Monthly Archives: August 2010
Ethics Alarms Presents “The Mosquies”…the Best and Worst of the “Ground Zero Mosque” Ethics Train Wreck
The “Ground Zero Mosque” controversy is an epic “ethics train wreck” that has spread its destruction far and wide, across regional, ideological and national borders, leaving confusion, misunderstanding and bad feelings in its wake. Now is as good a time as any to take stock of the situation, and to recognize those who have distinguished themselves during the carnage, for good or ill. To this end, Ethics Alarms presents its first annual (and hopefully last ever) awards for outstanding ethical and unethical conduct during the whole mess, “The Mosquies.” Continue reading
Ignorant Juror, Malfunctioning Jury, Dysfunctional Justice
When a community has too many citizens who haven’t taken the time to understand their own country’s justice system, whose ethical comprehension is rudimentary and whose common sense is nil, it is going to end up with incompetent jurors and malfunctioning juries. There is nothing just or fair about a jury system that depends on people like Hadley Jons. Continue reading
Filed under Citizenship, Law & Law Enforcement, The Internet, U.S. Society
Revisiting the Obligation vs. Charity Issue in Baseball Retirement Benfits
When the 1948-1979 players ask for charity and generosity, based on the fact that the industry can afford to change their eligibility to the post-1979 standards, and their having earned the gratitude of the current players through their Major League service and professional sacrifices, they have a cogent argument. The arguments that it is wrong to be generous to one group of players and not others, and that rightful acts for the benefit of others create an ethical obligation of compensation, are not valid. Continue reading
Ethics Dunce: Beau Friedlander
Ben Friedlander’s despicable post to the Huffington Post is worth preserving as a classic example of the kind of principle-free, smug and irresponsible political warfare that is dragging America’s democratic process into the gutter. Continue reading
Charging Your Parents Interest: Ethical?
No wonder the public wonders what kind of ethics they teach in business school. Continue reading
Filed under Business & Commercial, Daily Life, Education, Family, Finance
Direct TV’s Commercials For Hateful Jerks: NFL Sunday Ticket
Direct TV’s ads celebrate hateful jerks, and may encourage them. Continue reading
Unscrupulous Rep. Johnson, Lying Through Her Teeth
Which is the more unethical conduct for a U.S. Congresswoman: handing out non-profit money to relatives and friends, or lying about it so flagrantly that it insults the intelligence of everyone within earshot? It’s a tough call. Luckily, we really don’t have to decide in the case of Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), because she’s done both. Continue reading
The Trouble With Auto-Tune
The British show that launched “American Idol,” X-Factor, admitted that it had used Auto-Tune, an audio processor that corrects a singer’s pitch and tone. An 18-year-old contestant named Gamu Nhengu sang just a little too well in the show’s seventh … Continue reading
What Was Right and Wrong With Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” Rally
Was Beck’s bash really a nightmare? Political biases aside, the question for Ethics Alarms is what was right and wrong about the “Restoring Honor” rally. Continue reading
More Spam Ethics
Increasingly, specialty blogs are sporting posts asking whether particular practices are ethical. That is a good thing. The unfortunate part is that too many of the posters lack the tools to answer the question. Continue reading
Filed under Business & Commercial, Professions, The Internet
