Legislating Morality

Society is a complex and robust set of rules and regulations, policies and programs designed to benefit a majority, while protecting minorities and individual rights. Morality is about doing the right thing but who defines right from wrong. A legislature, elected by a majority, to amend laws can only tighten loopholes, when discovered, but to build a morally based society requires each and everyone to consider one another’s opinions before taking actions. Every religion preaches love, understanding and consideration for each other, but in practice, society tends to ignore all minorities and the individual.

Eco Cities

This is not an attempt to fix all of humanities problems but a call to prioritize and direct resources to the best solutions. In a multiple action approach, Governments (we the people) must address; the elimination of depress areas, the improvement and preservation of a healthy educated population, the reduction of poverty and the creation of new employment opportunities. Hiding from long-term problems, which require sustained actions over numerous political terms, will not solve them. The best solutions are, approaches required side by side to the existing, to invest in new industries and sectors, surrounded by new and refurbished commercial and residential areas, participate in finding new and renewable energy sources, while addressing the effects of climate change, and using the new technology to increase food yields, purify water and reduce air pollution.

Trade & Investment Wars

The hope is to clarify any misconception that simply accompanying a head of state on foreign visits will lead to the opening of export markets or any other profitable arrangement. An organization, defined herein as a (Country) geographic territory bounded by laws or a (Company) group of individuals operating under bylaws engaged in for-profit or non-profit activities, and its (Goods, Services or Processes) products must have done the preceding and necessary academic and practical work. Identifying opportunities, describing the targeted market using current market data, adjusting the product offerings, employing scientific market testing results, building the organization’s image, competing for customers’ loyalty and guarding against espionage must all be address in the organization’s strategic plan. Respectfully, without these guiding policies and decisions on which actions are implemented, such visits are not only wasteful but are downright damaging.

Necessity, the mother of Action

Another reaction, by energy policy-makers of the Caribbean region, to the very predictable crisis of increasing energy (oil and gas) prices, at the end of a one-day Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) held in Guyana on March 24, 2011. A media release acknowledged that the energy situation remained dire, for the net oil importing Members of the Community, given the recent surge in oil prices intensified by the ongoing political turmoil in the Northern African and Middle Eastern Region. “Having identified gaps and areas for strengthening, including those related to renewable energy and climate change issues, the Ministers mandated that the finalization of the CARICOM Energy Policy be expedited.

Government Responsibility

The term “Government” seems to be widely misused, by the media and hence, the population, to refer to various agencies designed and charged to deliver public services. There are only three branches that form a democratic Government; the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Noting that in some systems, it is difficult to separate an elected servant, who as part of the legislature must speak on behalf of a geographic constituency, from an appointed officeholder, who as part of the executive must oversee the national interest.

Business Women

Society has defined roles for its males and females; base primarily on muscles and courage, empathy and creativity, but as mechanization and technology makes physical work easier, the roles have become an individual decision, with women successfully entering traditionally male dominated fields and being wage-earners, society is losing its caregivers. Many writers on this topic take a side as to the many disadvantages women faced and that men have become weak, this article however takes the view of a parent wanting the best from both sons and daughters. More importantly are these changing roles best for society, a growing economy and business activities?

Business Ideas

Business plays an important role in the development of society; by developing natural resources and human talents, markets and brands, by creating jobs and collecting and paying taxes into the local and national treasury. The treasury, in turn, funds the public budget for healthcare, education, security, infrastructure and other key social programs to benefit all inclusive of workers, managers and of course, the business.

Business Education

Most developing economies put very little emphasis on developing new industries or sectors, focusing instead on strengthening existing revenue streams. Business is the driver of economic expansion, investing funds, time and effort into opportunities for a calculated return. Yet, so call business educational program produces mostly managers and other specialists in management such as, accountants, HR, procurement, etc., conservative by nature. Risk is at the root of returns, and without risk-takers, an economy is at the mercy of current foreign and domestic market forces without the essential component, hope.

Financial Crimes

An uninformed and risk adverse public, in an expanding economy, is fertile ground for financial crimes. It is when the economy slows and expectations fail to materialize that the blame games cause financial runs and court matters.

The rules and regulations governing the financial sector must not only police the institutions and their products, but must educate and in fact, test the financial literacy of each and every investor or depositor via the products prospectus. Mandated by law and administered by an independent organization without any vested interest in promoting one product over another. Failure to achieve and demonstrate a minimum standard, as to how a particular instrument should work, must lead to the disqualification from participating in such products, hence protecting a vulnerable public and avoiding future bailouts or legal actions.

Minimum Wage

Educating the public, from a very young age, as to what is involved in a decent and acceptable standard of living, along with their collective and individual responsibilities to maintain, grow and develop their society. No one should be left behind; education must reach all, with meals and healthcare provided, and other social services to reach the most vulnerable. No one should be too far in front; taxing the richest ten percent of the population, will reduce immoral activities, and help finance social programs.

A standard of living that is firstly, made possible by marketable production, not just productivity for the sake of reducing unemployment statistics, generating revenue from the sale of goods and services that are financially viable to produce and is clearly in demand. A standard of living that is secondly, evenly divided geographically, across all preferred economic sectors and, more importantly, seen to be fairly distributed amount all in the society, building a majority of middle class citizens.