Wednesday, February 17, 2016

PC Party of Alberta - Now Welcoming Sheep Applications

It is only through the opposition of ideas that we can learn to be self-critical, to work towards intellectual humility. - Tariq Ramadan

To the uninformed, emotion is more useful than facts. - Harry Tucker

The silent killer of all great men and women of achievement - particularly men, I don't know why, maybe it's the testosterone - I think it's narcissism. Even more than hubris. And for women, too. Narcissism is the killer. - James Woods

I was intrigued today when the Interim Leader of the PC Party of Alberta, Ric McIver, shared this tweet.

I was surprised by this tweet since it was not based on any data and it leveraged a private corporation in making a political statement.  The kiosks have been planned by McDonald’s for years, the company brand was leveraged without permission in order to make a political statement and there is no correlation between the number of kiosks installed and the number of jobs lost.

Since I thought the observation was groundless, I tweeted this observation to him:

The PC Party of Alberta does, after all, welcome dissenting opinions as they note on their Statement of Principles page of their website:

So, if we accept that opinions are welcome and that rational dialog, with the give and take associated with it being a cornerstone of democracy, it would be reasonable to assume that my comments would be responded to politely at best or ignored at worst.

Instead, I was blocked by Mr. McIver as he used the classic, ignorant, misinformed technique that small-minded people employ when an opinion comes their way that their brain or their ego can’t process.

When a miscreant trolls someone unfairly or uses language that is disrespectful, foul or threatening, I understand the process of blocking someone (even though it actually does nothing to prevent the blocked person from seeing their tweets anyway).

However, when I see the Interim Leader of a political party (both individual and Party claiming repeatedly to be listening humbly to the people after their sound thumping in the last general election) block someone for asking a question instead of merely ignoring or responding to it, it makes me wonder:

Has the Party actually learned ANYTHING at all from the last election or are its claims of listening to the people merely political drivel?

Are the leaders of the Party good role models for young people or is ignorant, immature behavior from public officials (who are paid by the people) the new model we would like our young people to emulate?

Who knows?

People comfortable with themselves, their capabilities and their opinions would be able to answer such questions.

The rest?

Well … they can go ahead and block me.

The Bottom Line

I’m not a fan of the NDP, their policies or their behavior in Alberta politics.

But if you want to prove yourself worthy of a second chance to be the governing party as the PC Party of Alberta claims they are, then such claims are demonstrated in what they show the people and not in what they tell them.

Rational, intellectual, well-informed people know this.

The rest are not worthy of our time …. or our vote.

However, they are accepting applications for sheep who are waiting for their opinion to be provided for them.

Are you one of them?

How do you know?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

PS Maybe I should share what PC insiders text to me regarding the current leadership of the PC Party of Alberta. I wonder if this would produce the humility necessary to begin listening to the people.

Maybe.

It's hard to predict the behavior or character of leaders when they hide from the people.

In the meantime, let's be proactive in support of Mr. McIver and start a petition to ban ATMs, self-checkout stations in supermarkets, etc.

That should fix everything.

Addendum - Checking the Data

Mr. McIver would have done well to have checked his opinion against McDonald's Canada data, where they indicate that the kiosks are part of a plan to hire 15,000 new employees as noted in this article - McDonald's Canada introduces self-serve ordering.

Unfortunately with reality, it doesn't care what you think or what you would like others to think.

It just exists - conveniently or inconveniently.

Monday, February 15, 2016

The Democratic Party–Nothing Democratic About It

Voting is the most precious right of every citizen, and we have a moral obligation to ensure the integrity of our voting process. - Hillary Clinton

If you get so unequal that people believe they don't have a chance, that the field isn't level for them and their children, that puts democracy at risk. - Hillary Clinton

American politics is always an open competition. - Hillary Clinton

As I looked at the current delegate count for the Democratic Party this morning, I noticed an intriguing statistic:

Clinton leading Sanders 394-44

Despite a virtual tie in Iowa and a sound thumping in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton is leading Sanders by a significant margin, thanks entirely to the Democratic Party’s superdelegate system.

Of the 4763 delegates that will vote in the Democratic Party caucuses and primaries, 2,382 are required to win the Democratic Party nomination.  Of those, 712 delegates are superdelegates,

These superdelegates are an interesting group, being made up of current and former presidents, vice-presidents, congressional leaders, and DNC chairs, Democratic governors, Democratic members of the United States Senate, Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives and elected members of the Democratic National Committee.

So while 2,382 delegates are required to win the nomination, 30% of that total, if one’s cards are played well behind closed-doors, come from a select few people and not “the people”.

It sounds like an unfair system at first blush so it would make sense that one could turn to the leadership of the Democratic Party to allay any concerns that this system could be used to "fix" a result.

However, when DNC Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz notes that “Unpledged delegates exist really to make sure that party leaders and elected officials don’t have to be in a position where they are running against grassroots activists”, one realizes that the Democratic Party knows nothing of democracy and anyone who subscribes to such a system knows nothing of it either.

If Sanders and Clinton come to the finish in a dead heat or even with Sanders running a slight lead , Hillary Clinton will be handed the nomination, removing the voice of the people from the Democratic Party candidate selection process.

This doesn’t seem to bother many people or maybe they don’t care enough to ask.

Perhaps we should examine it another way.

Let’s assume that the most recent Super Bowl had the Panthers leading by 6 and they had the ball on the Denver 1 yard line.  It’s first and goal for the Panthers with 1 second left on the clock.  Since there is only time for one more play (ignoring the rule that a penalty on the last play may allow another play), the game is pretty much a slam dunk for Carolina.

Now assume that as the ball is about to snapped, an announcement is played over the loudspeaker.  It is this:

The NFL has ruled that in the interests of a Hollywood ending for Peyton Manning, the game will be awarded to the Denver Broncos.

Football fans would erupt in anger and people would be demanding someone’s head.

And yet when the same thing is happening in regards to the selection of the individual who may become the next President of the United States (once the most powerful person in the world but no longer), no one seems to care

It’s an interesting thing to note that what is unimportant can elicit such outrage yet what matters doesn’t seem to matter to most.

The Bottom Line

Many people in America have tuned out of the political process for a variety of reasons, including finding themselves being crushed as they fight for day-to-day survival, being cynical about their political representatives or benefiting from the way things are.

Ironically, while few people care about the process of selecting a leader, many people have much to say when things aren’t going well.

Maybe if they took more time to care early in the leader selection process, they might choose a better leader or at least understand what the leader is dealing with the next time something happens or the leader makes a choice that upsets the voters.

Unfortunately, most voters don’t care or are so uninformed that they keep proving Winston Churchill’s observation correct when he noted:

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

To implore the voter to make democracy something better than “two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner” as noted by James Bovard is a useless waste of time.

The average voter couldn’t care less who or how someone comes to power but they have lots to say when things go wrong.

As a strategy guy, I think this is insane and it makes the average voter insane as a result.

Are you insane or merely an uninformed, misinformed, indifferent, apathetic, rabid follower unable to think for yourself and thus a waste of a vote?

Does this mean your right to vote should be taken from you since you don’t care how it is used?

How would you like it if someone denied you the right to vote as a result?

After all, if you are misinformed or uninformed, what difference does it make if you vote or not?

How can you prove that you are worthy of expressing your opinion at the ballot box?

Do you even care?

If you don’t care, fret not.  You will likely pay little penalty if any at all.

Your children and your children’s children on the other hand …..

…. well, that’s another story.

In service and servanthood,

Harry

PS For those offended that I said that the President is no longer the most powerful person in the world, they should recognize that the POTUS is only halfway up the chain when it comes to the security classification system in America. This means that there are people who are ranked higher than the POTUS in regards to national security and who have access to information that the President is not permitted to know. Since information (and knowledge when information is applied) is power, who do YOU think is the most powerful person in America?

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Kill or Be Killed–The Pervasiveness of Predators in Our Society

“There are enough movies, websites, books, and blogs on how to catch a man.  It’s only fair to teach a young lady how not to be caught – at least not by the wrong one” – B.D. .Foley (retired CIA operations officer), “CIA Street Smarts for Women”

He was going to hurt her so bad before he killed her so dead, and all she could think of was how hot his kiss had been in the dream and how delicate the touch of his finger was as it traced down her body.”
― Thea Harrison, “Dragon Bound”

The following story contains coarse language and sexual content that may be offensive to some readers. 

Readers offended by such language should not proceed unless one has a heart for those who fall to the sick desires of the broken and a desire to make this world a better one, safer from the predators that exist all around us.

As with all things I write, this one is written for an important purpose.

The #1206 “fiction” series continues …


“Anything good happening in the news?”, a voice asked.

Abigail looked up from the news magazine she had been reading.  A man stood above her, smiling affably.

“Not a whole lot”, she replied, smiling back, “The usual panic about the world coming to an end.”

“How true”, he replied, his eyes locking onto hers, “That’s why I prefer to fill my head with positive things only.”

They chatted for a while and Abigail thought he was a pretty interesting, well-read guy.  He seemed interested in her and so she never thought anything of it when she offered up her cell number with a promise to get together over coffee later.


A few days later, Abigail found herself with the stranger again, this time in a small coffee shop.  He had seemed pretty insistent that they meet soon and she shrugged off his insistence as something typical of any go-getter.

They chatted easily over many subjects and she left the coffee shop after a few hours, not paying attention to the warning signs that were being screamed at her.


The texts followed soon after and were frequent and persistent.  What started as playful texts turned into suggestive texts and soon became extremely explicit.  While this would ordinarily have turned off many women, she had been in a couple of abusive relationships in her lifetime and she saw the texts as coming from someone showing a keen interest in her.  She responded in kind and their texting turned into highly erotic conversations.

Abigail felt like someone finally cared for her.


Over the next couple of weeks, the simple meeting in a book store turned into a series of sexual rendezvous.  She noticed that he often brought alcohol even though she protested that she often felt out-of-control with less than a glass of it.

“Drink up”, he said when she protested, “We’re all friends here.”

Time became a blur in their relationship and Abigail found that she was losing herself inside the ever-strengthening dominant personality of her new lover.  He had asked for a loan of her trailer and she had given it to him, not realizing that such a simple act of generosity also gave him leverage over her.

Their lover’s trysts began to change over time as well.  After they had met a number of times in different hotels and at her place, he suggested over a drink in their hotel room about taking a few photos for “a little fun”.  She didn’t think there was anything wrong with that and it seemed a little exciting so she agreed.

She posed for a number of photos in various stages of undress and total undress and as she did so, he told her how hot she was.

“Look at how hard you are making me”, he said as he continued to take photos.

“It feels good to feel wanted and to know I am turning him on”, she thought.


A few weeks later, she found herself responding to his demand to meet at the hotel again.  As she walked into the hotel, she found herself dreading what was coming next but she could stop herself. 

“What am I doing?”, she asked herself, “He demands that I show up and I do it even thought it doesn’t feel right.”

Sometime later and after a couple of drinks of gin, he began taking pictures of her again.

“Do you know what would be really hot?”, he asked.

“What?”, Abigail asked.

“I think you would look hot if you were tied up”, he said.

“I’m not sure”, Abigail said hesitatingly.

“Don’t worry”, he replied as he retrieved some cord from a bag, “You will like it.”

Abigail soon found herself bound hand and foot.

“Mmmmmmm”, he said, “You are hot.  Look how hard you are making me.”

After taking a number of photos, he laid his phone down and reaching into his overnight bag, pulled out a cane.

He struck her across the legs with it.

“You like that, don’t you?”, he said sternly.

Abigail’s eyes watered instantly at the sting and fear filled her body.  She now feared for her Life but didn’t know what would happen if she angered him.

She nodded silently and he whipped her again.

“You’re such a naughty girl”, he said, “You want this, don’t you, bitch?”

Abigail nodded.

“Answer me”, he commanded, “You want this, don’t you?”

“Yes”, she said quietly, “I want this.”

“Louder”, he commanded.

“Yes”, she said, “I want this.”

“Yes, you do”, he said and he proceeded to cane her across her legs as she howled in pain.

As she begged him to stop, he told her that he knew she really wanted to be a “bad girl” and he was going to help her live her fantasy.

Later, he untied her and held her through the night and in the morning they parted.

She drove home in silence, her body aching from the caning and her mind numb and confused.


He called a few days later, demanding that they get together again.  She replied that she felt uncomfortable with her last visit.  “In fact”, she told him, “I’m feeling very uncomfortable about seeing you again.”

“Well that’s a little too bad, isn’t it?”, he asked.

“What do you mean?’, Abigail asked fearfully.

“Wellllll”, he said, drawing his words out for effect, “If you don’t want to meet me, what do I do with all of these photos of you?  It would be a shame if these photos got leaked online, maybe to your friends or your business associates or maybe to your family.”

There was silence on the line.

“I’m staying at the usual hotel”, he said confidently and hung up.

Two hours later, Abigail found herself crying uncontrollably as he whipped her mercilessly.

As the evening wore one, he held her, telling her what a good girl she was.  She heard little of what said until he suggested that he felt it was time to discuss the company that she owned and how he felt he would do a better job of running it than she did.

She left in the morning, her body feeling the sting of the previous day’s activities while her mind was numb.


A week later, she stared at the phone as the texts from him came in.  He was demanding to see her again and interspersed within those texts, was telling her how important it was that she consider turning control of her company over to him.  He was also asking her for money for other ventures and she stared at her phone in absolute fear.

Suddenly another text appeared from another source.

“Just reaching out to say hi and to wish you an awesome day”, the text from Gabriel read.

Without a second thought, she got in her truck and drove three hours to see Gabriel and over many tears, confessed to what she had been experiencing.

Gabriel listened in stunned silence, his heart breaking over what he was hearing while at the same time, feeling the anger surging within him.

She explained how she had met up with the guy and how he worked at a not-for-profit that promoted computer services to small towns and other not-for-profit agencies.

After Abigail had finished her story, they both sat in silence, each reflecting on what had been confessed.

Gabriel cleared his throat and spoke quietly.

“You realize that if he did this to you, it is likely that he has done or is doing this to other women”, he said.

Abigail nodded silently.

“In his professional position, he also has many opportunities to find victims”, Gabriel said, his mind churning over the problematic possibilities.

Abigail nodded again in silence.

“I have something you need to read”, Gabriel said, “Let’s meet tomorrow.”

They hugged briefly and as they walked towards the door of the coffee shop, Gabriel stopped her.

“It is important that you know that you are a divine human being worthy of everything great.”, he said, “This guy is a predator who seeks to destroy others for his own sick needs.  Do you understand this?  You are a worthy human being who must not submit yourself to such people.”

Abigail looked at him, swallowed hard and nodded.

“Say it”, Gabriel said firmly.

“I am a divine human being worthy of everything great”, Abigail said quietly.

“Good”, said Gabriel, “Keep saying that.  Block this guy and we will meet tomorrow.”


Gabriel and Abigail met the next day.

“Has he reached out to you?”, Gabriel asked after they had exchanged perfunctory greetings.

“Yes”, she said, “He is demanding to know why I won’t respond to him.”

“Good”, Gabriel replied, “We will take care of him.  In the meantime, I would like you to read this book.”

Abigail looked at the book he offered.

“CIA Street Smarts for Women?”, she asked.

“Spy skills to tell the prince from the predator”, said Gabriel, pointing at the tag line on the book, “The guy who wrote this used to be a CIA operations officer.  He is a great guy who is sharing the skills he learned in the CIA to help women avoid the situation you are in.”

Abigail said nothing but felt her eyes filling with hot tears.

“Don’t worry”, Gabriel said gently, “We will fix this.”

Gabriel pulled out his phone, dialled a number and waited for an answer.

The other party picked up the phone and Gabriel spoke quietly.

“Hello, Jim?”, he asked.

To be continued.


© 2016 – Harry Tucker – All Rights Reserved

Background

The story you just read is a true story although a description of the actual acts committed and the timeline have been shortened for brevity and taste.  I have spared the reader the psychology analysis here in order to keep the story engaging albeit disturbing. The story has been shared here with the permission of "Abigail".

The book Gabriel presented to Abigail is real.

CIA Street Smarts for Women – Spy Skills to Tell the Prince from the Predator, by B. D. Foley, is a powerful book that can equip any woman against the many predators out there.

And yes, B.D. Foley is actually a retired CIA operations officer.

If you care about your daughter, your sister, a woman who is divorced or widowed or your best friend and you sense something is wrong in their relationship or they could find themselves in trouble, honor your instinct and your love for the other person and get a copy of this book for them.

Predators don’t just exist in the world of Hollywood or in cases like the Jian Ghomeshi case currently playing out in a Canadian court.

They are everywhere as Abigail discovered.

Don’t let such a predator destroy the Life of someone who matters to you.

What happened to the predator in this case?

Go here to read more – Answering the Cry for Help.

Predators prey on the uninformed or those whose sense of self-worth is so low that they easily fall to the beguiling patter of the predator.

Predators are allowed to hone their art and create the carnage they create when the rest of us pretend they don’t exist or when we don’t do what needs to be done to prevent them from hurting others. They know how to identify their targets, how to approach them and how to ensnare them. We need to understand how they operate and find the right tools to counter their efforts.

B.D. Foley's book provides those tools.

We are either part of the problem of part of the solution.

Which one are you?

Buy the book.

It matters.

Series Origin

This series, a departure from my usual musings, is inspired as a result of conversations with former senior advisors to multiple Presidents of the United States, senior officers in the US Military and other interesting folks as well as my own professional background as a Wall St. / Fortune 25 strategy advisor and large-scale technology architect.

While this musing is just “fiction” (note the quotes) and a departure from my musings on technology, strategy, politics and society, as a strategy guy, I do everything for a reason and with a measurable outcome in mind. :-)

This “fictional” musing is a continuation of the #1206 series noted here.