Articles are available for reprint as long as the author is acknowledged: Domenick J. Maglio Ph.D.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT, ANTI-CORRUPTION AND ANTI-PC REVOLUTION



THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT, ANTI-CORRUPTION AND ANTI-PC REVOLUTION
By Domenick J. Maglio PhD Traditional Realist

The American people fired self-serving, corrupt politicians from both parties. The progressive media and political correctness indoctrination, which was strangling the free exchange of ideas and speech was clearly rejected. We have experienced an American Brexit which has shouted “hell no” to the national and international establishment’s attempt to abolish local representation that ensured our endowed rights from God of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The elites attempted to create an elite self-serving global nation.

The reaction of the media, celebrities and political elites was pure unbelieving shock and outrage at the voter’s voice. They had no inkling that their uber progressive, socialist value system was alienating the American people on so many levels. These “smuggers” are isolated in their upper class enclaves with no interaction with the working class. On top of this was the ridiculous mass media misinformation campaign, which convinced the establishment that the election was “in the bag” and added to the depression and surprise.

Everything they thought they knew was from second hand sources, especially the “fake” news media. The professional commentators felt about the average American people that they were, for the most part, antagonistic, unflattering, deplorable, ignorant and hateful. The progressive Palm Beach Post news was so blind sided and apoplectic that they asked for Trump voters to visit their editorial boardroom to speak to them. They wanted to learn the reasons why anyone would actually cast a ballot for him. The media is reluctantly realizing that the power to control the information and thinking of the majority of citizens has ended.

The same significant disconnect between the people and the establishment that happened in England has revealed itself in the USA. This spreading revolution is a response to the repressive, indoctrination and tight control over the release of pertinent information. The progressive media monopoly has lost a good part of its monopolistic effectiveness due to the development of alternate media Internet competition and social media. This loss of total control of information has prevented the media from its much-anticipated victory.

In the Bush and Obama administrations we have witnessed an increasing $20 trillion national debt, nationalizing of our education through No Child Left Behind and Common Core, Obamacare, nationalizing city police departments through the Department of Justice, out-of-control regulations, blatant corruption through choosing winners or losers, rampant indoctrination in colleges, top down social engineering and progressive media through “politically correct thought control.”

Americans were so fed up with these shenanigans that they voted for a total political outsider whose style was at times highly offensive to many but highly effective in opening up public discourse. His obvious flaws, rebelliousness, stubbornness and contrariness were nullified by his genuineness, courage to speak his mind openly and directly to a hostile media, which endeared him to many Americans. He singlehandedly crushed the PC taboo on free speech and thinking to give citizens hope that they would be heard.

The most important thing that propelled him to winning the election was his fearless articulating and plainspoken language that “America can be Great Again.” He spoke about stopping illegal immigration, establishing law and order, cultivating all sources of energy, de-regulating and incentivizing all businesses to create high paying positions, strengthening the military, halting public funding of Planned Parenthood, social engineering, bring under control our $20 Trillion debt and most importantly shake up the establishment by focusing on the people’s interest rather than that of the ruling class.

Few believe Trump will succeed in all of his agenda items but if he begins the process he will be hailed as a hero. Many citizens felt that either political party was not hearing them. These disenfranchised voters finally feel that someone hears them and will straighten out some of these issues.

This election demonstrated that America has been and is still a center right nation. The lies of the progressive media and the falsely manipulated polls; stories to glorify socialist ideas, ridiculing traditional ones and deceptive economic reports have been exposed and understood by many citizens.

 All Americans should thank President Obama’s firsthand glimpse of the horrible results of socialism. His attempt to manipulate, humiliate and coerce citizens into changing their traditional moral values and dismantle our constitutional republic has resulted in powerful blowback. His strategy of ramming Chicago’s strong-arm politics down the public’s throat has been revealed and has failed.

The verdict on President Elect Trump’s presidency can only be evaluated at the end of his tenure as to whether he was able to close the deal on any of these issues. All of us should wish him the best to bring back America’s greatness through US ingenuity, competition and competence rather than false “hope and change” of a delusional utopian fantasy. Trump’s victory puts us on the path for reestablishing our republic and to ensure our freedom from government oppression.


Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio has a new book, available on Amazon and other sites, entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.


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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE PROSECUTED FOR "TAKING THE FIFTH"


GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE PROSECUTED FOR “TAKING THE FIFTH”
By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

Government workers are servants for the people. When congress requests pertinent information about a federal investigation all government officials have the obligation to assist the process in order to uncover the truth. “Taking the Fifth” obstructs and impedes congressional members from establishing accountability in the people’s government.

This is a different situation than in an individual’s Fifth Amendment rights not to be forced to testify against himself. “Taking The Fifth” by citizens protects them from being coerced by government enforcement members to make false statements to incriminate themselves. The Fifth Amendment protects citizens from being abused by the politically powerful. Without the Fifth Amendment the person would be at the mercy of dishonorable and corrupt government officials.

Our founding fathers studied history and knew the British system of law and justice used an inquisitor method of questioning. This system allowed browbeating confessions out of the accused by requiring them to answer rapid-fire questions. This questioning technique of suspects increases the possibility of false, self-incriminating statements, unconsciously or consciously to end the terrifying process. Our Fifth Amendment protects citizens from this intimidating interrogation.

In no way should taking the 5th protect a public servant from using his position to subvert investigations into corrupt practices of self, fellow members or superiors. The unwillingness to answer simple and direct questions to which the person should know the answer is a dereliction of duty as a government official. These negative acts impact the public right to accountability of its government officials.

In our current political establishment government officials have used the right of the Fifth Amendment to stonewall congressional investigations. John Sepulveda, a veteran’s administration official took the 5th concerning his two extravagant waste of tax dollars conferences. Patrick Cunningham invoked the 5th concerning the “fast and furious” transporting of 2000 guns over the border to Mexico. A Solyndra official pleaded the 5th concerning the fraudulent $535 million loan from Obama’s stimulus package. Greg Roseman, a deputy IRS director took the 5th regarding his awarding the largest contract to his friend. Lois Lerner, of the IRS, was involved in targeting conservative groups for withholding or prolonging applications for tax-exempt status. She took the 5th repeatedly throughout the congressional hearings, retired and is receiving her full pension. Hillary Clinton’s information technology specialist, Brian Pagliano, took the 5th even after receiving congressional immunity. Paul Cambatta wiped Hillary’s server clean with “bleach bit” two weeks after congress requested all emails be preserved and invoked the 5th 125 times in a deposition for Judicial Watch. Two of Hillary’s lawyers, Cheryl Mills and Heather Samuelson, got immunity for turning over the laptop computers although they proceeded to take the 5th. Incredulously the head of the Justice Department, Attorney General of the USA, Loretta Lynch, pleaded the 5th on the secret Iran $1.7 billion ransom payments. She also met with Bill Clinton days before FBI director James Comey’s refusal to prosecute Hillary Clinton for her well-documented email scandal. Hillary Clinton, herself deleted 33,000 of her own emails and had memory loss, responding, “I don’t remember” throughout the congressional Benghazi investigation, obstructing it.

The “Taking of the 5th” in a government investigation should at the least result in the termination of the person’s position. Under the law, it should be illegal to participate in bilking citizens out of their tax dollars by using it illegally or covering up information to protect another government official.

The “honest service law” allowed investigators the latitude to punish government employees for dereliction of duty. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled this statute was too vague and narrowed the definition to an outright bribe to be able to prosecute any government employee under this provision. This statute should be rewritten to provide some limitations of government officials who are not providing their services for the interest of the public. The Supreme Court should reexamine this statute to provide citizens some firm restrictions on keeping out-of-control corrupt government officials in check. The people have the right to see their justice system punish the powerful government elite for corruption in an equal manner as any other citizen.

These government elites should not be allowed to hide behind the protection of the 5th Amendment when they are performing their official duties as government employees. There should be significant consequences for any government employee taking the 5th, lying by omission for anything involved with government business.

The automatic loss of government positions including benefits and pension will help to keep the officials on the straight and narrow path. This will put everyone who works for the government on notice that they are not entitled to own their position in perpetuity.  They will be placed on notice that their job is conditional on doing honest service to the people by following the rule of law.

The use of the 5th Amendment to shield corrupt government policies and behavior is an unconscionable example of the political ruling class’s brazen disrespect for the people’s right to an honorable republic with integrity.

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Wednesday, November 09, 2016

SOMEONE HAS TO BE IN CHARGE


SOMEONE HAS TO BE IN CHARGE
By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

Making good decisions takes knowledge and insight. These two traits increase with experience and age.  There are a few toddlers that demonstrate maturity beyond their years. However, almost all of them have to be taught, usually by their parents, about the immediate and future consequences of their behavior. In order to accomplish this sacred responsibility, the authority figure has to take charge in almost all situations.

Too many modern parents have been persuaded against their nature by today’s child development experts to allow the young child to make his own choices. According to this present approach, the child should be treated as an equal member in this “democratic family.” The child is supposed to participate equally in the decision making process although the child has little experience to understand and evaluate the long-term consequences of his decisions.

This philosophy believes, the child will learn from his experimental attempts. If he chooses to eat very little or eat only one type of food like chicken nuggets, Nutella or peas, he should not be coaxed to eat a little bit of everything to have a more balanced diet. The experts authoritatively state: he will eventually begin to eat all types of food on his own. Too often this does not happen.

This same hands-off approach applies to sleeping habits, potty training, speech, interacting with others and general listening skills. Modern children are left to their own devices practically raising themselves. This has resulted in poor decision making ability, listening skills, low frustration tolerance and inappropriate outbursts.  The ever-growing list of childhood disorders is being attributed to the mental and physiological issues with the child rather than parenting and familial dysfunction. The focus on the child instead of the parent is almost criminal. The child’s behavior is a reflection of the parent’s interaction.

This casual and permissive way of raising children does have a great benefit for parents by increasing their own time for self-indulgence. The present downside of this scheme of dealing with one’s children is that it is hard to focus on the mission when there are so many other interests and demands pulling the parents in many different directions at once. Parents lack of focus and inattentiveness to their child’s behavior and thinking handicaps them in responding to the children’s actual and present needs. Too many parents do not know their child as well as do their teachers.

The young child makes many of his own decisions without adult guidance and advice. Since they are not supervised and do not receive specific instructions they are not taught listening, organization, time management and other productive skills necessary for success. This is the major reason there is an epidemic of inability to focus. Even more damaging to the child’s development is many of them believe they can do complex activities without listening and practicing. Since they do it without listening they get frustrated and give up.  Yet a child thinks that trying something for a short interval is the same as mastering it.

This gives them a false sense of esteem and ability but does not prepare them to tackle the next more complicated task. Their frustration tolerance is not strengthened so they are discouraged to attempt more difficult tasks.  They gravitate to simple, repetitive activities in school. At home they become addicted to pressing the keys of their computer to get things done instantaneously and without any effort. The computer responds to their questions with specific answers that are difficult to put into context due to their limited experience. They become more self-involved in their own self-centered world. Effort and perseverance are not necessary in this magical world of the computer screen.

In this simulated world the child never has a chance to learn from reality where things are more complex to actually get something to work. Their thinking and behaving is not attached to what works in reality. The “protected bubble world” of the child does not allow anyone or anything to prepare him to face the real and harsh realities of life. They are shielded from accidents, natural disasters; random acts of violence, financial downturns, loss of loved ones, war and many other unexpected adversities that occur in one’s life. These realities in daily life are important to deal with in order to learn important coping skills, for which the experts who believe they are too fragile to handle them willfully deprive them.

Elders, parents, teachers, police officers, sergeants in the military and community leaders have the responsibility to step forward to teach and lead these young individuals to interact in a more accurate and mature manner. The person in charge should motivate the youngster to persevere until he conquers the particular challenge. These necessary attitudes, skills and behaviors have to be taught by someone with authority.

These people in charge assist others to be better equipped to succeed. This commitment is driven by their gratefulness towards the people who loved and guided them to ingrain the attitudes and skills necessary for success. In charge individuals feel obliged to pass it on.

Parents are the most significant authority figures in a child’s life. When they share their wisdom with the child they are doing a great service not only to them but also to the entire community and nation. These children eventually become citizens who are the backbone of our country.


Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio has a new book, just published entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.






Wednesday, November 02, 2016

THE CULTURE IS SPREAD BY MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO


THE CULTURE IS SPREAD BY “MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO”
By Domenick J. Maglio PhD Traditional Realist

There are many subcultures throughout a national culture. In a particular business the office culture of acceptable dress might be casual while another might be formal. The actual office dress code is not determined solely by a memo but by the clothes worn by the staff. It is the enforcement of the standards set by the head of the business not the directive that is most important. A new member of the staff will survey the actual office and determine what would be acceptable to wear.

In schools you see the same phenomenon in the culture of the classroom. It is dependent on what behavior is allowed or not. It is up to the teacher to establish the culture by creating and enforcing the rules. Many children will “push the envelope” until they are stopped or witness another student given a strong reprimand. The old adage “monkey see, monkey do” is as true today as it was in the past. Children, like adults follow the mini cultures established by others.
                                                                                                                                
In the long run any authority figure is as strong as his commitment to his word and mission. Parents are the first to establish acceptable and unacceptable behavior. These are instilled by the will and the consistency of the parent. Permissive parents will raise generally less respectful children who most likely will test the limits. While a more firm and fair parent will likely produce a better listening child who is more prone to follow the authority of others. This is one of the reasons fatherless children often have more difficulty complying with the demands of teachers and commands of police officers. By nature men are less tolerant.

The enforcement of acceptable and unacceptable actions by teachers, police officers or employers creates a subculture that will be spread not only by their perseverance but also more powerfully by their disciples. Each person role modeling the behavior and thinking of the authority figure will shape the behavior of others they touch. Even in this subculture the trained person will show what is acceptable or not by role modeling and direct intervention. “That is not the way we do it here, this is how it should be done.” The converse is chaos that runs amuck when authority figures are not allowed or willing to enforce the rules.

Even the national culture is greatly influenced by the head of the government, particularly by the president. This is naturally accomplished if he often uses the bully pulpit to speak to the nation. As the most influential person in the nation, his lead is imitated not only consciously but also unconsciously. His supporters amplify his message; the media attempting to gain access to the leader will naturally flatter him or her in their narratives to gain attention. Even his opponents keep the message alive by debating his ideas, which increases his legitimacy. Media, entertainers and other influential people copy the nonverbal gestures, manners and humor. The power of the presidency should not be underestimated nor the head of any organization.

The national culture shifts one way or another depending on the community, state and national leader’s philosophy of life. This percolates down to their supporters, who amplify these changes by their allegiance and support of their behavior of his actions and thoughts. Leadership on all levels impacts people’s actions.

The change is less impactful if the previous view of the culture is deeply rooted or more so if the current culture is superficial. A weakened culture with decaying institutions allows the head of the government and his minions to shift it radically. A family rooted culture with strong moral values reinforced by one’s religion is more resistant to a radical ideology. Destroying the moral values of the people allows government propaganda to be more readily accepted in this vacuum.

Only by revitalizing the institutions’ moral foundation can a long lasting just society prevail. Disciplined citizens who are solid in their values can halt repressive radical change. Strong established cultures might prevent or slow a disastrous breakdown in the cohesiveness of schools, culture, community and nation.

Disunity caused by cultural conflict is unsettling and destabilizing. We see the same phenomenon from daycare through high school. When classrooms have out-of-control students the other students will attempt to copy and impress each other by doing the wrong thing. These anti social peer groups become the direct instructors showing each other how to get recognition by doing obnoxious behaviors. Chaos reigns when corrupted in-charge community and national leaders teach children.

When parents demand the right behaviors from their children this training often prevents them from following inappropriate actions by out-of-control students. The same phenomenon happens at all levels of society. The leaders are the role models that set the standards and expectations that their subjects follow.

Monkey-see-monkey-do can be a good or bad thing depending on the group and its leader at the top. Be a dignified leader and the world will be a better moral, spiritual and productive place.



Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio has a new book, just published entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.