Hacked!

My Facebook account and one of my email addresses were hacked. I am NOT in London, I was NOT mugged at gunpoint, and I do NOT need anyone to send me money.

It worked. Just not the way they said it would.

The purpose of supply-side, “trickle-down” economic policy, combined with so-called “free trade,” is to increase the percentage of national wealth owned by a tiny fraction of the populace, while decreasing the wealth and numbers of the middle class, providing a source of financially insecure low cost labor. In these ways this philosophy has been a smashing success. It does not, as claimed by it’s advocates, improve the economy of the country as a whole. That requires the type of “demand-side” policies that grew the middle class and domestic manufacturing following the first conservative Great Depression.

Why Work?

Years ago I worked at an agency (they actually did not like to use that term, and preferred “company” to distinguish them from they competition that they derided as “advertising agencies”) that specialized in customer loyalty and employee motivation programs. As employees we had the opportunity (actually we were required) to attend a presentation by the agency’s corporate expert in motivation. During the first part of his presentation, his overriding concept was that people only work for the rewards that they get. This principle was the premise of the agency’s business model. 

During a break I approached the speaker and asked him this:

“What about people who are internally, personally driven to do exceptional work? People who work for the intrinsic reward of a job well done?”

“What is it that you do in the company,” the speaker asked me.

“I am a senior art director,” I replied.

“Oh,” he said with a shake of his head. “That explains it. You creatives are not like real people.”

I absolutely disagreed with the “expert.” People want to do excellent work.

It was very satisfying today to read the blog post of Dan Pink on this very subject. He confirmed what I thought back then, and still do. Enable the pursuit of excellence, and you will not be disappointed.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/02/pink.motivation.bonuses/index.html?hpt=C2

BTW, I eventually left that company for a real agency.

The First Chivalric Virtue

Of the many virtues that are listed as Chivalric virtues, I consider Veritas to be the foundational virtue.

Being honest, especially with yourself, about what you think, and what you feel (and knowing the difference) is an essential first step to everything else. Growth, relationships, improvement, and especially being connected with your true self, all rely upon that internal honesty.

Being honest with other people follows from this internal honesty. There are some people who lie to others as easily as breathing, because they first deceive themselves.

There are some people who think it necessary to be rude to be honest, and that courtesy is a cover for deception. This shows a lack of understanding about the nature of both honesty and courtesy.

Veritas is of inestimable importance today.

We are constantly confronted by spin, distortion, half-truths, and outright lies. Learning to question, to think, to require reason and evidence, begins with self.

To paraphrase both Lenin and Goebbels, and of course Orwell, a lie repeated often enough will come to be believed as the truth.

When we allow ourselves to believe these oft-repeated un-truths merely because of their repetition, we become the subject to the manipulations of the liars. When we repeat these fictions, we become accessories to the crime.

And so it begins…

This is my first post on my new blog. From time to time I will post my observations, ideas, thoughts, opinions, suggestions, and critiques on any and all subjects. These will include marketing, arts, politics, and culture. Which pretty much covers everything.