Jim Schultz’s Post

1/1: Title: “Promoting Political Integrity and Constitutional Freedoms: The Role of Self-Empathy and Ethical Governance” Abstract: This article explores the critical role of self-empathy and ethical integrity in political governance, emphasizing the importance of promoting constitutional freedoms and democratic values. By integrating principles from the article “Scientific Precision in Communication: The Role of Self-Empathy and Ethical Integrity,” we analyze how political representatives can foster integrity, honesty, and a commitment to democracy. The discussion focuses on practical strategies for political leaders to embody and promote these values, enhancing public trust and effective governance. Key Points: 1. Introduction to Political Integrity: • Definition and significance of political integrity in democratic governance. • The importance of self-empathy and ethical behavior in political leadership. 2. The Role of Self-Empathy in Political Governance: • How self-empathy enhances self-awareness and moral decision-making in political contexts. • The impact of empathetic leadership on public trust and political accountability. 3. Promoting Constitutional Freedoms: • Analysis of the constitutional principles that underpin democratic governance and individual freedoms. • Strategies for political leaders to uphold and advocate for constitutional rights. Courtesy to Priya Waller Media and Communications Experts UK 🇬🇧

Check out this article on the importance of accountable government spending, audits, and the need to support cross-party collaboration, all necessary components of #democracy, and #accountability. Thank you to the authors @SheilaFraser, Michael Pickup, FCPA, FCA, Denise Hanrahan, CPA, MBA, ICD.D, Michèle Galipeau, FCPA auditrice, and, Carol Bellringer, FCPA, FCA https://lnkd.in/gpjtb4m7

Latest SiC : Report Rethinking Security in the Blue Pacific Region, edited by Van Jackson The Blue Pacific—a vast oceanic region of states, nations, and non-sovereign territories—is a key site of contradiction for not only U.S. foreign policy but for Western romanticism about how the world works. It is a highly militarized region—and becoming more so—yet home to only three Pacific Island militaries. Its people express a clear-eyed sense of the security priorities that concretely threaten them—climate change, economic immiseration, political corruption, and gender violence—yet it is military and policing considerations that dominate how outside powers engage with the region. And whereas regionalism is the heart of Blue-Pacific politics, bilateralism is the dominant mode for dealing with militarized security issues.

In the realm of legal discourse, the phrase “left or right, the law is the law” has been a focal point of discussion. This phrase underscores the rule of law’s significance, which should be upheld irrespective of political affiliations or ideological leanings. It suggests that the law should be impartial and universally applicable, devoid of bias or prejudice. The rule of law is a cornerstone of modern democratic societies, holding all individuals and institutions, including the government, accountable. It ensures the impartial application of laws and prevents arbitrary actions. However, this principle is under threat in many nations due to political polarization, corruption, and democratic institutions’ erosion. In such scenarios, the phrase “left or right, the law is the law” serves as a crucial reminder to uphold the rule of law and resist attempts to undermine it. The phrase also emphasizes separating political ideology from legal principles. Laws should be based on objective principles rather than political preferences. This separation is vital for ensuring fair and equal application of laws. However, political ideologies often influence law-making processes, leading to potential power abuses and rule of law erosion. Therefore, vigilance is necessary to prevent the law from being used as a tool for advancing specific political agendas. #RuleOfLaw #LegalDiscourse #Democracy #lawisthelaw #legal #law #politics #government #politicians Global Governance Initiative U.S. Department of State Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Women in the Law UK American Bar Association

On Public Interest What is the public interest? A concept that justifies various intrusions into the private sphere, its meaning remains elusive. Is it a simple sum of individual interests or a completely separate entity? Or is public interest perhaps just a euphemism for the government interest? In the United States, the concept first became known in the 1877 Supreme Court case Munn v. Illinois, dealing with the government regulation of prices established by private companies. Despite companies arguing they enjoy protection by due process and the equal protection clause enshrined in the 14th Amendment, the decision irreversibly introduced the concept of public interest in the U.S. constitutional system. In Europe, things have always been different. Without a strong sense of individual rights and privacy, European legal systems provide governments with broad discretion in matters of public intervention in the private lives of their citizens. Take the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, for example. Even when it comes to the most basic rights and freedoms, such as the rights to free expression and private and family life, the Convention provides exceptions for public interest reasons. Governments can interfere with these rights if such intervention is necessary to protect national security, public health, or morals (among other exceptions). What is public interest for you? Is it a concept necessary for the proper functioning of the government? Or do you view it as a vague political term that contradicts the idea of limited government and compromises the fundamental, inalienable rights, such as individual liberty and self-ownership? #government #publicinterest #law #liberty #individualrights #privacy

My latest piece in The Canberra Times on what we can learn from the Sofronoff Inquiry in the ACT. Read in the link below 👇 #auspol  #politics #reform #government #publicinquiry #publicpolicy #accountability https://lnkd.in/gEtjA4JV

To remain current, any business or government should continually review it's policies and procedures. It is important to be open to what decisions were made by outdated or minimal data, or even worse opinion, and take time to reflect on the above and take stock. Circumstances change, new information becomes available and data can show up the inadequacies of poor decisions based on bad data or worse bad opinions. Group think is not science it's in the realm of religion. The House Oversight Committee in the US is taking the time to review the anti science approach of adopting an individuals doctrines and narratives that led to group think. Any business that is still running with policies and procedures based upon these without review are continuing to harm not just their business but their employees and individuals. https://lnkd.in/gvydThDG

📚 #NewIssue alert! The latest Hague Journal on the Rule of Law (#HJRL) is out, including three new articles (2 #openaccess). Explore insights on topics such as EU exceptionalism, transitional justice, and the role of private power in the EU. 🔗 Read the new issue here: https://lnkd.in/eq8QYeQY #AsserPress #InternationalLaw #EULaw

In his piece for Project Syndicate, James A. Goldston, Executive Director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, points to a relationship often overlooked by human rights organizations and advocates of justice. The seminal tribunals for prosecuting atrocities committed by the Axis powers during World War II were both born in and riven by Cold War politics and the victors' national self-interest. The key issues are 'politics and the victors' national self-interest.' Those who win the war often dictate the rules governing the defeated party(ies). This dynamic is evident in most post-conflict contexts, shaping the criminal justice paradigm in the post-WWII era. From Japan to Germany, Rwanda to South Africa and Sudan, the impact of politics on law is unmistakable. https://lnkd.in/gGgThUia In the context of the Nuremberg Trials, I have argued that the double standards cast a long shadow over the paradigm of justice after WWII. The trials solely targeted the defeated forces, with Allied-appointed judges and prosecutors. Notably, the atrocities committed by the Allies during the war, such as the firebombing of Tokyo, the destruction of Dresden, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were excluded from the trial proceedings (Contemporary Justice Review (Vol. 22, 2019 - Issue 2)). https://lnkd.in/g3g-CTt7 In the case of Japan, the hypocrisy was even more pronounced, as “Indian judge Radhabinod Pal’s scathing 1,200-page dissent emphasized, the Tokyo proceedings were built on multiple layers of colonialism and racism.” Despite Japan’s imperial crimes against the people of East and Southeast Asia, aggression charges included only Japanese attacks against British, French, and Dutch colonial possessions. James notes that “both seminal tribunals were born in, and riven by, emerging Cold War politics; they were plagued by real and perceived double standards and hypocrisy; and their legacies are as complicated as their origins.” https://lnkd.in/gGgThUia

“The #PardonPower is unlikely to generally endanger the overall constitutional structure, but when you are not in the oval exercising the powers of the office in fundamentally good faith, fundamentally in the public interest, but instead for quite narrow self-interest preservation points, these substantive limitations on the power that derive from the #Constitution as a whole and the role of the other branches really come into play and take on a serious role in upholding our total constitutional system and ensuring that abuses of power by one person or one branch don’t undermine our constitutional republic as a whole.” —Justin Florence, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Protect Democracy 💡 Wise words from Justin Florence, accentuating the critical importance of checks and balances in safeguarding the integrity of our Constitution and #democracy, especially concerning the pardon power. ⚖️✨ 🙌 Earlier today, I had the privilege of attending a thought-provoking webinar organized by the Society for the Rule of Law, featuring insights from Gary Schmitt of the American Enterprise Institute, Gregg Nunziata of the Society for the Rule of Law, Shannen Coffin of Steptoe LLP, and Justin Florence of Protect Democracy. The expert panel discussed the history of the pardon power, its use cases and instances of abuse, and the implications on our constitutional system. 🙏 A big thank you to the Society for the Rule of Law for organizing the webinar (loved getting the chance to expand my knowledge on this topic!) and to the speakers for sharing their invaluable insights! 📹 Didn’t get to tune into the webinar live? You can catch the recording here: https://buff.ly/4dMiGxf #ConstitutionalLaw #USGov