Monthly Archives: January 2011

Comment of the Day: “College: the Worst Consumer Scam of All?”

“Student achievement has been falling so fast, it is ridiculous. I can see the difference year to year. Students aren’t required to study much, are not challenged, and are taught to ‘think’ by people who believe the word ‘think’ means ‘repeat everything I say’.” Continue reading

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Filed under Comment of the Day, Education, Research and Scholarship, U.S. Society

Ethics Dunce Follow-up: Justice Thomas’s False Disclosures

Justice Thomas explains that he misread the question, though no misunderstanding would really explain the answer he gave, which was incorrect no matter how you look at it. A U.S. Supreme Court Justice will always be given the benefit of the doubt, and there are no ethics rules for him to be accused of violating: the Supreme Court justices are the only judges not subject to an ethics code. Continue reading

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Filed under Government & Politics, Journalism & Media, Law & Law Enforcement, Professions

Stay Classy, New Jersey: Lawyer Gets Slap on the Wrist For…Forgery??

When legal reform advocates argue that lawyer discipline should be taken out of the hands of courts and lawyers, this is what they are talking about. Continue reading

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Filed under Law & Law Enforcement, Professions

“He’s Suffered Enough”: Ethical Lawyering, Dubious Ethics

The “he’s suffered enough” defense is always ethically dubious, and this time it boarders on ridiculous. Continue reading

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Filed under Government & Politics, Law & Law Enforcement, Leadership, Professions, Race, U.S. Society

Ethics Dunce: Huffington Post Blogger Mike Elk

If the Huffington Post provides such poor ethical oversight of its bloggers that someone like Elk wrote and posted 100 articles, what does that tell us about the integrity and trustworthiness of the website, even without him? Continue reading

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Filed under Business & Commercial, Ethics Dunces, Government & Politics, Journalism & Media, Professions, The Internet

Unethical CYA Trick Hall Of Infamy Inductee: the Phantom E-mail

The Phantom E-mail (or phone call) is undoubtedly one of the most effective unethical methods of shifting blame when one has botched essential communication: plausible, hard to expose, and easily executed. Continue reading

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Filed under Business & Commercial, Daily Life

College: the Worst Consumer Scam of All?

It can be expected that colleges will dispute the study. No one, however, who has watched Jay Leno interview clueless and apparently shameless college students who can’t answer questions one would expect a fourth grader to know, or who has, as I have, encountered dozens of recent graduates of elite schools whose analytical, writing, and rhetorical skills are negligible, will be inclined to doubt Prof. Arum’s conclusions. Continue reading

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Filed under Business & Commercial, Education, Professions, Research and Scholarship, U.S. Society

A Code of Ethics For Each Blog

Maryn McKenna argues that each blogger should develop and posts the code of ethics for his or her own blog, and upon reflection, I think that is both an important exercise that each blogger should undertake and a useful resource for readers. Continue reading

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Filed under Journalism & Media, Professions, The Internet

Ethics Dunce: Justice Clarence Thomas

Justice Thomas ought to accept responsibility and appropriate punishment. He also owes his colleagues on the Court, his profession, and the public an apology. We have to be able to expect better than this from someone of his stature and authority. Continue reading

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Filed under Ethics Dunces, Family, Government & Politics, Law & Law Enforcement, Leadership, Professions

China’s Secret White House Insult

The song Lang Lang played at the White House dinner describes how beautiful China is, and concludes with, “When friends are here, there is fine wine /But if the jackal comes /What greets it is the hunting rifle.” The “jackal” in the song is the United States. Continue reading

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Filed under Around the World, Arts & Entertainment, Etiquette and manners, Government & Politics, History