Imagine a company that has been in business 146 years whose current CEO has few scruples. Imagine the company’s most trusted advisers meeting frequently with the current 29th CEO to gamble (in some instances gambling property owned by non-participating company stockholders) at the CEO’s company-provided residence. Formal business attire is sacrificed—clothing askew; feet propped inappropriately on company furniture; cigarettes, cigars, intoxicating beverages, and firearms predominate; profanity; gluttonous amounts of food paid for with company funds at activities where no legal company business is being conducted.
This goes on “behind the scenes”. To the public, the CEO and his advisory board are highly regarded. Why? Foremost, the company is making an almost obscene amount of money for the shareholders—times have never been better. Additionally, the handsome CEO with a killer smile and members of the company advisory board make a tremendous public impression—one of strength, stability, nobility, wisdom and success.
What John Q. Public doesn’t know is that the CEO secretly indulges in several extramarital affairs, having fathered an unacknowledged child “out-of-wedlock”.
In truth, high-ranking employees of the company assist the CEO, per his orders, in securing opportunities for illicit rendezvous in the company penthouse. The CEO has more than once been blackmailed for these relationships, and that is the reason a high-ranking company attorney is kept on payroll to address any issues about illegality and immortality that might arise.
Thankfully, it must be noted that there are some high-level company employees who do not participate in or approve of these specious activities. Unfortunately, these same individuals turn their heads and ignore the happenings for their own personal reasons, some of which they themselves might not understand.
The CEO and his conspiring advisory board members are interested in only one thing—personal profit. This is their tie that binds. If others profit along the way that is more than acceptable, as this would lead to a possible defense of “the ends justifying the means”.
Most dangerously, the CEO sees his position in the company primarily as a face for the public, often not taking time to peruse company documents—he leaves this to members of his advisory board and their underlings. It does not occur to the CEO that he is complicit as CEO in every action undertaken by his employees during his tenure. The CEO spends his time having lunches and going on outings with others which might prove profitable “relationally” to the company’s bottom “figure”.
Some of the top leadership of the company use their sudden abundance of ill-gotten gain to begin living a lifestyle that seems out of congruence with what their salaries could afford. This tips off those in other divisions of the corporate world who get suspicious and begin taking a closer look at the company’s business ventures.
Just a few days past the one-year anniversary of the current CEO’s assumption of leadership the indiscretions become public. In the ensuring fallout, at least one leader is murdered, though the crime is made to look suicidal. Another top-ranking company official is remanded to prison.
Ultimately, this leads to fraudulent allegations that are later founded and released to the public. How does the CEO react? He takes his message of good will to the public at large, who are still for the most part blissfully ignorant of the workings of the machine. The CEO is well-received, though he dies somewhat questionably at the conclusion of his mission of company good will.
After his death, the happenings of the company during the recently departed CEO’s stint of service become more public. Future generations will come to connect the deceased CEO’s name with one word—corruption.
Parallel these imaginings with events of early 1920s United States history, when the Executive Branch of the United States Government was administered by the 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding.
For anyone anxious about the future and curious about the past of our great country, I invite you to read Confronting the Presidents by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (New York, St. Martin’s Press 2024, 232-239) from which inspiration for this article was derived. Also consider Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV), “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
Choose wisely as you cast your vote for the next “CEO” of the Executive Branch of the United States Government.

ANSWER TO QUESTION OF THE WEEK # 35
What is the reason given by 38% of women for accepting dates from men? (ANSWER: It has been stated that 38% of women accept dates for the free meals.)

QUESTION OF THE WEEK # 36
A man bought a world map, gave his wife a dart, and said, “Throw this and wherever it lands, I will take you on vacation.” The wife threw the dart at the map. Where will the couple be vacating? (See next week’s article in historicunioncounty.com for the answer.)

QUOTES FROM EMAIL
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."—Thomas Jefferson

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."—Thomas Jefferson

“I believe the water won’t clear till you get the pigs out of the creek.”
--Louisiana State Senator John Kennedy

“If we ever forget that we’re one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation gone under.”
--President Ronald Reagan