To say that the media is knee-jerk and irresponsible is to make the understatement of the millennium. To say that the American people are gullible to their knee-jerk is to speak a sad truth. On no other subject is this more relevant than the matter of sexual harassment claims.
To be perfectly clear: Sexual harassment does happen and when it does it needs to be crushed with the weight of a thousand suns. Sexual harassment opens the door to not only compromised careers, but to sexual abuse – physical, sexual abuse, that can not only shatter dreams, but ruin lives.
That said, there are those — and many more than we, as a nation, should ever have to put up with — who will level false sexual harassment allegations to both advance their causes and destroy the agendas of those they oppose. This is especially true in politics and entertainment.
The allure of stardom in the entertainment industry often finds people who compromise their own ethics and morals for fame. To feign victimhood to sexual harassment, when one has intellectually bartered their ethics and morality for fame, is to deny that they have whored themselves for vanity.
In politics, the nefarious actors are even more despicable because they seek to destroy people for politics and ideology; for power, wealth and influence. These nefarious actors are, literally, the scum of the Earth.
As John Adams so famously said, “We are a nation of laws, not of men.” By that Adams meant that the law and judicial process must reign supreme over emotion, rumor, accusation and especially politics. If our rule of law — and our Constitution — are to mean anything, we need to be a nation of laws and not of emotionally or opportunistically charged men.
We have a judicial process in the United States that mandates a person is innocent until proven guilty. Because of this, we have due process, which means charges are brought against an individual, the evidence is presented, and arguments are made so that the matter can be adjudicated. Without that adjudication — whether guilty or innocent — the allegations made hold the same weight as rumors of gossip. In the United States, everyone is entitled to their day in court to respond and defend themselves against charges and accusations of criminal misdeeds.
But, today, we are not a nation of laws. We are a nation of knee-jerk reactions, fueled by a “gotta-break-it-first” 24/7/365 infomercial media that presents accusations as convictions, rumors, and claims as fact. Because of that, our country is more interested in someone’s sexual peccadilloes and claims of sexual impropriety than in inequitable taxation, national security and the fact that government has grossly overstepped its authority to encroach on all of our lives.
Because the media is disingenuous and the rule of law is hobbled, we elect idiots to elected office who prey on the emotions of the politically illiterate. It is for this reason, exclusively, that our political arena is tantamount to a mediocre three-ring circus and the United States stands on the path to the same inevitability seen by Cicero in the fall of the Roman Empire.
False claims of sexual harassment and the publics’ need to see these claims as convictions instead of non-adjudicated claims are simply symptoms of a much more serious illness in our Republic. Honor and honesty are dead in our society. We have become a barbaric “win-at-all-cost” Progressive (ironic that the ideology branded itself with such a polar opposite description) society where equality of opportunity is dying, and oligarchic political preference is metastasizing like an ideological cancer.
As William Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” How fitting for a country that is going the way of the Romans.
Check out the Hawaii Traveling Lotus Project Music Festival on December 23, 2017 at Kualoa Ranch.
Immerse yourself in nature, yoga, music and dance. Musical lineup includes some of Hawaii’s great musicians such as rising reggae music star Mike Love, acoustic Rythym & Blues group HOOK + LINE, live performer PAULA FUGA, free-form world beat band QUADRAPHONIX, transformative music NOA | AON and more tba.
Hear from local and international speakers and panels, including: an inspirational women’s panel, farmers with sustainable farming practices, a digital media panel, and so much more.
Paint your truest colors into a life-size whale mural, revisit your pure core strength in an outdoor yoga session, find your inner fire with a Wim Hof Method (WHM) session, taste local Hawaiian treats from the beloved food trucks, and participate in various “give back” opportunities benefiting local communities and charities.
Bring your ukulele for a kanikapila (string instrument jam session.) Continue your musical adventure long into the night with performances from 3 stages. Hawaii’s best musicians will inspire you with acoustic performances, make you buzz with electronic music, and DJ’s will have you on your feet dancing ’til the wee hours.
Been to a silent disco? After tonight, your answer will be an impassioned, “Fo’ Real? Shoots den! (Are you kidding? Hell, yes!”)
Whether you simply explore the beauty of Kualoa Ranch’s waterfront, Secret Island, or take a catamaran tour out into the tropical blue, make the day memorable by sharing it with someone you love or by making a new friend, or new friends.
Checkout out the website for more information and to get tickets:
Recently I received an email from an alert citizen whose remarks were published in Money magazine in March 2017. It apparently impressed the editors of the magazine enough to print this comment in extra-large type. It was in response to an article titled “The 2017 Washington Wish List,” and here it is:
“Here’s my wish as an ordinary taxpayer: Let’s add a line of Form 1040 titled “Voluntary Additional Tax” (VAT), allowing any taxpayer to pay more than the IRS requires. This will give Warren Buffett et al. a chance to “walk the walk” and pay millions more. It’ll squelch the tired old “Well, nobody asked me/us” from the mouths of mega-millionaires.” –Alan Matsuda, Honolulu.
How Do You Make a Gift To Reduce Debt Held By the Public?
If you wish to do so, make a check payable to “Bureau of the Fiscal Service.” You can send it to: Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Attn: Dept G, P.O. Box 2188, Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188. Or you can enclose the check with your income tax return when you file. In the memo section of the check, make a note that it is a gift to reduce the debt held by the public. Do not add your gift to any tax you may owe. See the instructions for line 78 for details on how to pay any tax you owe. For information on how to make this type of gift online, go to www.treasurydirect.gov and click on “How To Make a Contribution to Reduce the Debt.”
TIP: You may be able to deduct this gift on your 2017 tax return.
Some folks indeed have made contributions to reduce the public debt. Here is how they have stacked up over the last twenty years:
This amount is hardly chump change, but it isn’t enough to make a dent in the public debt we now have, which is more than $20 trillion as of October 31 (even after counting the voluntary contributions in the chart).
Those of us in the nonprofit sector, whose lives as nonprofit organizations rise or fall with gift contributions, know that people open their wallets and give once they feel that the donee, the recipient of their bounty, will deliver value. The organization won’t be giving a personal benefit to the donors, but it must be able to deliver value in a way that is important to the donors. Is society better off? Have lives been enriched? Have babies been saved?
If we can see clearly how our government is making our society better, or enriching lives, or saving babies, then maybe we wouldn’t mind paying so much in taxes, or might even toss more of our hard-earned cash toward the public debt. Those of you in government agencies, you might want to think about that.
US Senator Bernie Sanders (S-VT), took to NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday to say that Democrats shouldn’t “jump the gun” on their attempts to impeach President Trump. He is clinging, incredulously, to the false-narrative of Trump-Russian collusion advanced by the discredited Fusion GPS Trump dossier.
“[I]f Mueller brings forth the clear evidence that there was collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, I think you have grounds for impeachment. But I think jumping the gun does nobody any good,” Sanders said. “You have to bring the American people onto this issue. You don’t want to make it into a partisan issue.”
A motion to start impeachment proceedings against the President by Rep. Al Green (D-TX), was crushed in the House last week by a vote of 364 to 58.
One of two things is certain here. Either Sanders is completely delusional, or he is pathetically partisan. If he is delusional then Democrats should seriously think about dismantling his potency in their party. But it’s more likely that he is being caustically and pathetically partisan.
The narrative of Trump-Russian collusion has not only been debunked, evidence unearthed by the Left’s quest to ruin President Trump suggests that Hillary Clinton and Democrats are actually guilty of communications with the Russians and other foreign entities to affect the outcome of the 2016 General Election. It was Democrats — and the then-chief figurehead of the Democrat Party — that was guilty of collusion. Once again, Progressives (and Clinton is a Progressive) accused their opposition of exactly what they did.
Further, that Sanders would be carrying water for this now-recognized-as-false narrative after it was found that Hillary Clinton — the person who cheated him out of a fair shot at the Democrat nomination — was the catalyst for the fake Trump dossier, is tantamount to suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.
Honest political opposition is good for the governmental process. It keeps both sides in check. False outrage over false narratives that everyone knows aren’t true is simply opportunistic politics. The American people are tired of taking it in the chops from power-hungry political actors.
Lorraine Minatoishi has done what most women can not. She is highly successful in a male dominated industry. Learn how she did it in this week’s Business in Hawaii with Reg Baker show.
Coquis are jumping for joy at news that they have been vindicated for alleged crimes against Hawaii. Contrary to what we have been told, coquis do not compete with native birds for insects, and there are predators for coquis in Hawaii.
For years, the government has made a lot of noise about the coquis frogs. They claimed that the coquis, an introduced tree frog of Puerto Rican fame, would eat so many insects that it would starve native insect-eating birds. It was assumed that there were no predators for coquis in Hawaii, allowing the number of frogs to reach Biblical proportions that will deplete insect populations to near nothing.
Guess what? New research shows that’s nonsense. The presence of coquis has no effect at all on populations of native birds. The numbers of native birds were found to be the same regardless of how many coquis were around and eating insects. Apparently, the coquis eat insects underneath leaf matter, while native birds eat insects among the treetops and in the understory. So there seem to be enough insects to go around, after all.
Mynas eat coquis
As for the fear that there are no predators for coquis, allowing their numbers to increase to unnatural proportions, it turns out that was wrong, too. This study found that birds, especially nonnative birds, love to eat coquis. So much so, that the more coquis there are, the more birds there are, too.
And it’s not just birds that eat the small coquis that benefit from the presence of these frogs. Coquis also help populations of birds that eat insects, fruit, and seeds, apparently by generally increasing the fertility of the environment. There are more insects, more plant growth, and more birds. In short, coquis increase fertility, diversity, and population density.
This bird benefits from coquis, too.
Other anti-coqui myths have been busted in the past, like the one about coquis running down property values. Someone actually got a grant to try to prove that in a study, and they squeezed out a possible decrease in property value of, get this, less than one percent. More precisely, 0.16%.
Meanwhile another study showed that the people who like coquis most are those who live with them. In fact, the more coquis you have the more you like them. It was expected that the sound of the coquis would disturb people living with them. The opposite was the case. These people also note fewer mosquitoes, too.
It’s time to accept and enjoy that coquis are here to stay, and are benefiting the Hawaii environment. They are also awesome to hear at night, lulling you to sleep.
In parts of Hawaii where they are abundant, the coqui is as loved as in Puerto Rico, and is destined to join the non-native hibiscus and gecko as symbols of beautiful Hawaii. Over time, the coquis will evolve to become a new species, the Hawaiian coqui, or Eluetherodactylus coqui Hawaiiensis, and will need to be protected by the same government agencies that now want to eradicate them.
In the meantime, try to tune out the noise being made by coqui haters, and enjoy this new addition to beautiful, exotic Hawaii.
In early November 2017, the State Auditor issued Report 17-10, which reviewed special, revolving, and trust funds administered by the Department of Taxation. One of them is the Tax Administration Special Fund, which, although not an area of concern for the auditor, is becoming an all-purpose slush fund for which corrective action is needed.
The Tax Administration Special Fund was established by Act 215 of 2004, one of the major purposes of which was to rein in the High Technology Business Investment Credit, a whopping incentive for the high technology industry and others that was rapidly spiraling out of control. The thought at the time was that because the Department of Taxation was spending a lot of time issuing rulings on the applicability of the credits, the Department would be allowed to charge user fees for the rulings and thereby pay for a few more bodies to review the cases and pump out the rulings. The special fund was enacted for that purpose. Its authorizing statute was placed in the Income Tax Law because the high technology credit was an income tax credit.
In 2009, Act 134 created a special enforcement section within the Department that was primarily targeting “cash economy” transactions, typically those where the buyer pays in cash and the seller “conveniently forgets” to pay General Excise Tax (GET). This Act amended the special fund statute so that whatever the special enforcement section brought in the door, up to $500,000, would go to the special fund; any more would go to the general fund like most tax collections. The fund was then allowed to pay for the employees in the special enforcement section.
In 2015, Act 204 enacted new compliance requirements aimed at transient vacation rentals, such as bed and breakfast operators who “conveniently forget” to pay both GET and transient accommodations tax (TAT). The bill imposed fines upon those who failed to comply, and allowed those fines to go into the special fund.
At this point, the fund was fed by activity relating to the income tax, the GET, and the TAT, but the statute authorizing the fund remained in the Income Tax Law.
On the expense side, the Department apparently found itself with too much money in the special fund, so it asked the legislature for authority to spend the fund money on taxpayer education programs and publications. That bill breezed through the legislature and became Act 89 of 2014.
Even with this extra spending authority, the fund has ballooned in recent years:
Source: Office of the Auditor, Report 17-10 (2017).
The lion’s share of the State’s tax revenue goes to the general fund. The expenses of collecting that revenue should therefore be paid by the general fund. (Special funds are also charged for central administrative expenses, as we described in a previous article.) Giving any agency a special fund allows it to spend money while bypassing legislative oversight. Moreover, when fines and penalties are channeled directly into a special fund out of which tax collectors are paid, it incentivizes the Department to penalize people to maximize its revenue, when they should be administering the revenue laws equitably and fairly.
For similar reasons, the Foundation raised concerns about a bill sponsored by the Department of Public Safety in 2016 that proposed to scoop any fines raised from violations of the State drug laws. That department wanted to drop those fines into their special fund so they could hire more enforcement personnel. We said that wasn’t a good way to fund government operations. Thankfully, the Conference Committee snipped out that provision from the final version of the bill.
The facts and figures in the Auditor’s report highlight these concerns. The Tax Administration Special Fund, originally intended to hold a few hundred thousand dollars, has grown to $5.7 million in just a few years. Why? Has the bloodlust to collect fines and penalties taken over at the Department? The Department is given statutory powers that can and do ruin businesses and lives, and, under HRS section 662-15(2), the Department is absolutely immune from liability for erroneous, intentional, or even fraudulent misuse of those powers. So, there are very good reasons why we need the Department to act responsibly. We need to give the Department adequate resources to do its job, but a slush fund should be out of the question.
Welcome to the Business in Hawaii Show with Reg Baker and Carl Williams.
What happens when you get two “very experienced” CPA’s on the same show?
Actually, more than you might expect!! Carl Williams who has about 40 years’ experience and I with about 35 years’ experience had a lot of fun chatting about the profession, how important CPA’s are for business success, how rewarding the career is and how it used to be……
This weeks show is for anyone that is, wants to be or is utilizing the services of a CPA.
When it comes to a video light, I used to lug heavy camera gear around to capture the funny, meaningful or downright awesome moments that can spontaneously arise during the days of our lives. Since the cellphone revolution, my camera has become my choice mostly for it’s light weight, flexibility of use and features, and reasonably fast time of operation.
Let’s say an important moment is emerging, I reach for my cell and in a second or two am ready for the moment to present. Or, perhaps a moment is in full swing, in a few seconds, I’m recording without having lost much of the meaningful moments.
A serious impediment to night-time photography, recording those “dark moments,” is the cellphone camera itself. Cell cameras are notorious for their poor low-light performance, making low light spontaneity unable to be visually recorded. Also, cell flashlights have limited range and focus. External video lights can be cumbersome and lack flexibility. So, if I’m holding a light and trying to focus/exposure, AND point-n-shoot, frame the image, I’m not going to get optimum results.
The video light mounted on a iph6
FirePak video light
Along comes the FirePak video light, charger and flashlight. SureFire’s design strategy is simple enough, integrate a phone case with rechargeable storage and 2 high-performance mobile LED lights with enough lumens designed for video for 16:9 video frames in a form factor compatible with multiple sizes of phone cameras. USB and micro-USB ports allow charging your cell phone from the charger, or an included cable can be used to recharge the FirePak video light. SureFire says it has an effective range of up to 50 feet and while the light does travel that far, usable lumens land in the mid-range.
When I picked up the FirePak for the first time, I was struck by the wedge shape that fit comfortably in my hand. At first, the squished wedge shape looks cumbersome. Pick it up and it feels completely different. If you can imagine a drip coffee cone with the tip cut off and both sides squished flatter into an oval shape, you can imagine the shape of this flashlight. The FirePak slides smoothly under the molded rails of the phone case snapping securely onto a stop that positions the LED lights in two positions with respect to the iPhone camera.
Features of the video light and mobile case
The durable case is built for rugged use (not moisture or water) with a 4-level light switch and distinct illumination levels. Design-wise the features are functional while dramatically expanding your performance—as a video light or a back-up battery.
LED lights create enough lumens for 16:9 video frames
When I switched it on, the double LED “eyes” emitted two blinding rays of light, even at the lowest setting. I wondered when I might use that much light? However, once you turn it on at night, you discover the benefit of blinding light.
At the highest setting the bulbs create significant heat, so don’t be surprised when you touch it. As an illumination device, there is enough light to do fine work, like reading or repairing, too. A distinct setting for faces for interviews would be a good user feature, just in case you are listening, SureFire?
It’s kinda tough to steady the cell when the light is installed on the case because of the extra weight and thickness requires your normal hand position to block the LEDs. Your hand size and strength will discover what position is best for you. I had to adjust as shown in the pictures below. It’s quite difficult to switch on/off the light without shaking the image. Shooting vertically is difficult for the same reasons, so you’ll have to learn how to control the frame with two hands.
Normal hand position for mobile recordingYou may have to modify your hand position for this video light
If I were a DP on a film using cell-phone video, and this light, I would make sure there were several on charge at all times. No one wants to wait for your only battery to charge. A question a newbie DP might ask is: How long will one last? So, test your equipment before shoot day, OK?
Charging the unit
Charging the unit was problematic, as my first attempts failed, due I believe to a mismatched charger plug. Initially, I began charging the Firepak using a USB port built into a small power strip. After two days, the blinking red light indicated it was not fully charged, though I thought it might be close to fully charged, so I began to charge my cellphone at 5%. I recorded the time and charging rate at 10% intervals but at 57% the FirePak fully discharged and stopped charging the cell battery. I reached out to Rob Kay of Guns and Tech, he suggested using a direct charging plug and trying again. Once I plugged it into a 2A charger direct to the plug, it charged up overnight.
All in all, this unit is a good buy for those who want to expand their video capabilities to low-night-time conditions. It is small and powerful enough to have in your toolbox, just in case. It is durable and useful for most cellphone recording situations. And, it serves well as a flashlight illuminator during emergencies and when you might need a torch to light your path.
Whether you already have a youtube channel, are a budding professional videographer, or just want the firepower to be able to record life’s dark moments, FirePak is an excellent choice for all. You can see the FirePak in action at the manufacturer’s website: surefire.com/firepak
As everyone who lives here knows, Hawaii is no stranger to power outrages. The last big storm that came through knocked power out on the North Shore for half a day, yet that of course would be child’s play, if we got hit by something the magnitude of Iniki or Irma. As we all know, it’s just a matter of time.
So, how to charge our devices, in this event? Not everyone can afford a gas-powered generator (at least $1000) much less deal with the hassle of storing fuel. There are a few fixes that will at least keep small devices like your phone, pad, flashlight or radio powered up.
The first option, and the least expensive, is to stock up on batteries. The industry standard for modern flashlights, radios, lanterns, etc is the 18650 Li-Ion battery. Get yourself a battery charger to keep them topped off.
If you want to charge devices such as tablets, cell phones, etc., you’ll need to get some type of powerbank, essentially a battery with ports that allow you to charge any USB-based device. I’d suggest, opting for a portable solar panel which can assist in charging small devices, and keeping powerbanks topped off. There are a number of them available for backpackers or home users.
Input: Solar panels with charging cable arrangement. Output: Panel—>Powerpak—>Phone is the correct order
Goal Zero Venture 30 Solar Kit
With a little research, I soon came upon the weatherproof GoalZero Zero Venture 30 portable power-bank phone, tablet & solar panel combo. It is a compact kit that includes storage and recharger. The kit is designed for the backpacker or traveler but anyone with charging needs in an emergency can benefit from this system.
Designed to charge point-of-view cameras, tablets, phones and other USB compatible devices, it’s 28 Wh (3.6V 7800 mAh) rechargeable battery can be coupled with a Nomad 7, 13 or 20-watt solar panel. Together they weigh a little more than 1-½ pounds. Built for travel or backpacking, for home use, it’s a bit under-powered.
Output kit showing cable types and solar panel chaining feature
The battery unit has been designed to be weatherproof (light rain not submersion) and shock-proof (moderate impact resistance) and can remember charging profiles of the devices you connect. The battery can be placed into a protective shipping mode designed to avoid self-discharge during periods of storage. For natural disasters, fully charging the battery and then placing it in storage mode for future use, is recommended prior to the event. Such a practice extends battery life significantly. The manufacturer claims “hundreds of life charging cycles” for the battery. The battery has two USB ports each capable of dishing out 2.4A each just like a plug version would. Apple, Android and Windows devices compatible with the output cables above.
This system included a 7-watt panel. While a standard 2A USB plug-in source can charge the battery in as little as 5 hours, charging times will vary from 16-hours with the 7-watt panel to 6-hours with the 20 watt panel. Priced accordingly, an innovative aspect of this kit is up to 4 solar panels can be chained together via the chaining input port. Remember, battery and device charging times will depend on both the panels capacity, the angle of the sun to the panels, and the amount of sunlight available in your geographic location.
Test setup: Input (solar panels) and Output (cable types): Panel—>Powerpak—>Phone is the correct order
During periods of use, charge the battery fully first, then connect to the battery and charge your devices is the recommended use cycle. And, don’t forget to place the recharger in storage mode before you put it away for future use. Prior to an emergency, I suggest a dry run with the devices you plan to use before the emergency occurs so you understand the limits and capabilities of your Venture 30 Solar panel recharger kit.
SunJack 14W solar charger with 1o000mAh battery pack retails for $169 and is a good bet for camping or home use.
The solar charger has four panels and when folded is about the size of an Apple iPad. It folds into a rugged nylon case, which can be quickly unfolded and hung up to face the sun. A mesh pouch on the rear holds the charging port and cables, the devices to be charged, and the battery pack. It has a series of grommets along the edges of the panel so that you can easily attach it to your backpack.
The panels provide up to 14W of 5 volt USB power under a bright sun ideally producing 2,000mAh every hour. That means you can recharge the powerbank that comes with it in about 4 hours (under a bright Hawaii sun).
Sunjack’s powerbank includes Qualcomm’s “Quick Charge 3.0” technology, which speeds up charging appreciably if the device on the other end (in this case my phone) also has “Quick Charge” capabilities.
The panels provide up to 14W of 5 volt USB power under a bright sun ideally producing 2,000mAh every hour. That means you can recharge the powerbank that comes with it in about 4 hours (under a bright Hawaii sun).
According to the experts I spoke to at Illuminationgear.com 1.5-2Ah is the minimum acceptable usable panel output.
Otherwise, charging your powerbank, or anything else, will take a full day. The Sunjack 14 W system, which retails for $149 (with the power bank) is a good place to start. You could also consider their 20W kit with 2 lithium battery packs, for $169.
The Sunjack’s 10,000mAh Advanced Powerbank, which comes with the solar kit (or sells separately for $29) has three ports, the standard USB, the micro USB and the new USB-C. What I really like is that it comes with Qualcomm’s “Quick Charge 3.0” technology. This means if you have a phone or other device that is “quick charge” compatible (such as my Samsung 7) this little unit will charge your device (according to the manufacturer) up to 80% faster.
A mesh pouch on the rear holds the charging port and cables, the devices to be charged, and the battery pack. (Courtesy Tim Yan photo)
Whether it’s 80% or 59% faster is anyone’s guess but it’s fast. My cell phone was charged in about 20 minutes. In an emergency situation this could be crucial.
I’d certainly recommend this nifty little combo from SunJack.
The takeaway on this piece is the larger solar charging unit you can afford, the better. What’s more, if you can get a combo that comes with a fast-charging powerbank, assuming your devices also have this capability, get one.
Editor’s Note: Rob Kay contributed to this article
Time to Understand: Accusations Are Not Convictions
To say that the media is knee-jerk and irresponsible is to make the understatement of the millennium. To say that the American people are gullible to their knee-jerk is to speak a sad truth. On no other subject is this more relevant than the matter of sexual harassment claims.
To be perfectly clear: Sexual harassment does happen and when it does it needs to be crushed with the weight of a thousand suns. Sexual harassment opens the door to not only compromised careers, but to sexual abuse – physical, sexual abuse, that can not only shatter dreams, but ruin lives.
That said, there are those — and many more than we, as a nation, should ever have to put up with — who will level false sexual harassment allegations to both advance their causes and destroy the agendas of those they oppose. This is especially true in politics and entertainment.
The allure of stardom in the entertainment industry often finds people who compromise their own ethics and morals for fame. To feign victimhood to sexual harassment, when one has intellectually bartered their ethics and morality for fame, is to deny that they have whored themselves for vanity.
In politics, the nefarious actors are even more despicable because they seek to destroy people for politics and ideology; for power, wealth and influence. These nefarious actors are, literally, the scum of the Earth.
As John Adams so famously said, “We are a nation of laws, not of men.” By that Adams meant that the law and judicial process must reign supreme over emotion, rumor, accusation and especially politics. If our rule of law — and our Constitution — are to mean anything, we need to be a nation of laws and not of emotionally or opportunistically charged men.
We have a judicial process in the United States that mandates a person is innocent until proven guilty. Because of this, we have due process, which means charges are brought against an individual, the evidence is presented, and arguments are made so that the matter can be adjudicated. Without that adjudication — whether guilty or innocent — the allegations made hold the same weight as rumors of gossip. In the United States, everyone is entitled to their day in court to respond and defend themselves against charges and accusations of criminal misdeeds.
But, today, we are not a nation of laws. We are a nation of knee-jerk reactions, fueled by a “gotta-break-it-first” 24/7/365 infomercial media that presents accusations as convictions, rumors, and claims as fact. Because of that, our country is more interested in someone’s sexual peccadilloes and claims of sexual impropriety than in inequitable taxation, national security and the fact that government has grossly overstepped its authority to encroach on all of our lives.
Because the media is disingenuous and the rule of law is hobbled, we elect idiots to elected office who prey on the emotions of the politically illiterate. It is for this reason, exclusively, that our political arena is tantamount to a mediocre three-ring circus and the United States stands on the path to the same inevitability seen by Cicero in the fall of the Roman Empire.
False claims of sexual harassment and the publics’ need to see these claims as convictions instead of non-adjudicated claims are simply symptoms of a much more serious illness in our Republic. Honor and honesty are dead in our society. We have become a barbaric “win-at-all-cost” Progressive (ironic that the ideology branded itself with such a polar opposite description) society where equality of opportunity is dying, and oligarchic political preference is metastasizing like an ideological cancer.
As William Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” How fitting for a country that is going the way of the Romans.