What's Important, What's Not

A few head scratchers come to mind lately.   First, why do people assume someone should run a government just because they've run a business?   That seems to be the feeling some folks have about Donald Trump.  Should politicians have the same priorities and skill set as a billionaire businessman?   If that's the case, why not just elect the Koch Brothers or George Soros or Warren Buffett?   Who needs the middle man (or woman)?    We still can't get a clear picture of Trump's business success stories, yet many feel like they're so familiar with his management skills and business acumen because they watched "The Apprentice." Trump minimized John McCain's military service to our country while conveniently skipping over his own multiple student deferrments during Vietnam, yet some diehard Trump supporters react by saying he, "tells it like it is."   Being outspoken, off the cuff and unfiltered doesn't automatically mean you have a clue as to what anythying is.

Second, why do TV stations make the first time we get above 90 out to be a big deal?   It's July 20th!   They interview some guy working outside who calls the heat "unbelievable."   The only thing unbelievable is the fact that it didn't happen weeks or months ago.

Finally, the remarkable pictures from Pluto and its moons mark another awesome achievement in the exploration of our solar system.   Pluto was only found 85 years ago, yet in the span of a human lifetime its discoverer had his ashes launched three billion miles into space in a close rendezvous with the dwarf planet.    Unlike the 1969 moon landing, most people seemed to take it for granted.   It makes me wonder how impressive and exciting a live remote radio broadcast on a cell phone can really be.

Business Abhors Controversy

The "General Lee"

Just as "nature abhors a vacuum", business abhors controversy.   That goes especially for big business.   Supporters of gay marriage and opponents of the Confederate flag on public property got major boosts last week thanks to the Supreme Court.   Why did prominent politicians who opposed these movements just days or weeks ago join the rush to switch their stance?   Simply put, they followed the money.   Both Democrats and Republicans draw heavily on campaign contributions from business and industry, not to mention consumer spending.   

When Arizona and Indiana faced massive boycotts due to their reactionary new homophobic laws, the Republican governors backed off.   South Carolina politicians and their supporters knew they would be feeling major heat if they defended the presence of the Confederate battle flag on the grounds of the state capital building following the massacre of nine at a Charleston black church.   The governor acted to prevent a loss of business.   Whether or not South Carolina state legislators vote to evict a flag displayed by a racist nmass muderer remains to be seen.    When TVLand cancelled reruns of "Dukes of Hazard" because of the Confederate flag on the roof of the General Lee, it became obvious how quickly corporations were moving to cut ties to symbols of segregation.   That's not sanitizing history.   Pretending that the Confederate flag solely stood for Southern pride is, though. 

The process repeats itself over and over.   NBCUniversal cut ties to newly declared Presidential candidate Donald Trump following his comments about immigrants from Mexico.   Macy's fired Trump as a representative for its apparel line faster than sponsors could dump Paula Dean when her racist comments came to light.    Sensitivities are changing, and criticizing it all as "political correctness" is not working.    Even with Obamacare, states that deny the flow of money from expanded Medicaid to its own citizens are playing a cruel game just for the sake of opposing President Obama.    Corporations like stable markets.   They don't generally like unrest.   When the cons of doing business somewhere outweigh the pros, watch how Wall Street reacts in a sometimes progressive way to save its bottom line.   Just ask the former sponsors of conservative talk radio.