In the US today we are starting to see the effects of generations who are unaware of the three branches of government, why they were created, and what they do.

But the recent decisions by the Judicial Department against the excesses of the Executive Department are a much needed cold bucket of water dousing too much hot air and smoke about what is true.

So what is true?

According to Merriam-Webster and others, truth is “in accordance with the facts” and truth is “actuality.” The idea that “truth is not truth” or that there are “alternative facts” ultimately holds no water with the Department of Justice. It is their job to ascertain the facts. And that is exactly what they’re doing.

Their job is to adjudicate the laws and, based on the facts, render a judgment. These facts are not subject to a vote. They exist outside of opinion and politics. They either took place in actuality or they did not.

The judicial department is there for a reason. The founding fathers, concerned about the excesses of King George, didn’t want a repeat in the new nation. They appreciated the power and necessity for a strong executive, but they knew it had to be constrained. They thought the legislature would act as a constraint on the executive. But just in case it didn’t, as is the case currently, they created an independent judiciary that would be guided by facts and the law – sort of a safety net.

The problem with justice is that it moves so slowly. It takes time to get the facts. It takes time to get to the truth. But it does happen eventually, even though much damage can continue to take place before its verdicts are read.

We need to get back to the facts.

Here’s a fact: in California, we saw a 7-mile high “fire tornado,” a 3000-degree pillar of fire spinning at 160+ miles an hour with a footprint the size of three football fields. This happened during the largest wildfire in the state’s history, part of the increasing and undeniable fact of climate change.

Obviously, Mother Nature is not going to take a break as she inches toward a global climate less suitable for human habitation than any we have seen. She’s not going to wait until the final judgment about whether this change is man-made or whether or not we can do something about it.

This is why we can’t sit around waiting for justice to run its course.

This is why the founding fathers had the wisdom to realize that the people needed to speak every two years in the elections for the House of Representatives. They set up another safety net to protect against a runaway executive and that was the power to actually recall the chief executive through articles of impeachment.

But of course, that won’t work unless a majority of the members of the House vote the same way. And that gets it back to the people because that won’t happen unless the people vote for representatives who are willing to use this constitutional check and balance.

We know all this sounds rudimentary to many of our readers. But reading the news these days, we felt obligated to restate the obvious. There is obviously a large group within our country who is not aware of the simple reasons for checks and balances and the three divisions of our government. The recent actions by the Department of Justice are giving them a crash course in high school civics. And Mother Nature is giving us a crash course in reality. Like it or not, climate change is a fact.

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Civics the Hard Way appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

When she was a little girl, she would visit her immigrant grandfather, a successful bootstrap businessman, who would win every argument with what he called, “the actual facts.”  She recounts, “After each visit, on the drive home, my sister and I would snicker about my grandfather’s Actual Facts – a ridiculous, redundant phrase. We knew that facts were facts. Period.”

She is “astounded” that today we are talking about “alternative facts,” “fake news,” and “post-truth.” She goes on to say, “it’s frightening” when elected leaders around the world distort the facts. She says, “Clearly, it’s the ideal time to publish this month’s cover, a scientific exploration of why we lie.”

All our lives, we have trusted National Geographic to tell us the truth about our world, our society, and our environment. We still do. There’s lots of pictures. Hence the name, geographic. It’s hard to argue with pictures. And the stories that accompany the pictures are written by scientists and certified experts who give us the stories behind the pictures in non-political terms – just the facts.

Yet we’ve gone so far in doubting the truth and choosing to believe in alternatives that we have allowed a level of confusion to undermine our ability to act. As long as politicians and interest groups can confuse us, they will be able to forward their own selfish, short-sighted agendas at the price of our future.

The June issue of National Geographic examines lying in detail. What we find most disturbing is the tendency so many folks have to choose to believe what they want, what works for them, and what does not require any action. This allows them to be pandered to by interest groups who now, thanks to the advent of digital era, can proliferate the kind of news these folks want to read. Now that we can choose our news sources, it’s easier for us to be manipulated.

From a business stand point it has become more important to cater to your followers with what they want to read than it is to educate them – especially if it is an uncomfortable education that requires action. This is why we love the National Geographic. It’s educational and the implications of its scientific reports are actionable. It’s one of the solid rocks of integrity remaining in our society. We wish we could give everyone a free subscription!

Meanwhile, their report says that when we lie, it is most often to coverup a mistake or misdeed. The number two reason is to gain financial advantage. With that said, politicians and interest groups are the ones that should be scrutinized, and not the scientists. The overwhelming majority of scientists clearly have no motive beyond professionalism, service, and the long-term betterment of mankind.

Integrity in business translates to dependability, delivering value, consistent messaging over time, and claims that are verifiable and supported by certified experts. Businesses that subscribe to these principles tend to withstand the test of time. Such is the case with National Geographic. They are documenting our world in a way that is hard to argue with. In these days of alternative facts, National Geographic has earned its reputation of an institution of great integrity and is a bastion of “Actual Facts.”

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Integrity Is the Basis for Trust appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.