The Wayne Focus

Manchester United is a soccer team in England. General Motors is an American Automotive company in the United States. The American press has been reporting that General Motors paid over $559,000,000 (five-hundred and fifty-nine million dollars) to have the words ‘General Motors’ printed on the shirts worn by the soccer team. I thought this was interesting so I read a little more. It turns out the stories may have been wrong. After all it would be ludicrous for a company like General Motors, which took about $49.4 billion of our tax money, that is, $19.4 billion before bankruptcy and another $30 billion to fund GM through it, while still failing to meet shareholder expectations and coming up short or absent in any attempt to pay back the government, to go shell out a half a billion dollars to a soccer team in another country. Right? I learned that Manchester United was going to buy back some sponsoring they had sold to DHL (a German delivery company like UPS) for 4...

The Evil Pragmatude, The Benign Pragmatude And The Good or Moral Pragmatude The Evil Pragmatude is that set of mind that one adopts when all is to be done to achieve some end and even bad and evil things will be done to accomplish that end. The end can be some foreseen or expected good – but the means to acquire it are evil. In the case of Evil Pragmatude, for our example, it can be expected that people will be hurt and/or killed. The Benign Pragmatude is that set of mind that one adopts when all is to be done in order that all is done. That is – the ends do not justify the means. In the Benign Pragmatude the means are the end. In the case of Benign Pragmatude it can be anticipated that people will be hurt and/or killed. The Good Pragmatude is that set of mind that one adopts when there is an end in mind but all caution and effort is going to be taken in order to ensure that no one will be hurt and/or killed. ...

Chapter 13 In Closing How To Be An American                Be Yourself                Tell the Truth                Be Courageous If Necessary                Do Not Hurt Others                Pursue Those Goals Most Dear To Your Heart                Honor Your Family and Friends                Raise Your Children To Do Right and Be Good Persons                Love God if you care to or don’t.   The ...

Chapter 12 Reaching for Freedom Being Free                Freedom is defined as : The power to determine personal action without restraint.                American Freedom does not mean you are able to do whatever you please whenever you please.   Likewise it does not mean that you have the freedom to not do some things or abandon your responsibilities.                As Americans we have the power to determine personal action without restraint and then act to follow through on our determinations.                The limitations I mention are that it is not right nor morally correct that any actions you take hurt or kill others.   Any actions you take should not include withholding...

Chapter 11 Liberty                Patrick Henry, famous American statesman and orator once said, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Liberty is defined as : freedom from arbitrary or despotic government.                Many Americans arrived on these shores seeking relief from arbitrary or despotic government.   Many born here chafed at the thought of having to live under such government.                Liberty.                Some people confuse liberty with doing anything they want at all without regard to consequen...

Chapter 10 Self Control                Self-control.                Many people in the world do not believe that Americans have self-control.                Self-control is defined as : control or restraint of oneself or one's actions or feelings.                In some cultures – like the Japanese culture – the self-control of feelings is held in high esteem by certain branches of thought including Bushido and certain types of Buddhism.                Inazo Nitobe puts self-control under Bushido, or the Code of the Samurai as “The discipline of fortitude on the one hand, inculcating endurance without a groan, and the tea...