Amongst all of the crises we have swirling around us, financial, security, national, or international, all affecting our lives very directly, a powerful trend our media is ignoring is the very acute decline in business startup rates during the past decade. This trend is a continuation of the general drift we have endured for over thirty years, as the boot of government bureaucracy has increasingly pressed down on small employers. Capable leadership, lighter taxes, and lighter fee burdens are urgently required — most of all, unfettered inspiration is an imperative.
Regardless our dreams and aspirations, we can all use positive encouragement and support — without restraints or expectations of quid pro quo. This becomes even more critical for those who dive headlong into the realm of entrepreneurial uncertainties and risks. However we consider the underlying factors influencing the negative trend on business startups, the reality is that it’s impact is palpable in every neighbourhood in America.
Through the years I advised entrepreneurs and managers to seek out individuals who could demonstrate confidence whenever they searched for employees or partners.
That counsel applies to most relationships unless they are single events, and even then, you never know if the insecurity of an individual you have struck a singular ‘deal’ with, might not come back to haunt you. The most damaging and sharpest knives which find their ways deep into our backs most often come from acquaintances we trusted – plunged in by insecure individuals we “let in” trustingly.
I define a true friend as being one who is capable of wishing others well, which means someone possessing enough security and confidence, to feel happy with someone else’s success, be it large or miniscule.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump received what is in my book the most powerful endorsement he can possibly receive from anyone. Dana White, President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), addressing the RNC crowd said that after he had signed a network deal for UFC, “There was a big write-up about it in the New York Times, Donald took that paper and wrote on the front of it, ‘Congratulations, Dana! I always knew you would do it.’ And just for the record, Donald has nothing to do with my business. His interest in me and my business is personal. You can really tell a person’s true character when they are happy for somebody else’s success.”
It would be difficult to write a more positive statement about anyone.
To all those who throw the insult, “narcissist” at Trump – a narcissist is incapable of feeling happy for somebody else’s success. We have all had too long a long look at and become familiar with what narcissism looks like. This is not it. Quite the opposite.
White squarely, emotionally and effectively designated this attribute to Trump, and this bodes well for the potential entrepreneurs out there on the verge of leaping into business independence. This bodes well for America.
A constituent of the vast baby boomer generation with a career which has been fortunate to know the ponderous corporate worlds, as well as the intimately pressurized, and invigorating entrepreneurial domains of high tech and venture capital, I have harvested my share of mistakes meandering through corridors of enterprise from Silicon Valley, to London and endless, colourful, sometimes praetorian points in between. The voyage has provided an abundance of fodder for a pen yielding to an inquisitive keyboard, a foraging mind, and a passionate spirit.
Whether political or business or social or economic or personal, is it not all political? It is a privilege to write, and an even greater privilege to be read by anyone, and sometimes with the wind at my back the writing may occasionally be legible. I do not write to invite scorn, nor to invite respect, but if I get really lucky the writing can stimulate thinking. I also write for the very selfish purpose of animating my own processes, and engaging the best of what life offers. Above all, whether biting fire or swatting shadows, I am grateful to be gifted the freedom to write and publish whatever flows down to the keyboard. To all those who enabled this freedom, and to all those standing guard to preserve it, I am indebted.
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One of the reasons that I rarely invest in small businesses within the United States is the various costs of government, many of which must be paid in full before the business even begins operating.
When even a little girls’ lemonade stand needs permits, inspections, and such, it is time to invest elsewhere.
An anti-endorsement from Randy Rainbow, set to music.
You are officially being mocked by the gay community.
@Greg: Sounds like a good thing.
No Cruz endorsement adds drama to the convention, will get Trump tons of free press.
Media will bash Cruz but he will continue to work for we the people in the Senate.
Looking at Social Media they sure are sore winners not getting Cruz to kiss the ring is making them nutz.
One of the main differences between the Left and the Right in this country is how they look at business success.
For the Left you getting a bigger piece of the pie necessarily means someone (or more than one) is getting a smaller piece of that static-sized pie.
For the Right your getting a bigger piece of the pie means the pie has grown so that more people can also get bigger pieces of it.
Donald Trump is squarely in the Right’s viewpoint.
Rather than your success meaning theft of some of his own pie, your success means more pie for all.
It’s going to be interesting watching Trump trying to give a speech that will meet with strong approval of the convention audience, without simultaneously alienating voting blocks that he has to have to win. He’ll have to somehow say nothing in an especially convincing fashion, mindful of the fact that Clinton will force him to get very specific in the one-on-one debates.
My theory is that he will find some way to avoid any such debates altogether, probably at the last minute. He’ll have to try to make it look like “Crooked Hillary” is bailing out. This might be possible, since his supporters want so badly to believe he’s some sort of conservative Messiah.
@kitt: #5
Kitt, the media, led by the NYT, is representing and exaggerating Cruz’s refusal to honour his pledge, as being a wide schism within the Republican party.
Cruz’s actions are now permanent fodder for the Hillary worshippers.
@Nanny G: my pie, your pie, their pie??
Is that what 30 grand taught the students at Trump U? Did Melania get her architecture degree from “the fighting Trumpists”
J.R. News flash–There is a wide schism–Trump bashed Cruz’s wife and his father–Trump is without class–that alone will cost him the Presidency.
Ditto—Trump the “carnival broker”– seems logical.
@Nanny G: #6
Nanny G, and that’s why my article, focussing on encouragement of the entrepreneurial spirit, which is the life-blood of a successful America, . . . to the great chagrin of the statist left which wants to expand government and do away with capitalism.
@James Raider:
Wide schism?
Hardly.
When Donald Trump Jr. was asked what he thought about the idea that Ted Cruz was causing divisiveness in the RNC with his speech he answered, I was watching and it looked like unity to me. EVERYBODY was booing Cruz after he finished his speech.
(I’m paraphrasing.)
@Greg:
That’s projection. You merely sound like all the Cons you mock…only need to switch the implied “his” to Obama.
Welcome to the world of mimetic mirroring, son. You sound like the Obama alarmists of 2007.
Strangely, I’ve not met any Trump “supporters”, only those who say they will vote for Trump. No one saying they don’t have to worry about paying there bills…I’m gonna take care of him, and he’s gonna take care of me. No Jon Stewart or SNL telling young and poor people to…indirectly…and sometimes very directly…vote for Trump.
Payback’s a bitch, junior. I’d start scouring your party’s up and coming non-candidates now, so you can say you were “in” far before 2024.
@Richard Wheeler: Better find all those almost-educated fast-food workers how they are going to pay back their 30 grand in community college loans…
Right…bashing Cruz and wife will cost him the presidency…because that’s the worst thing he’s said…and he’s destroying Hillary in the polls…
Trumps a monster, in a way….the way Patton was a monster. Might as well get used to President Trump. It’s been over for awhile.
@Nathan Blue, #12:
Trump supporters will be voting for a projection. They probably couldn’t make a list half-a-dozen items long of Trump positions that they can be absolutely certain of. I’m not sure they could even list three. They’ve been sucked into a reality television construct by a man who is simultaneously telling them whatever they want to hear and nothing at all.
They don’t even seem to notice the blatant contradictions. For example, he tells his audiences he’s going to raise taxes on the wealthy—on people like himself. The details of his plan tell another story, however. Three separate independent analyses have come to the conclusion that his plan can be expected to add another $10 trillion to the projected national debt. Not only that:
It’s the Bush tax cuts all over again, on top of what came before.
But hey, let’s just ignore those little discrepancies between campaign assertions and arithmetic. Because were going to Make America Great Again! It says so on the hat.
Oh, yeah… And there’s his approach to destroying ISIS without any significant commitment of ground troops. How’s that supposed to happen again? He told us all about that during the 60 Minutes interview with Pence, right? Pence jumped in there after Trump’s non-explanation, and essentially described what Obama is already doing. Maybe he’d looked at the DoD website on Operation Inherent Resolve. Hey, there’s an idea! Maybe we could do that!
Pfft. There’s nothing at all behind the curtain but a reality TV host. But people want to believe the Grand Illusion. If anyone points out the total lack of substance, or suggests that people should think for themselves and vote in accordance with their conservative principles and their own consciences, they’re a traitor to their party. If that’s not a warning bell for republican voters, I don’t know what else ever could be.
@kitt:
What percentage of the popular vote will Cruz’s lack of endorsement cost Trump? Will that be a critical factor in the election ? How many conservatives will choose not to bite for Trump?
@James Raider: Everyone think about this. Trump applauded at the end of Cruz s’ speech, they knew beforehand that Ted was not going to endorse This was brilliant on both mens part. The words support and endorse have 2 different definitions.
The only ones that heard a dividing speech last night were trumpanzees that would accept nothing less than Cruz get down and kissing a ring that was already dripping with slobber.
With all the Media buzz the ratings for this last night of the convention will be high.
There is a terrible division…wink wink, last night sewed it up for Hillary, wink wink. Hell those democrats can just sit home and watch the map turn blue on television no need to vote, cause all conservatives will refuse to vote at all, ya thats the ticket they wont vote so the democrats dont have to.
When I moved to Charlotte in 1971 there were 5 people in the code review department, when I left there were 225 people. The rules kept getting more and more restrictive, and nothing could be done with out Code Enforcement approval. We designers spent more time trying to satisfy the code reviewers than the clients!
To me that clearly symbolizes the governments over-reach!
Oh, by the way, all the buildings I designed before the new codes were enacted are still standing, and no one has died in them!
@bwax: #17
I own some rental properties. When one of my tenants wanted to build a storage shed on the property, I was fine with it. But the county wouldn’t let him. Even with my permission.
By county ordinance, the only person who could build anything on the property was the property owner. Me.
I could build one for my own use, but if I built one for his use it would have to be to plans drawn up by an architect, and erected by a licensed contractor.
For a simple 8’x8′ shed.
Too much government.
He built the shed. Put it on skids. Portable buildings aren’t regulated.
Just enough brains.
@Nathan Blue: You ‘re comparing 4f “can’t remember which foot it was” Trump to Gen. Patton?
Someone bashes your wife and your father you kiss his ring and move on?
Trump destroyed many companies by not paying them
He is quite proud of not paying his debts I guess YOU might think that is a good idea for startups
@Petercat:
You knowingly bought property that apparently has rather strict zoning regulations and now whine about it
Please let us know what county that is just so we can recheck that for you
@kitt:
SOROS was behind that and everything else that goes wrong
@Petercat: you are a true patriot petercat not investing in this country because there are other places where profits are higher
Probably you move profits offshore to avoid paying taxes to the USA
So clever you are petercat
@Nathan Blue:
Nathan you funny guy !!!
My prediction is that Cruz’s non endorsement will cost Trump about 2% in the polls and he has been consistently behind the average
@John: What exactly did I say went wrong? You are truly twisting in the wind lib boy. 5 posts in a row lol Kinda like your candidate looking for an audience?
@James Raider: #10 Its crony capitolism we need to do away with especially at local levels, Some large businessman gives a few bucks to local politician and then appears a local ordinance that you cant install your own dishwasher(Black Jack MO) build your own shed, help your neighbor change a lightswitch ect..
Now in the state of Wisconsin you can do all of your own renovations with permits and inspection in your own residence. Just forked over 300 bucks for 2 permits construction and electrical, good for 2 years. Still need a plumbing one.
I dont have to rely on a contractor that may do a crap job or run up the price, or just take the down payment and disappear. Copy of codes is available online, perfect.
@bwax: I lived in a county at one time that required fully drawn plans for ANY building. I wanted to add a covered deck. I drew all my own plans and took them. At first I was told when I presented the plans that ‘they had to be done by an architect’. I challenged them to show me that requirement in writing. They couldn’t and they had to issue my permit. I’m relatively sure they ‘corrected’ the code to ‘require an architect plans’. It’s all politics as usual. Someone gets their palms greased to grease the skids. It’s like Retire implied in her statements that delegates are free to change their minds and vote for whomever they please, regardless of who the voters wanted. That’s opens the door to payola. Sure they might try to get someone to change a vote with just promises of prosperity, but if that’s not enough, Ben Franklin is persuasive.
@kitt: nothing wrong with 5 posts in a row. If I come on and there is 50 comments, I sometimes address each as I read it and it results in several in a row. I can’t stay on all the time to read each as they’re posted.
@Greg:
Oh, so you vote based on what someone promises, not what they do. List 3 promises Obozo made that he has kept. List one. He was a strong supporter of the “God Damn America” preacher, so he has tried to keep that promise, at least he’s done his share.
So you’re so acclimated to Obozo that you expect that candidates don’t mean what they say. Yeah, I can see that.
now that’s a winner. Resolve to do it, but sit on your ass and do nothing but, hey, the resolve is there, it’s just the action that is missing.
@Richard Wheeler:
RW, give me a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If a person gets a physical for military service and is rejected for medical reasons, do you think that makes the person a ‘non patriot’? You have implied that several times and many persons attempt to enlist in the military and get rejected. I don’t think it makes them less of an American. When I was in the Navy, after going through all of the process, except for the final step, I had been accepted to be a Naval Aviator, something I wanted very much to do. But then the final step, I had to have a vision examination and it required absolutely perfect vision. My vision in one eye was less than 20-20 so I failed. Does that mean I didn’t do all I could to attain my goal? Hell no, but the military has standards and if you don’t meet them, you don’t meet them. It does not mean you are a felony draft dodger, like Slick Willie, whom I would almost bet the farm that you voted for. He actually fled the country and went to Russia after being told to report. But you still voted for him, twice. So get off your high horse.
@Redteam: That’s your standard rejoinder when I mention “patriot” Trump’s failure to serve during V.N war–O.K but you’d think he’d remember which lucky foot kept him out— when asked,
Comparing him to Patton?? Comparing him to RR? I’m OK with comparing him to P.T.Barnum or Don King.
Would you give him a big hug if he dissed your wife and your father? If he insinuated you were a pedophile as he did to Dr Carson. I think not.
@Redteam, #29:
List three? Here’s a link to a list of specific campaign promises Obama has kept. Note that the list is 12 pages long, and that each item on it is linked to a page providing details and supporting documentation. This past April marked the 74th consecutive month of U.S. economic and private sector job growth during the Obama administration. Sorry if that hasn’t been fast enough for everybody’s liking, but I’ll give him credit for getting the economy out of reverse gear after taking the brick off the accelerator pedal.
I vote on positions, not personalities. I won’t be voting for Hillary Clinton because I think she’s charming and want her to be Prom Queen. I’ll be voting for her because I understand what her positions actually are—even those that I don’t fully approve of. And because the alternative is a media-created illusion.
Trump is clueless. I’m still trying to process Trump’s astonishing comment to the effect that our defense of Eastern European NATO nations from invasion could contingent on them being fully current on payment of their dues. That was in response to a direct follow-up question, trying to clarify what reporters could not believe he meant. Did you hear that, Mr. Putin? Vlad must have been hopping up and down, clapping his hands in glee. Cruz won’t endorse him, but Vlad certainly will, and it’s no wonder why. They belong to the same club. Here’s a word to look up: oligarchy.
Donald Trump Sets Conditions for Defending NATO Allies Against Attack
The guy says that, on the same day he will formally accept the GOP’s nomination for president. What is he thinking? It’s like he enjoys playing chicken with oncoming traffic or something.
@Richard Wheeler:
ok, suppose he had the same problem with both feet, bone spurs on both heels, which if I recall correctly, he said was the case and they just picked one to list as the reason, why would he necessarily remember which one. You still don’t say why that was worse than Slick’s felony draft dodging. You did vote for Slick, right?
I think that’s fine. You’ve certainly earned the right to wear your chaps and fly your rainbow flag, that’s what your military service was all about. Why would you deny any American the right to make any statement they wish.
Didn’t happen. That was only an ‘excuse’ not a reason. So his wife is ugly and was a member of CFR and is for the downfall of the US, so what? And what if his father was a friend of LH Oswald, he was only the patsy, he never shot anyone. Cruz turned out to be a little whiny loser, not man enough to honor his word. Kinda like Obozo.
@Greg: Oh Greggie, the problem with your list of ‘promises kept’ is the fact that those promises didn’t exist prior to the election and have only been created when some little accomplishment that got pushed through against his wishes and he decided to take credit. Kinda like the definition of a leader: Someone seeing a crowd headed somewhere and runs and gets in front of the crowd. I didn’t see his promise upheld to make his wife proud of America for the first time in her life after he had sent her on dozens of multi-million dollar vacations on the public dole. Yep, he’s a real class act.
What a joke. there are many more unemployed persons today than there were on Jan 20, 2009.
Still trying to process? Maybe if you engaged your two brain cells you wouldn’t have to keep trying to process. What you stated was the interpretation of a Dimocrat news service. He only said that he expected members of Nato to uphold their obligations and he would uphold the US obligations. What other position should the American government have? This was his statement: “If they fulfill their obligations to us,” he added, “the answer is yes.” That doesn’t sound equivocating to me, it seems very clear. If they don’t fulfill their obligations, why should we? Why do you find it necessary to lie to make your case? The truth isn’t good enough for you?
@Redteam: I can certainly understand why you like Trump. Good luck with that.
@Redteam, #35:
If you had bothered to listen to his campaign speeches or read through the Democratic Party Platform published August 25, 2008, you might have been aware of what some of his stated intentions were.
It’s good to pay attention to what people are saying—and to what they’re not saying. People often don’t. Tony Schwartz, for example, has something he feels compelled to say about Donald Trump and the presidency, even though he knows the enormously powerful Trump machine will likely attempt to squash him like a bug for doing so. They’ve already hit him with a law suit.
@Richard Wheeler:
And tell me again when I said I like Trump.
@Greg:
Not when it’s a Dimocrat, they are so full of sh*t that you will probably end up covered with it.@Greg:
So you expect a story moderated by Brian Williams and Lesbian Madcow to be something bearing any semblance of the truth? Just how gullible can Dims be? You must think we all needed a laugh for the day.
One thing I will give Obozo credit for, he has personally screwed up the medical insurance business so badly that most Americans can no longer afford to pay for it and now they have to rely on Medicaid or poverty. But, at least he accomplished his objective.
They’re not the ones who are telling the story. They’re only talking to the person who has stepped forward to tell it.
It’s not as if serious warnings about Donald Trump are only coming from people on the left. Alarm bells have been going off right, left, and center. Whoever speaks out, no matter what their political orientation, is being condemned, marginalized, and silenced. People are falling in line behind Trump like he’s the Pied Piper. Doesn’t that worry you at all?
@Greg:
silenced? as like with a court order or something? What was Vince’s name again? Foster? or something like that? Did Hillary get a court order against him? and Ron? Brown? or something like that?
Read more: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/another-clinton-associate-found-dead-bill-hillarys-body-count-increases/#ixzz4F5ZPlmJq
Yep, we have a lot to be concerned about when cruel people get into the White House.
@Greg:
But, since they’re on the Dimocrat Network, PMSNBC, don’t you think it’s likely that they are only interested in the story because it’s a Republican he’s talking about? Do you think he would be on if the story was about Crooked Hillary? Now surprise me and claim they’re not biased.
@Redteam, #41:
Like Ted Cruz being branded a heretic, and cast out into the outer darkness. Like being hit with a lawsuit from somebody who has a stable of lawyers and several billion dollars with which to totally destroy you in court.
@Greg:
Yes, I’ll bet old Vince would’ve liked to have been branded a heretic instead of having that shotgun blast to the head.
I thought the Dims story was that he ‘really’ doesn’t have that kind of money. You can’t be ‘destroyed’ in court if you’re telling the truth. That’s when the shotgun comes in handy. Don’t have to worry about dealing with all those lawyers and all. Bill and Hill can fill you in on the details, they’re good at it.
@Redteam, #44:
Foster was suffering from anxiety and taking prescribed medication for depression, which was subsequently judged to have been clinical depression. He had been under attack in the press, was worried about being called in front of a Congressional investigative committee, and worried about public humiliation if he returned to his home state. A police investigation, a coroner’s inquiry, and two separate Congressional investigations all concluded that his death was a suicide. Even Whitewater independent council Ken Starr’s report concluded it was a suicide. If anything killed him, it was probably the unrelenting pressure of the anti-Clinton witch hunters, determined to bring the Clinton’s down by any means possible.
Bill Clinton:
Neither reality nor morality, of course, ever prevent political hack writers and jackass conspiracy theorists from continuing to exploit such a situation for political gain or personal profits. As Clinton observed, they don’t give a rat’s ass about the pain they cause.
Look at the time. Aren’t you missing a Trump tent revival or a torchlight parade or something?
@Greg:
Yes, I’m sure Hillary’s doctor was willing to diagnose him any way she wanted. I’m sure the doctor didn’t want shotgun depression himself.
That’s correct and he had been shot with a shotgun and a pistol and neither of them were at the scene. He apparently shot himself with the pistol first, but i guess it didn’t kill him so he got rid of the pistol and got himself a shotgun. It was successful, permitting him to live just long enough to dispose of the shotgun before he passed away. Yep, he sure had depression.
you and Retire and RW seem to have a real reading comprehension problem. I’ve said I’m not a Trump supporter. To date I have not seen one minute of the convention and don’t intend to watch tonight. I will vote for the Republican candidate as long as he is legally qualified for the office. But, Retire has assured me that you are not a legally qualified convention delegate unless you’re willing to betray the voters and sell out to the highest bidders, so why watch. I guess that’s why the guy with the most money is coming out ahead. Why are you watching? I’m sure you’re not enthused by who the candidate is. I won’t watch any of the Dimocrat conv either.
That’s complete bullshit. As in, there’s no truth to it whatsoever. The story was spread by by way of an article in World Net Daily, a publication not even suitable for wrapping garbage or lining birdcages. Rumor mongering and cranking out scandalous bullshit is their specialty.
@Greg: Actually, he was shot with a 38 in the mouth and a smaller caliber pistol in the neck. Neither of the weapons were at the scene. I just used the shotgun to see if you were paying attention.
But didn’t you think the show with Brian Williams and Lesbian Madcow was legitimate? No, I didn’t use World Net Daily for my source. I used FOIA info on the web to get my info. Shot twice, two weapons, neither at the scene.
Why would Ken Starr—whose entire purpose in life was to convict Clinton of anything possible—have been part of a cover-up of Foster’s murder? That’s actually what has been claimed. I find it to be the most irrational part of a completely irrational fabrication.
I’m done on this topic. There’s no future in trying to reason people out of their delusions. That’s the nature of delusional thinking. It isn’t based on rational thinking to begin with. It’s based on preexisting conclusions that are defended from reason. Possibly I have some delusions of my own, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t one them.
@Greg:
I’m happy to know that you are caught up on delusional thinking. That’s important for Crooked Hillary supporters. As Vince found out.