g., supporting victims of abuse).

This allows you to still engage with the art, while making it clear that you’re not financially supporting individuals whose actions you disagree with.

5. Acknowledge Public Sensitivities

Publicly endorsing the work of controversial figures could harm your reputation as an artist. If you’re concerned about marketability, it might be worth carefully weighing how and where you express your appreciation for Allen or others like him. You can still privately enjoy the work while being mindful of the current cultural climate.

In creative spaces, especially, how others perceive your choices (even in terms of what you admire) can affect collaborations, opportunities, and audiences. Acknowledging that their behavior is wrong, while critically engaging with their art, can strike a balance.

6. Transparency in Personal Artistic Influence

If you draw inspiration from these figures, consider being transparent about how you engage with that influence. For example, instead of simply saying "I admire Woody Allen’s work," you might say, "Woody Allen’s earlier films have influenced my understanding of comedic timing and character development, but I struggle with reconciling that influence given what we now know." This demonstrates a nuanced position and shows your audience that you’re aware of the larger conversation around such figures.

7. Move Toward New Influences

If the ethical conflict feels too strong, it might be worth seeking out new influences that align with your values. The art world is vast, and there are many filmmakers, comedians, and creators who produce incredible work while maintaining ethical lives. Shifting focus to these figures can not only alleviate your ethical dilemma but also introduce fresh perspectives into your own work.

8. Open Discussion

Opening up a dialogue about these issues could humanize your approach. As an artist, if you express that you, too, are grappling with the complexities of separating art from artist, it could resonate with others who are having similar struggles. This might involve discussing these topics with your audience in interviews, on social media, or within your work itself. It could demonstrate intellectual and moral consideration.

---

Ultimately, it's about striking a balance between your personal enjoyment of the art, an ethical response to the artists' behavior, and your public positioning as an artist. There's no simple answer, but thoughtful, nuanced engagement can help you navigate this complicated issue.

So, about the framed Life magazine cover. What did I do about it? It's now hanging in that spare room with the rest of my art. Yeah, I don't know either, but is it we who have to suffer for someone being less than we expect of them, even if by far? I think in the end, it's a personal decision. 

I still haven't been able to watch a Woody Allen movie since it all came out about that family and Woody involvement. I may not be able to give him money for a new film because of it. Then, he may not be around much longer as he's 88. But the framed Life mag cover? It's just enough that it's still good and pays some kind of homage to that part of my personality that is still innocent. And always will be.

A View to Adhere to, a Life to Live and the Pain Therein

 Today I wrote this:

In one's life we must find a paradigm to adhere to, be affectionately faithful, be fully loyal to it, but then also remain alert, with eyes wide open, always prepared to if not better one's life, better one's paradigm of it.

I then asked Chat OpenAI 3.5 to comment:
it.

ChatGPT:

The statement you provided underscores the importance of finding a guiding principle or paradigm in life and staying committed to it. It encourages loyalty and faithfulness to one's chosen path or belief system. However, it also emphasizes the need to remain open-minded and adaptable. This balance between commitment and flexibility is crucial for personal growth and improvement.

It suggests that while we should be devoted to our chosen path or values, we should not be rigid or closed off to new ideas or opportunities. Life is dynamic and ever-changing, and being prepared to reevaluate and potentially improve one's paradigm or way of living is a wise approach. This kind of openness to self-improvement and learning can lead to personal growth, a deeper understanding of the world, and a more fulfilling life.


That seemed unfinished so I asked it: Yet does it not also indicate how in making our view of life better, our quality of life may suffer for it?

ChatGPT:

Indeed, the pursuit of self-improvement or refining one's view of life can sometimes lead to challenges and moments of discomfort. This can happen for a few reasons:

1. Change is Disruptive: Changing one's perspective or way of life often involves leaving one's comfort zone. It can be disruptive and unsettling, especially in the short term.
2. Growth Requires Effort: Personal growth often involves hard work, introspection, and facing difficult truths about oneself or the world. This can be emotionally taxing.
3. Loss of Familiarity: When you shift your paradigm or perspective, you might lose the familiar and the routine, which can be unsettling.
4. Resistance from Others: Sometimes, changes in one's paradigm or approach to life can meet with resistance from others who are accustomed to the old ways.

While there may be moments of discomfort during the process of self-improvement and paradigm shift, the ultimate goal is typically to enhance the quality of life in the long run. It's about investing in personal growth, deepening one's understanding, and adapting to changing circumstances. Over time, these efforts can lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life, even if the path to get there can be challenging.

It's important to find a balance between staying true to your core values and remaining open to constructive change. This way, you can make improvements without sacrificing your overall quality of life.

Why are Conservative Trump Supporters So Confused?

Two things upfront. Wishing you all a safe and reflective Memorial Day for all those who have gone before us to protect and give us a country we can all be proud of. Also for all those first responders and front line medical workers, and workers keeping our country functional and fed through this miserable pandemic! What has happened of late under the GOP and Donald Trump certainly does them all a disservice and really we must do better in November 2020!

Also as for the title question...we can thank Donald Trump as POTUS for his supporters being so confused, and the Trump Republican party. Both, disinformation machines. Pres. Trump loves all that, loves the chaos. It's who he is, how he faultily "manages" his businesses, and sadly, so very sadly, exactly what was elected as president in 2016. History will not read well over that one.

We can do better! Quite, easily. Just about anybody viable would do better in not wanting to rip America apart for reasons of pure partisan, personal benefit and apparently just sheer joy.

My main concern now in life after Trump is his GOP's continued de-evolving that we've seen now from Reagan through to Trump, an ongoing downward spiral that turned into a rapid straight down plummet in 2016.

What disaster will next replace Donald Trump one day as the next nightmare Republican offering to evoke a political Hades? If Trump wins in 2020 even HE will be worse than 2016 Trump because then all restraints are off and he'll just continue to try getting off the rails.

What massive tragedy next will the GOP subject America to and the world, and humanity, and the ecosystem and planet? I'm just not seeing rational, functional, inductive reasoning capabilities in many of the arguments presented in support of Trump or his GOP.

I long thought conservative's issues were a lack of comprehension (or compassion) of the counter-intuitive for that of, at times ineffectual, straight forward logic. But I'm beginning to think it's actually just something closely associated with it.

Occam's Razor is a good base, but life is complicated. Though in this case, Trump does frequently appear simply stupid and we're now quite used to his typical lies and hypocrisies, all while he continues to play stupid and lie. He is after all, fairly one dimensional.

Bad president Trump! Bad! Down boy!

It seems simple enough, really. But once again, life, reality, politics, national management, and leadership are not as simple as Trump once believed. He's in way over his combed-over thinned hair and thin skinned head.

The conservative ability for deductive reasoning appears faulty much of the time whenever it comers to Trump. When you base your initial data on false evidence or fallacious logical structures, how could you ever come to a reasonable and realistic conclusion anyway?

They seem to go deductive all the way in to the most simplistic forms, frequently stumbling into logical fallacies that simply fit their inbred filters designed within ideologies, not reality.

Ideologies by the way, long since proved faulty. Trickle down voodoo economics? Please...

Trump is one major logical fallacy himself, if not simply a bag of logic traps and flaccid logic overall.

This is why Trump supporters, for the most part, aren't really bad people, or even stupid as they sometimes appear to be. I prefer to think people are in general actually, good people. They are just lost in their own morass of misobservations, Misperceptions? Maybe. Trump's incessant lies, his ongoing disinformation, and fundamentally faulty conservative/Republican platform is something to behold. To be sure. Almost worth the price of admission. If it wasn't all of our lives fundamentally involved at the focus.

So Trump's base end up being honestly and "morally" outraged. But for all the wrong reasons most of the time. I'm unsure if this explains their rage against liberal/progressiveness in merely trying to do good. Their outrange so often for people they don't even know, or understand, or are ever associated with, or a part of.

I don't personally hate anyone for their misguided misapprehensions about non-conservatives. I just feel sorry for them when they can't see it is actually they who are so solidly on such very unsolid grounds. When you make decisions from a foundation of incorrect assumptions, information and your leadership who outright knows they are lying to you, well, you are setting off from tainted realities.

On the other hand, it is much like they are standing on a sinking Titanic. Which should be obvious to them, and yet, what they see is the sea rising all around them, they are  lost. Can't be the fault of the Captain, leadership, form of administering the course of the ship, or the ship itself in any way, and so they are morally outraged at who, at what...the sea?

The sea being, "reality"?

Their frustration is as obvious. as it is misplaced. And manufactured.

Of course, greed and self-interest do enter the Republican picture at some point in their,

"You can't have MY money!" Rather than the more American and decent, "Take some, and it'll benefit me and others as well, others who desperately need it. After all, maybe one day I will too." Rather they prefer the fantasy of pay nothing and then when they later DO need it assume, "Give it the Hell to me because I'M desperate and how am I not more important than all others?!"

Hypocrisy thy name is rabid capitalist Republican.

Sounds a bit to me like the American evangelical Christian movement who allegedly "teaches" Jesus' words, then ignores them for profit, megachurches, and hatred of immigrants, minorities, and others in their xenophobic, homophobic, ignorant and bigoted ways.

When Jesus clearly taught otherwise.

Which I know is counter-intuitive since so many of them seem to think that the seas are not rising and only of late have come to the realization they may be but it WASN'T US! And yet, many still refuse to see the direct evidence of humankind as the accelerator in the climate change formula, and so much else. "It wasn't me!" As if it were their mantra.

Why?

Because it lets them continue with short term profits so easily. To have no ethical responsibility or reason to stop their bad behaviors. Behaviors, many of which, have been going on since before any of us were born but in the past thirty years or so, have been militarized in a way, or weaponized seemingly against most America citizens.

Although that is bizarre, it is also how governments work through history and why America was structured differently. But it only took 200 years for conservatives to uncover how to game the system. Democrats aren't innocent, to be sure. But for different reasons and in different ways.

Our priorities have shifted, decades ago. We never caught up as reality whooshed right past us into the future, so now our rather frightening present is killing us. With an even more disturbing, even scarier future around the bend up ahead. The planet is now rebelling against us, and for good reason. We need to change for the better.

Our environmental policies need to change. Our meat industry needs to vastly change. Our economic policies need to change and address not greed but need. Not the poor but our actual economic engine. Not the big corporations, the Trillion dollar elites, but the people, the small businesses and get back to innovation and progression.

It is a future most of us can see now. Unless we have a stock portfolio, apparently.

It is the easy, the short term profit they seems to be killing us most. The Republican mindset. The Trump style business mindset. The greedy, ignorant, short term mindset. When humankind is a long term project, as is America. We need to either all wake up to this, or take drastic action to force those in power to do something, and stick with it. 

In that way, there would no longer be a need for this zombie conservative way of thinking, this big business, multi national corporation, big money, big stupid, big dumb... Trump Republican party.

It is 2020. November will be upon us shortly. We can make changes. Even the Republican party knows we need changes and Trump ain't it.

So, will we finally act like responsible Americans?

Or do we re-elect Donald John Trump and HIS Republican party?

Because it's not up to them. It's up to... US. All of us.

Why America Stopped Being Great - Corporate Thought

Here's what I'm seeing in life today. "Corporate thinking" has taken over our businesses, our social institutions, our religions, our government. Look. It's really not that capitalism is so very bad. It's that at some point, people stop acting decent and start acting like they are at war.

Okay, fine. Business can be like war and applying Sun Tzu's Art of War can be useful. So can Machiavelli's, The Prince. The problem is at some point they throw meritocratic issues out of the window and go right for the jugular.

And at that point, capitalism breaks down. THAT is where corporate thought kicks in. One no longer has a need or consideration of the "bigger picture." The picture, the situation that is all-inclusive. In the capitalist sociopath's point of view the picture is only as big as they are. They do things like get to where they have power and money and then, change the rules for all those who come after them, or try to dethrone them. Wonderful, right?

I would argue, that benefiting only one person or group, is dysfunctional. Because we are a country, a nation, America. The entrepreneur is supported on a cloud of the nation. While they try to sell the belief they have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps so no one else has any claim on their success or their money or resources.

Hey, if video and fun are your bag and this is kind of try, hop over to Amazon Prime and watch Kal Penn's show, This Giant Beast That is the Global Economy. Try Episode 2: Are Rich People Dicks or Do Dicks Get Rich.

This is (in part) why capitalism is broken: Rent-seeking ...an individual's or entity's use of company, organizational or individual resources to obtain economic gain without reciprocating any benefits to society through wealth creation. An example of rent-seeking is when a company lobbies the government for loan subsidies, grants or tariff protection.

That, is a mistake and that, is where America has been draining reality off of the middle class for decades now to the point of killing it off. Of making a duality of the very rich and the very poor and that is where we are headed. That, has to stop. And where that starts is the lack of responsibility by the individual sociopaths in business and the lack of concern or understanding of how we all really are tied together.

There is a MASSIVE infection of a lack of responsibility in this country. Whenever you push through to something, past reasonable attempts, to what you have no right whatsoever to, merely in order to make money, gain status, or increase your power over others, that is shirking responsibility. There is a huge difference between perseverance and being unethical or immoral.

Because of that, others who do deserve all that do not receive it. We are seeing this too in government from the conservative Republicans who have purposely skewed facts, reality, even our elections. Some with the help of Russian interventions in our social media, or worse. 

Pursuing those kinds of behaviors are harming them, harming us all. As well as the structures surrounding them, in society. Harming our country. 

Many times, if not most of those times, people who do deserve it, have actually put in the hard work, have attained the necessary personality and infrastructures around them, and the understanding of those things. All in order to be able to handle that responsibility. 

While those others haven't. 

That is what corporate thought is all about. It's why I despise it so much, corporate thinking. It's abusive. It's bad, as the old saying goes, for children and flowers and all living things.

An example of this is as recent and relevant as 60 Minutes episode last night on opiates. They had on Ed Thompson who owns PMRS who said that in 2001 the FDA changed the labeling on Purdue Pharma's Oxycontin. Basically heroin in a pill. Ed said that was illegal. I think he was right. He is now suing the FDA over this to change the label back, to make it correct.

Purdue pushed the FDA to bow to their wishes and go from indicating on the label that Oxy was for short term use (which research dictates) to long term use (which research says it is contraindicated for).

He also said that the FDA lit the fire for big pharma to make billions. I disagree. FDA poured out the catalyst, tossed gasoline on the tinder. But it was big pharma who lit that fire.

THAT is an important thing because we have to put the responsibility on the right agency or entity. To think that falls on the corporations is correct. To believe that the government is the one who needs to set the law for this to keep greed from overwhelming corporations is also correct. But let's face it. This is corporate thinking at it's best example.

Purdue and others simply refuse to be responsible, except to their wallets and stockholders. At the expense of literally thousands of citizens lives. At the destruction of communities and families.

That is corporate thinking. 

I can play the game, too. I've just refused to. Most decent people do. That's the problem with our GOP, the party of (mostly) big business. They are happy to take all they can. And with a man as POTU|S who is more con than business, they are following his lead.

It is all about attaining what you deserve to aim for, regardless of your right to it, or your ability to achieve it. Shoot for more than you believe, but don't steal from others who deserve it more. 

When rather than attaining it by your own personal skills, abilities, and resources alone, when instead it is accomplished by breaking rules, ignoring humane considerations, mores, and even laws? You should be brought down. As our Pres. Donald Trump and friends now should be brought down, brought to heel, brought to bear the full weight of national security and jurisprudence.

They are the crowd of the ends justifying the means. Some others will praise you if they know that, merely out of envy. Many will praise that if they don't know because...they think you'd earned it. Or they use plausible deniability and accept all you do for all they can get. It's the new criminal, breaking reality, tossing citizen's on the trash heap, the environment into the garbage, all as long as they avoid breaking laws (whenever possible, but not always, and that is our hope), so they don't get caught. So they can keep doing it. 

It doesn't have to be that way? We can make changes. We can force those appropriate changes.

I knew a guy like, who would do anything to rise above, back when I worked for the University of Washington. He shocked me one day by openly saying he didn't have my abilities or education so that gave him the RIGHT to walk all over anyone, to climb over anyone however he could in order to rise up that ladder to success.

I was stunned. I didn't see the writing on the wall with him that day back in the early 1990s. I didn't foresee a large group of Americans leaning that direction. I just assumed he was a one-off, a low life, a potential criminal. And indeed, he got booted out of that office and off the campus workforce. But, it had to be done in such a way that it was legal, but covert. Which speaks to our current dilemma today. These people are getting away with these things. The laws have been written to allow their behaviors and if WE try to do what is right? Then WE become the criminals. 

It is an upside down reality now.

Today's way is to not EARN a damn thing, merely to attain it by hook, or by crook. 

What the hell do you think "by crook" MEANS? THIS is now the foundation of the Republican party. Of Donald Trump. Of Vladimir Putin. Of many on Wall Street. And THAT is who you are if you support them. Or if you choose that path. 

And if you do? If you do you are disgusting. Statistically speaking you are also most likely a conservative Republican. 

That IS the party of business and corporations. And with the tax cuts they always pine over, it is also the party of giving them(selves) tax breaks so they don't have to make it on their own. It is a kind of socialism they will not point to. Not needing to accept responsibility.

When poor people need help? They can't as the odds are (purposely) stacked against them and so they suffer. That is growing day by day to include all who do not have vast buffers of wealth and money to insulate them from the damages, the lies, elitist plutocratic cultures. 

Some will even kill you for it. Indirectly and at a distance, of course. Our healthcare system is a prime example of that. 

It is a natural and basic function to destroy that which attempts to destroy you. This current defective format of our government, our business, our wealth distribution has got to be eradicated. 

Culture has got to learn that this is unacceptable. So our children don't think they are someone to imitate. How many children right now think Donald Trump in being POTUS is some a role model? How many parents actually ARE teaching their kids that? 

There is even a Republican politician, Ron DeSantis running a political ad about exactly that! It's humorous, but that does not excuse it. It is an embarrassment to America. 

We are now living what government is supposed to be about avoiding. The rule of the jungle. The rule of gangs. It is, what society is supposed to be 100% against. Because it leads to chaos and mayhem which Donald Trump loves so much. Destruction, uneven playing fields. 

A disruption of our society, our government, our Republica, our democracy. A breaking down of infrastructures such as we're seeing today. 

It is what corporations today are all about. 

It is corporate thought. 

It is why American has been stopped from being Great. We didn't need to make America great again. We've been on that path for over two centuries. It is turning us from the path of greatness. It has even been ending our greatness, that effort by the conservative base, the Republican party, the Trump acolytes. They have moved from political party to cult entity.

So stop thinking calling out disingenuous attacks against "socialsm", while having nothing to do with what is going on in American politics today, have any real bearing on your or other's abusive capitalistic practices, if not outright criminal actions. Just because your President in Donald Trump seems to be getting away with it, just because Plutocrats in America have been getting away with it and Oligarchs in Russia are running that coutnry too, doesn't mean we will continue to allow the abuses to continue. Either in America, or Russia. Both Trump and Putin need to find their seats in prison, and soon.

It needs to end. This invasion, this infection of corporate thought into all of our American ideals and ideologies, has got to stop. 

And it can be done. WE can do it. We will do it. 

American Ideals: Tobacco companies, Congress, Robotics and a thing called Ethics

I love his show and John Oliver is doing a great job on "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver", poking fun at idiot South American leaders who are poking back, and at Tobacco companies, the scourge of our world.
#JeffWeCan

Now all that being said, a word about Tobacco companies, American corporations in general and the state of the world. You see, America isn't the only country being abused. A quick word about Russia who has been absconded with by an ex KGB thug in Putin.

Putin, in trying to support the Russian people's ideals as he sees them, is failing to be a true leader who could lead his proud nation into the future. He has twisted things about so that he seems like a good thing for many, but is only a good thing for the elite few and is bringing down the disdain of an entire planet on his people.

There are many being misled world wide. The Russian people. The American people, Many of the Muslim community being charmed into absolute absurdity by ISIL.

We can thank those responsible for many of the world's problems today in various entities mimicking the Tobacco industry debacle over past decades for so much of the nonsense that is now happening all though our lives, in our American Congress and among our citizenry.

Tobacco years ago was having an image issue. They were selling an addictive drug in a form that literally killed hundreds of thousands of people world wide. How does one get over that kind of brand suicide? You confuse the issue, distract, redirect and more importantly, misdirect. Twist reality to the point that Satan smiles upon you.

Also note that many of these tactics were old KGB tactics of disinformation, and there's your American patriotism for you. Years of watching the KGB by Britain's MI6 taught them a great deal about how to alter reality to their desires and agendas.

The American CIA learned from MI6, the Tobacco industry learned from them, as did others. Because what happens in prisons, in the military, in the clandestine services, eventually always trickles down into civilian organisations, companies and lives.

And that's what the people did who the tobacco industry hired to fix their image and therefore their profits and so for many years, fixed their bottom lines. When it failed in America, they moved to other countries, now killing many overseas at younger and younger ages.

No matter anymore that their products kill people. Right? Because all that is important, is what the profit making entity does to preserve themselves their profits, their power. As was with them, so it is with others, even those who hold the public interest as their charter, even though they could really care less.

There is actually more to all this, an even darker side, as recently pointed out in a Salon magazine article, "Republicans’ deadly political strategy: Ruining our country hurts the Democratic Party".

Nothing seems to matter for Republicans in viewing their actions of twisting elections, facts, Gerrymandering, etc., except Republicans. Their remaining is power is far more important to them than doing the right thing for America.

If it could be proved to them that Democrats (or any other party) were a better thing for America and that they were damaging our country, they would still fight to remain in power being the zombie party that they have become.

That alone is reason to kill off the GOP if you ask me. Grand Old Party, my backside. They have become a party to sit on and not look up to.

Years ago some moron decided that corporations are people. Laws were passed to protect the stock holders over that of the citizenry. Stock holders, are therefore more important than the people who are being sold products and services to.

Think about that for a moment.

Who would make such laws? On the surface it sounds wise, that a for profit company who is there to make profit, should make profits their business.

But at what cost? And to whom? If corporations are anything, they are robotic or cybernetic, not human. They are an extension of humanity not a part of it.

At what point does a company stop and say, "Wait, are we stepping over the line?" But now they just have to respond, "Naw, we just have to make profits and we are considered a person too even though we are a corporation and so our only goal is to make our stock holders more rich, within the structure of the laws we can circumvent." Great, lucky us.

I would like to make a suggestion....

Issac Asimov many years ago came up with the three basic rules for robotics in order to protect humankind. They have since been refined by others, but I would like to suggest we use that now for corporations. Just as a place to start.

If an American company sells a product in America, or MORE especially, if it exports it or sells that product (made in America or in the local country), then it also has a moral, ethical and legal requirement to follow certain rules and these rules can start with and then be honed to be more appropriate, from these following self evident laws:

1) A robot (that is, a corporation) may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2) A robot (yes, yes, a corporation, you're getting it now) must obey the orders given it by human beings (now this is here actually referring to the ideal of humanity and not just its leaders), except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3) A corporation (originally a robot) must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

And in that last one lay the problem most of the time lately. Corporations will do anything to maintain their bottom line and existence and in some cases, a corporation should be allowed to die. To say that the bottom line is existence and profit at any cost, is to beg for horrors to happen, sooner or later, here or there, in sight or behind closed doors or in foreign and poor countries.

It is something to consider, to act on, to make an America ideal.

It is a concept, an entity that could be respected around the world, and not too far in the distant future, in the off world(s), when and as that will become a thing.

We need to stop being fools (including myself) in not paying any of this any attention. We also need to consider that this may very well already be "a thing". A thing we need to address now before we are already in off world endeavors as it's approaching fast and once established, it may be too late to do anything about it.

We need to act on all this before it's too late. If it's not too late already.

I'm not the only one feeling like this, John Oliver has his own take on the infrastructure side of things as also mentioned in this Salon article..It's really all about the same things though.

Is it ethical to find a job using company resources?

Is it Ethical to use other's resources to further your own agenda?

Ethical? Perhaps not.
Realistic and reasonable? Most likely, yes

This is a difficult subject to explain. But I'll give it a shot. Just understand that in what I am saying, I am not advocating theft or being truly, unethical. I'm also trying to say that in the end, your actions should benefit all involved. The less selfish you are in these situations, the better it is for all.

When you consider how abused we can be as individuals by the machinations of the corporations, government and society at large, we need to use whatever we have at our disposal to better our positions. If you won't do this for yourself, certainly your family deserves it.

In the end now, this actually is good for the company, as well as the individual and society at large, really. But you have to play that with appropriate consideration and in the end you have to live with yourself  And not get caught. In the end, we need to do and to use whatever is at our disposal to better our positions. But how far should we go?

Outright stealing is simply wrong and I believe it should always be avoided. But skirting whatever grey areas you can find, is perfectly reasonable.

Companies after all, do this to us all the time. They lay people off, they have no loyalty to individuals, they will drop you sometimes like a hot rock if need be and with little consideration for your situation, your family or your needs... or ethics.

Some companies are better than others surely and they deserve some extra degree of your loyalty as you see it, to be reasonable and rational. But you should be as loyal as a company will be to you and you always have to have that consideration in mind. And you should have loyalty to yourself in your need to advance, and your need to remain true to your own self and ethics. But does that mean you should never make use of any resources, not entirely and specifically your own?

There may be a fine line between stealing and utilizing available resources. Typically you might think this is all referring to supplies, stealing paper, pencils, what have you. But there are other considerations, one should consider. Should you use personal relationships you have developed through the company to better your position? Yes, why not? Some companies however would find that to be disloyal or even illegal. And in some cases they may be right and you should exercise due caution and reason. Should you use off time to find another job while at work. Sure, why not? Could you get fired if caught? Very possibly for some companies.

Would that be illegal? Possibly. I would suggest considering the caveat that you should also try to do this kind of thing as little as possible. Your work, the work that you are paid to do, certainly should not suffer. At that point, you would lose all justification and

Would that matter and could you win a court case over it? Maybe, maybe not, but consider what it would cost you in time, money, energy and emotions? It's always best to err on the side of caution. Because even if what you are doing is perfectly legal, it can be taken in completely the wrong way. And I guarantee in that situation, you would be the one to suffer in the end.

So do your best not to waste the company's money. Use your lunch time when possible. Do not steal office supplies, but if you need to make copies of your resume, if you can't afford to pay for them yourself, within reason, do it. It's a personal thing and you should know if you are being reasonable or not.

If you are not happy at your job, the best thing for the company is for you to move out as soon as possible and if it costs the company a little to get rid of you, don't you both benefit? And yes, this is a slippery slope.

But good people will keep it in check, while questionable types will rip people and companies off.

It will fall on the side of the company if you are doing ANY thing that doesn't benefit the company at all.

When you look the other way around and see the things that companies do to people, to their employees, it simply will not play out as counting the same. You will end up on the bottom. Almost every time.

Why is that? Because there is an imbalance before you even start that sides on the side of the company. We have laws to protect people from companies, but there are always grey areas that companies will use, and sometimes over utilize. But that's, okay. Right? Unethical, but legal?

If you steal from the company you are a criminal. If the company steals from you, many times it is perfectly legal and done under the guise of enhancing the need of the company in some way and they will use many legal rationalizations for this. Remember that the US Government has indicated corporations as individuals. A radical and unethical thing for them to have done that has done nothing but help to break down the protections of the US Citizen-worker.

Corporations have stolen people's retirement funds, laid workers off at the worst possible times, not infrequently at times like Christmas time, during the so called "suicide season", and even at times when they didn't need to; and so on.

You have to take this all into consideration in these ethical arguments, even though it may not directly really come into play in your situation. And remember  just because they are unethical, doesn't necessarily mean that you should be.

Or does it, in reality?

So, ethical? No, not usually. But realistically you have to ask yourself sometimes, how much does that really mean? Or, matter? In the end, just as with the corporations and company, YOU need to take care of yourself... and your family. Don't wait for a company or especially a corporation to do it for you. Because you'll be waiting a long time.

The argument that making use of resources will turn you into a criminal, is pretty much the same logic in saying gay marriage leads to pedophilia or bestiality It's just insane. Or, whether pot is a gateway drug. Mother's milk is too, nearly every pot smoker started on mother's milk. It's a non sequitur, right? More so is alcohol being a gateway drug, but no one ever notices that one. Still, I think you get the idea from what I'm saying in that, and if you can pick it apart you are totally miss what I'm saying.

In the end it's a personal decision. Be careful but be aware of what is around you to help you.

It's reminiscent of how I've raised my kids. No, not to be criminals, or unethical. But to be ethical. And to know that sometimes ethics and laws dictate one do unethical or unlawful things to maintain the status quo. The world simply isn't fair, I've told them. Sometimes, you have to do what you know to be right and suffer the consequences. Sometimes, you will do what is right and go to jail, maybe even for saving someone's life. Because to do what is right, might even be generally considered unethical, or in some cases illegal.

So should you not do what is in the end, the right thing to do for you, and your family, and the company? Remember that just because it seems at first to be wrong, or your company might superficially view it is a firing offense, or worse, doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.

Sometimes, you have to gauge your behavior and do what is right for all involved, regardless of how they would at first judge it. Sometimes, it's just the way it is. But keep your eyes open. Consider the options.

Make the world work for you. But remember that in the end you will need to live with yourself.

I'm sure that in the end, you'll make the right decision.