Tuesday, May 27, 2003

GIFTing to Society Gifford Pinchot writes: The next step in the move toward sustainable business is to make the business itself a gift to society. Companies that use sulfuric acid end up with a hazardous waste. DuPont, instead of distancing itself from the hazardous waste generated by its customers, saw this problem as an opportunity to differentiate its offering in one of the most basic of commodities. The company took back the spent sulfuric acid, purified it, and resold it. This was good business because once DuPont got good at it, recycling turned out to be cheaper than creating from scratch. It also gained the company market share and margins in what had become to others a low-profit, uninteresting commodity. In this case, DuPont does well by doing good, thus winning both the exchange and gift paradigms. The sign of excellence in a new world of the larger self is not vast profit or possessions, but sufficient material success to allow large and thoughtful contributions to society. For some strategies of societal service, huge profits may be needed, for example to build up the capital to purchase forestry land and convert it to sustainable forestry, or to extend a chain of tutoring schools that serve those who otherwise might not read, including the poor. Other strategies for making a contribution might require only a modest income that could be used for marshalling forces for change by example or through volunteers. In a world dominated by a larger sense of self these two strategies could do equal good and would be considered equally successful. (05/27/03) Moving U.S. Government Off-Shore John Brand writes:  An unnoticed bipartisan act, signed by the President, declared Washington, D.C. to be an offshore possession under the sovereignty of the Cayman Islands. If American corporations can move off-shore, why not the seat of government which, after all, has become the largest private corporation in the world? Off-shore companies carry on their business without public disclosure. Like Enron, much of the business of the United States has also been conducted in secrecy. In order to make certain that activities are shielded from the public, the Act even went one step further. In addition to giving D.C. off-shore status in Grand Cayman (acronym: W.C.), the Swiss government has been given oversight over the affairs, fiscal and otherwise, conducted by W.C. (acronym: W.C.S.). Cayman has not been a major player in international affairs for very long. Switzerland, however, has enjoyed international reputation for centuries. Certainly, no one can call into question the integrity, the wisdom, and the democratic institutions of the Swiss. Everyone knows that the Swiss government is a paragon of democratic politics. They actually have participatory Canton meetings where citizens get to vote on issues of the day. How can one not trust a government of the people, by the people, and for the people? Having Swiss jurisdiction extend to the affairs of W.C. makes everyone realize that the highest sense of moral and ethical behavior surrounds every single transaction, fiscal and otherwise. Therefore, records can be kept secret because everyone knows the Swiss would not do anything that is not in keeping with the highest degree of fiduciary and legal responsibility. (The fact that Washington/Cayman is known as W.C. is coincidental with the fact that WC stands for water closet, otherwise known as the toilet.) (05/27/03) What They Learned There are a small number of humans that have become aware of the fossil fuel energy crisis. They have been investigating the facts on their own, reading and researching, and here are their conclusions in their own words. (05-27-03) Next: Iranian Freedom CNN World -- The Bush administration is considering taking a hard-line approach toward the government of Iran that could include efforts to destabilize Tehran's Islamic regime, a State Department official told CNN on Sunday. Senior Bush administration officials, including the deputy secretaries of defense and state, are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss Iran, the official said. Iranian officials said Sunday that the United States has cut off discussions with the Tehran government that encompassed a range of issues, levying what the Iranians called false accusations that Iran provided a haven for al Qaeda members. ... "Iran is one of the countries that is -- in our view -- assessed as developing a nuclear capability, and that's unfortunate," Rumsfeld said Wednesday. A senior defense official told CNN on Sunday that U.S. intelligence agencies intercepted communications before and after the bombings in Saudi Arabia that indicate al Qaeda operatives are being provided haven in Iran and that they might have been behind the bombings at three civilian housing complexes in Riyadh. (05/27/03) Japan to go on Offence? The Daily Yomiuri JP -- Views have begun to be voiced from within both the government and the ruling coalition, as well as the opposition camp, pointing to the need to bring under review what is meant by the concept of the nation's basic defense stance, which is known as an "exclusively defense-oriented policy." Discussion of the nation's defense policy must be held without making any subject taboo and paying due consideration to changes in the military circumstances surrounding this country, from the viewpoint of what specific measures should be taken to ensure the nation's security. The views calling for giving second thought to the conventional defense policy concept are worth listening to, and there should be in-depth discussion about which facets of the concept should be changed and how. ... Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba, for his part, has come out with the stand that considering the advisability of allowing the SDF to have the capability to strike an enemy military base is "worthy of study." The Defense Agency chief's view has been echoed by some legislators well versed in security affairs, both from the Liberal Democratic Party and the largest opposition party, Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan). What is common to these lines of argument is a sense of crisis over military threats from North Korea. North Korea is said to have deployed nearly 200 medium-range Rodong ballistic missiles that have all been aimed at Japan. Should Pyongyang become able to mount nuclear arms--the development of which is now under way--on the missiles, Japan would be confronted with an even graver threat. (05/27/03) The United States of Europe? The Guardian UK -- Plans were published today for a controversial new European constitution with an elected president and foreign minister. The latest proposals from the convention on the future of Europe would also commit member states to "unreservedly" backing an EU common foreign policy, if approved unanimously at an intergovernmental conference. The draft, unveiled in Brussels today, says the EU shall in future have "legal personality" and incorporates a legally binding charter of fundamental rights, including labour and social policies. All reference to a federal Europe was dropped, however, after heated talks last week between the prime minister and former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, who has been drawing up the new blueprint. The idea of renaming the EU the "United States of Europe" has also been banished from the text. The draft constitution is part of an effort to streamline the EU in readiness for the accession of 10 new member states in May 2004 and marks the end of more than a year's work by a 105-strong convention of national government ministers, MEPs, MPs and the European commission. (05/27/03) Green, Mean, and Airing All Over Business 2.0 -- Look out Detroit -- she's back. And this time she's bringing some powerful friends. Nationally syndicated columnist Arianna Huffington, whose Hollywood-tinged advocacy group the Detroit Project has equated SUVs with terrorism, is launching a new ad salvo that once again accuses U.S. automakers of failing to produce fuel-efficient vehicles. The new marketing push coincides with a Senate debate on domestic energy policy (and comes as U.S. troops in Iraq sit atop the world's second-largest oil reserves). But unlike the terror-laden, shock-value approach the Detroit Project employed four months ago, this campaign is a joint venture with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) -- a nonprofit organization of scientists, environmental specialists, lawyers, and 550,000 other members that has been promoting green issues for three decades. The collaboration has yielded a new TV ad that debuts this week in Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington, and elsewhere. The spot opens in a shimmering desert. A speeding SUV appears, covered by a silky wrap. As the vehicle zooms past -- still disguised by the covering -- David Duchovny (yep, Fox Mulder from The X-Files) intones, "It can take America to work in the morning without sending it to war in the afternoon. It gets 40 miles to the gallon, with thousands of dollars saved at the pump. The only problem is, Detroit won't build it." The SUV disappears, and a simple graphic materializes: "40 Miles Per Gallon Helps End Our Dependence on Middle East Oil." The ad is produced by Hollywood executive Lawrence Bender (Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting) and directed by Scott Burns, a former Goodby Silverstein & Partners employee who helped develop the legendary "Got Milk?" campaign. (Bender and Burns are working pro bono; the Detroit Project is soliciting donations to pay for media time.) The ad is slick, and it looks pretty much like your typical Big Three commercial. It also makes a powerful and lasting impression. (05/27/03) Loving the Dollar Terence R. Wilken writes: Have you hugged your dollar today?  It is certainly in need of one. A very important question to ask is why did we establish a strong dollar policy.  The answer to that question is directly related to the election cycle, and how it became possible for Bill Clinton to win two elections.  It is the economy stupid!  That became the mantra that would gain him the votes necessary to win a second term.  How did he make this happen?  How did he make the economy appear as if we were in the 1920's again?  As I have explained before he installed Robert Rubin to be in charge of our economy.  Mr. Rubin took the position that what the US needed was a strong dollar policy.  To most of us, that sounded like a very good idea.  Everything in America should be strong. ...  (05/26/03) 5:40:31 AM

© TrustMark 2003 Timothy Wilken. Last update: 6/3/2003; 5:45:01 AM. This theme is based on the SoundWaves (blue) Manila theme.