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thoughts-on-bangtan · 3 years

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Let’s talk: RUN Episode 131

by Admin 1

I know I’ve probably said this about literally every episode but this one was so fun! Admin 2 and I were honestly laughing almost the entire time while also trying our best to follow along their “debates” and just taking in all the chaos. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Quick recap: in this episode we’re at the pool that belongs to the same hotel at which they had lunch at the end of the previous episode and the objective is twofold--not get wet and win a debate. That’s basically it, it’s like the mint chocolate debate episode but even more hilarious and with the addition of wet Bangtan.

Something I truly love is how it took vmin exactly 57 seconds (which includes the 18 second long intro) to find some kind of ‘reason’ to hold/shake hands behind JKs back. Because of course they did.

After the whole “mess” that ensued after the Titanic preview picture was posted yesterday, I can basically just say one thing--there was literally no need whatsoever to get all anxious and uncertain about the picture, or anything the shippers made out of it. As always the best course of action, which is the one I usually apply, is waiting until we get the full thing so we have context for what we’re shown in the picture/teaser/scene. It’s like that scene at the end of one of the ITS episodes where Jimin goes to JK to tell him about a supposed leak in his room which was taken way out of context and proportions until we got the next episode a week later and the actual events were completely different from anything and everything that was theorized.

So, what’s the lesson? Wait until we get the full thing, dear fellow vminnies, that way we can avoid making each other anxious and unsure.

Anyway, let’s get into it by starting with the ‘warm-up’ which consisted of one-on-one “battles” where the members stood on these floating foamy mats being held by two staff members and having to make each other fall into the water by playing the hand pushing game.

Yoongi VS Jimin -- I like how the two shortest members went against each other, which I’d assume might’ve had something to do with Yoongi’s shoulder and how chances of Jimin hurting him due to his height/size/weight were the smallest as opposed to Namjoon or even Hoseok. Maybe I’m imagining/overthinking things but it seemed like Jimin was a little hesitant/careful in how he approached the game and in the way he touched Yoongi, which honestly is very thoughtful and cute of him if that’s true, considering his shoulder and all. In the end Yoongi, after they basically goofed around more than actually tried to push each other, offers a deal of just doing it once properly, ending in both of them falling in the water since Yoongi leans forward, hugs Jimin and drags him down with him.

Tae VS Hobi -- These two might’ve been the quickest, given how Hobi said he’s scared at least three times and Tae basically use a moment to ‘attack’ where Hobi was distracted by the fact that a moment prior he thought Tae almost would’ve hit him in the face with his forehead on accident. That lucky did not happen, but Hobi did end up in the water and Tae remained on the float and completely dry.

Namjoon VS Seokjin -- Now these two, how can I put my thoughts/feelings into cohesive words and sentences instead of just a long key smash? They were hilarious, and their round definitely took the longest out of all of them, both trying to make the other fall yet simultaneously seeming like they weren’t trying all that hard since neither wanted to land in the water? After all before the game started Seokjin did complain how the RUN crew told him they wouldn’t have to get into the water. And yet, in the end, after a visible moment of contemplation, Namjoon hugs Seokjin (who hugs him back) and they fall into the water together (when I tell you how much I love them, wow).

JK VS Jimin --Here’s where we get the Titanic moment while JK and Jimin stand on the float and are being pulled to the middle of the pool, the members immediately jumping in with Hobi going “Jack, come back” in a breathy voice while Yoongi (?) sings the melody of My Heart Will Go On and everyone is laughing. It was an absolutely hilarious and cute moment. What made me laugh the most during the whole thing were the Jimin heads used to hide whatever, which I as a joke called the “Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra (Head Edition)” while talking to Admin 2. During the game itself Jimin and JK are hilarious, slapping each other’s chests and trying different tricks to make the other fall, showing how amazing their core strength and balance is, but eventually Jimin shoves JKs chest and JK falls into the water, winning the game since Jimin “cheated” and thus lost.

Seokjin VS Tae -- Interesting to note is how Jimin remained in the water and close by while these two were playing. Seokjin and Tae though somehow seemed the most chaotic out of all of them, despite Seokjin offering that they should just do it in one go...which didn’t work out. They leaned into each other twice while laughing before starting to “wrestle” until Tae put his arms around Seokjin’s waist and basically threw him into the water while subsequently being pulled after him and falling in as well. Sometimes I think we forget how strong Tae is (though after his BE_log earlier today I doubt we’ll forget that again any time soon).

Once “warm-up” was done, the members were split into two groups of three while one person, the MC, sat in the middle in a glass box (though missing the front glass panel). The rules were established and we basically figured out that there are water canons in front of the seated members and a bigger one releasing water onto the member sitting in the middle. They got words and things they were not allowed to do/say since otherwise they would get splashed.

Safe to say they all fairly quickly looked even more like very wet puppies. I mean look at Yoongi and his cute curly poodle hair, adorable!

The debate portion itself was about “crunchy or soft cereal”, “eggs of peas on jjajangmyeon” and “firm or soft peaches” and truly more chaotic shouting than actually debating. The team members and the “MC” changed for each round, which lasted 11 minutes each. Who debated what was chosen by the crew (or the MC). My highlights for the cereal debate (besides Seokjin cutely complaining how he prefers his cereal soggy and Namjoon equally cutely telling him to just pretend he likes it crunchy) were Yoongi (who was team soggy cereal) and his argument that since Kendrick Lamar eats soggy cereal, that’s basically the winning argument, Namjoon arguing that since “cereal” and “crunchy” both start with a c that’s the only right answer, and Tae arguing that if you eat chocolate cereal it’ll melt and you’ll additionally get chocolate milk so obviously soggy cereal is better. The jjajangmyeon portion had discussions about prices, as well as Hobi (team peas) arguing he doesn’t like seeing animals in pain (which was quickly countered by JK saying he’d just eaten pork before the episode) and Tae generally being appalled by having to argue in favor of peas since he doesn’t like them yet used the argument that his dad likes them so if you argue against them...well.

And finally the peaches debate had Tae and his galaxy brain using their Chilsung Cider ads as argument and how the peaches in it were firm since they bounced and thus they are better, which JK tried to counter by pointing out that those were just CGI to which Tae basically said he’s insulting their beautiful ads, how dare. I also love how Jimin, who was on Tae’s team, went along with whatever nonsense argument Tae came up with as though it was the most logical one in the world. Just lovely soulmate things, we love to see it. Speaking of nonsensical arguments, you have to give points to Namjoon for his ability to sound like he’s making perfectly sensible and logical arguments while doing, well, the exact opposite. Or Yoongi who just bs-ed his way through the entire thing while acting totally serious about it.

Can we please have a quick look at the following screenshot:

And now, can we please talk about how everyone is nicely sitting in their designated place with space between them...and then there’s vmin who are like magnets because “Space who? We don’t know her”.

Admin 2 asked me to add their comment/thought about how it looks juuuuust a little as though vmin may or may not have been holding hands below the table, which, I mean, we’ll never know but, at this point (especially after the BE unit unboxing video) I wouldn’t even be surprised if it were true.

At one point when Seokjin became the MC the water kept on coming and coming and the members were desperate to figure out what was the thing they were doing that caused it. Jimin thought it could be the caps that some of them wore, so without hesitation or question, he took off Tae’s cap (bless Jimin for giving us another view at wet hair Tae, truly) and then, I swear, it looks like he wanted to ruffle Tae’s hair yet just a second before making contact he stops himself and instead turns his hand in like a “I’m presenting some kind of argument” way. Adorable.

A final note goes out to the fact that they are wearing white button downs which, I mean, makes perfect sense I guess? And also how the crew gave them bathrobes so they’d stay warm, I’d assume, yet very quickly those were drenched as well thanks to the water canons so it basically defeated the purpose completely. And yet, despite all the water etc they all look fantastic.

Overall it’s a hilarious episode that’ll give your stomach muscles and lungs an amazing workout. Bangtan were their chaotic, loud, and mischievous selves and honestly, I can’t wait to see what else they’ll debate in the next episode.

#vmin #RUN BTS #RUN BTS episode 131 #BTS #Taehyung #Jimin #Namjoon #Seokjin #Yoongi #Hoseok #Jungkook #namjin

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hudsonespie · 4 years

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The China Challenge: Remaking the Landscape of Transatlantic Security

For much of its history, China has been a major global power.

And after a lapse of three centuries, it has made a resounding comeback.

Over the last four decades, China has re-emerged as the world’s largest trade and shipping nation, the second biggest economy, the second biggest military power, and a technological giant.

Our security has always been affected by developments in other parts of the world, including in Asia. Not least because the two countries that have had the greatest impact on European security – Russia and the US – are Pacific powers.

Today, however, China’s influence is much more direct. China is no longer only a regional power affecting US military posture in the Pacific. It is a global power.

With the means and capabilities to influence international law and institutions.

With the strength and technology to be a key competitor of the US in some areas.

And with a value set that differs from our liberal norms.

It was in a period of great power rivalry that the international system was established.

The current era is different, though. Gone is the iron curtain. Our economies are intertwined; markets have become global and the level of interdependence between countries is higher than we ever imagined it would be.

The differences between military and civilian technology have also become more subtle. And the world seems poised for a fourth industrial revolution that could once again transform our societies in profound ways.

In other words, not only will a new bipolar order be very different from the past one. Our old mental maps, strategies and solutions will probably be highly inadequate as well.

Containment, for instance, is not a viable path to the future we want. China is the largest trading partner for more than 100 countries, and it is a major stakeholder in global health efforts. It is both the world’s largest coal nation and a major innovator in renewable energy.

Indeed, when it comes to addressing some of the major challenges of our time, China is an indispensable partner. And we need to develop our cooperation further.

If we are to keep the transatlantic bond strong, we must also use other means than we did 30 years ago. The transatlantic community is not only bigger today. It is also much more diverse.

So how can we pursue a constructive relationship with China and safeguard the benefits of globalisation, while enhancing our security and keeping the transatlantic bond strong?

***

Over the past few decades, China’s GDP has increased 25 times in real terms, poverty is down more than 65 percentage points since 1990, while infant mortality has dropped a whopping 91 percentage points since 1970.

China has become a massive manufacturing base and a huge market, importing everything from salmon to semiconductors.

Norway has benefited from China’s growth in cheap imports and high prices on our exports.

The financial crisis that began in 2009 would have hurt the global economy far more, had it not been for the cushioning effect of China’s continued growth.

Meanwhile, on the international stage China is engaging in the current multilateral system.

In the 1984, China acceded to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, and for years it has abided by the Missile Technology Control Regime.

Between 2000 and 2018, China supported 182 of 190 UN Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on states violating international rules.

With 2,500 deployed personnel, China has more UN peacekeepers, than the other permanent UN Security Council members combined. And it is the second largest funder of the UN and UN peacekeeping missions.

Finally but importantly, China has not been involved in armed conflict or insurgencies since the early 1980s.

***

But, increasingly the praise for China’s achievements is giving way to concerns – from many quarters – about the aims and ambitions of the emerging superpower:

Concerns that China is using various methods, including cyber operations, in influence campaigns across the world.

Concerns about the human rights situation in China

Fears that China will dominate technology development in the future, including in the military domain.

Concerns about the Chinese model of state capitalism and whether or not it allows for free and fair competition.

And worries from countries in the region about China’s role in the South China Sea.

This widespread unease is not surprising. To a certain degree it has to do with the sheer size and global reach of the new China. The pace at which it has risen to prominence. As well as a growing awareness of differences in terms of political values, ideals and worldviews.

A more powerful China is seeking to influence and shape multilateral institutions in line with its interest.

Militarily speaking it has also grown much stronger. 30 years ago, it would not have made it onto Nato’s top five list, in terms of military spending. Today, China’s military budget is about as big as all of Nato’s European military budgets combined.

Chinese capabilities are also developing at an staggering rate. In some areas – missiles, cyberspace, artificial intelligence – China is seen not only as a near-peer competitor, but as a real contender and a leading innovator.

***

Most observers tend to agree that we are seeing a more multipolar, or even bipolar, world order in the making.

But we have to remain prudent and balanced in our assessment of the implications of this.

The world is changing, but it has not been turned upside down.

Nato remains the backbone of Norway’s security policy, and the US remains our most important ally.

The course of history is not deterministic either.

Bipolarity does not inevitably lead to instability, rivalry or conflict. What matters is the way we handle it and the choices we make. As the past 40 years have shown, the emergence of new powers can also contribute greatly to global wealth, stability and security.

Euro-Atlantic security is still primarily evolving in response to events in our own region, such as:

• A more capable and assertive Russia; • An unstable North Africa and Middle East; and • A bigger and more diverse Alliance.

This is unlikely to change in the short term. The same holds true for Allied cohesion. In the long run, rivalry between great powers might take its toll on this cohesion. But as interesting as such speculation may be, it is still far from being a reality. Allied cohesion is still predominantly challenged by internal factors, such as:

• The issue of burden-sharing; • Pressure against common values emanating from within the alliance; and • Member states having different threat perceptions.

China’s rise may amplify these challenges. Burden-sharing, for instance, may become an even more pressing issue, as US military needs in the Indo-Pacific continue to increase.

But again, we are not there yet. In fact, the US presence in Europe is larger today than it has been for years. And while the US expects Nato Allies to deliver on the two percent pledge, the US has required far more of some of its allies in Asia.

Developments in threat perceptions across the Alliance also lend little credence to the idea that the two continents will drift apart in the near future. Attitudes seem to a certain degree to be converging rather than diverging on China – a trend that is also consistent with Allied history.

In contrast to many other international organisations, Nato has tended to grow stronger and more united in the face of external challenges. The Suez crisis, 9/11 and the Korean war are three very different, but compelling examples of this.

***

We should not overestimate China’s influence on transatlantic cohesion. But nor should we underestimate its impact on international peace and security. Power shifts bring both opportunities and challenges.

First, in terms of technology. Global markets, where mature and emerging actors compete, are key to developing the technology we need to address major common challenges. But new technology will also change the face of defence and deterrence in the future.

High-end capabilities (cyber capabilities, advanced missile systems, drones and autonomous platforms), are becoming far more prevalent and accessible. This is the case for a growing number of countries, not only for China. It is already challenging the West’s military power. And it will make it even more expensive for us to maintain our technological edge in the years to come.

This is not a ‘China challenge’ per se. But China is seen as the main competitor to the US in this area, and this triggers public debate on rivalry between the US and China.

Second, the distinction between civilian and military innovation is becoming less clear-cut than it was in the past. GPS, the internet, digital cameras and computers all originated in the military domain and then made the transition to our daily lives. Today the tide is turning.

In an increasing number of strategically important areas, the private sector is spearheading innovation, research and development. The strongest powers of tomorrow will probably be those that are most successful at quickly identifying and using civilian technology and effectively integrating it into military strategy and doctrine.

Indeed, our defence and security will continue to become more reliant on a private sector that is both global and digital. And by extension, our value chains are getting longer, more complex and potentially more vulnerable.

Third, the rivalry between China and the US is not primarily of a military nature. It is also economic, cultural and political. When it comes to security, Europe is not wedged between two great powers. But a more multipolar or bipolar world order will challenge us in other areas.

We must make sure that supply chains that are critical to Allied defence and deterrence are reliable and secure. But containment cannot be our answer. Closed economic systems may be very secure, but they will not produce the technology and trade dividends we need to meet other objectives: to resolve the climate crisis, reach the Sustainable Development Goals or reform our welfare societies so that they can effectively deal with an aging population.

So where do we draw the line? How do we protect critical infrastructure and intellectual property while maintaining global markets and ensuring fair competition?

Fourth, more is at stake today than the last time the world faced bipolarity: world markets, free trade, institutions and agreements are all vital to the way our world works. Ideally, we should now be further developing the international architecture. Instead, we are increasingly caught up in an effort to safeguard the existing system in the face of growing pressure, rather than adapting it to new challenges.

In terms of disarmament, we already know to a large degree what mechanisms and tools work. They have been tried and tested during, as well as after, the Cold War. That is to say, under both a bipolar and a unipolar order. But at present, the political climate does not allow us to move forward as we should have done.

Last but, not least, China and the West have different value sets. During the Cold War, our different values were to a certain extent confined to specific countries or blocs of countries. Today, our value sets meet, compete and are played out in the same arenas.

China seems increasingly intent on influencing international law and institutions, and does not shy away from exerting pressure on countries that make choices that are not to its liking. This is by no means unique to China. In fact, it is quite common for great powers. But the differences between our value sets make it more challenging than before.

***

So how can we deal with these challenges?

Power shifts and multipolarity have traditionally been associated with a number of risks: shifting and opportunistic alliances, secrecy, and inherent instability. I do not believe there is a single way to avoid dangers of this kind. We have to pursue multiple tracks at the same time.

First, we have to preserve the multilateral system. And we need to do so by being both innovative and pragmatic.

China is benefiting hugely from international stability and the current world order. It continues to work within the market-based world economy, and within the structures of existing multilateral institutions.

As a major stakeholder in the international system, China should be allowed and encouraged to take full part and play a constructive role in the whole range of existing multilateral institutions.

The process of admitting China on equal terms into existing institutions has been too slow. For instance, the IMF and the World Bank remain Euro-American in important respects, at least in terms of their formal governing structure.

It will be just as important to include China fully when new rules have to be made, such as in the areas of trade and intellectual property, cybersecurity and social media, and climate change.

The engagement of all great powers in international governance has been one of the strengths of the international system we have built since 1945, in contrast to previous structures.

We, for our part, have to be pragmatic. Norway is cooperating more closely with likeminded countries. But in key areas such as climate or trade, we should not be averse to also cooperating with other countries, like China, when they have a similar interest in finding constructive solutions.

Second, foreign policy can never be only interest-driven. We will always work to protect and promote international law and human rights, which are of fundamental importance to international relations, and to our countries and populations. This is also why I was very clear in my support for the Foreign Minister of Sweden before Christmas, in the face of Chinese criticism. As liberal European countries, we cannot, and will not, renounce the values that have made our countries free and prosperous. Freedom of expression is fundamental to our societies and must be respected.

As partners Norway and China discuss areas where we agree and disagree, and we meet regularly to consult. We advance Norwegian interests comprehensively. We discuss how to develop our cooperation. And we voice our concern about the human rights situation in China. The situation in Xinjiang is of special concern, and has been addressed repeatedly in bilateral meetings. The last being our political consultations on 9 January. And multiple times in the UN, both in Geneva and New York.

We addressed Xinjiang during the Universal Periodic Review of China in November 2018; when we adopted the report in March 2019; in a joint letter with 21 other countries to the UN Human Rights Council in July; in a national statement at the Human Rights Council session in September; and most recently at the UN in New York in October last year.

Third, Nato is both a North Atlantic defence alliance and a political alliance. We do not see a big role for the Alliance in Asia. But it needs to have situational awareness in regions that may have a bearing on transatlantic security. The Indo-Pacific region is very important to the US. It is a region where the US has key allies. And just like the North Atlantic, it is a region where modern capabilities are being put into operation, and where the future of defence and deterrence may be defined.

Norway has therefore welcomed discussions in Nato on developments in China and the Indo-Pacific region. Strengthening the political bonds among allies has always been key to forging a strong alliance that can adapt to new challenges.

Norway has, for years, also been a strong advocate of further developing Nato’s partnerships with Asian countries, including China. Dialogue on different levels is the best antidote to suspicion, distrust and misunderstandings.

We also have common interests that could form the basis for future cooperation. Today, much is being written about China’s new facilities in Djibouti. We tend to forget that a decade ago the same region (the waters outside the Horn of Africa) was where Chinese and Nato vessels first sailed alongside each other, in the fight against piracy. Albeit as part of separate operations.

I am encouraged by China’s willingness in recent years to take strong responsibility for UN peacekeeping. Complex crises across the globe are increasing the requirements of UN peace operations, in terms of finances, personnel and capabilities. Indeed, China’s growing capabilities are not only a challenge, they are also an opportunity. They can pave the way for closer cooperation in areas such as counter-piracy, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping.

Fourth, as Nato Allies, we must strengthen efforts to build resilient societies. Not to contain China, but to tackle the inherent weaknesses and challenges of global and digital supply chains.

Our defence and deterrence not only rely on military capabilities. They also rely on a resilient civilian sector and resources must be available and reliable in a crisis.

However, in striving to achieve that end, we must maintain a principled and transparent approach with regard to how we regulate our markets. We will always do our utmost to maintain competition and allow all companies to bid on public contracts in the civilian sector.

Indeed, competition is essential to fostering new technology at affordable prices.

Competition is a two-way street. We expect China to make every effort to ensure its markets are open to our capital, products and services, in the same way as Europe is open to Chinese exports and investment. And it must refrain from practices that distort competition or infringe on intellectual property rights.

Fifth, Nato Allies and European partners should strengthen their industrial and technological cooperation. We have to make sure that enough resources are invested in research and development. Moreover, a bipolar or multipolar world order is likely to create further inflationary pressure in the defence sector. Therefore, we should revitalise our efforts to promote smart defence in Nato, and make sure we get as many capabilities out of our resources as possible. Norway is also supportive of initiatives such as the European Defence Fund, the European Intervention Initiative, Pesco and Nato’s Framework Nation Concept.

Finally, but importantly, for the first time in 400 years, the world’s political and economic centre of gravity is shifting away from Europe and towards Asia. This is happening as we are on the brink of what some have called a fourth industrial revolution. With breakthroughs expected in areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, genetic engineering, and autonomous systems

However, despite all these changes, our security architecture (CFE, the now-defunct INF, New Start, Open Skies, the OSCE, the Council of Europe etc.) remains, by and large, Euro-Atlantic and adapted to the world as it was in the 1940s or mid-1990s.

This is by no means an excuse for the attempts we are seeing by some to undermine the European security architecture. But in a number of areas there certainly seems to be a need for agreements, institutions and practices that also include emerging military powers such as China. Without China’s participation, there is a risk that new disarmament agreements, for instance, will be irrelevant.

***

In conclusion, the path ahead of us is full of dilemmas and difficult decisions. We have to find the right balance between cooperation and competition. Between security and prosperity.

In line with its size and power, China will seek to shape international norms and institutions in its image, just as other great powers have done before it. And as a result of its economy, size, military power and technology, it will continue to evolve as serious contender to US and Western power.

But provided we manage to safeguard the multilateral system, China’s rise will also continue to provide opportunities for the rest of the world, as it has done over the past 40 years, in many different areas.

Should Norway succeed in winning a seat in the elections to the UN Security Council this June, China will be a partner in many of our priority areas. We are already working together in the area of peace and reconciliation, where China is playing a key role in many critical situations. I outlined Norway’s main priorities in the area of peace and reconciliation in a keynote speech at a peace conference during my last visit to Beijing.

These and a range of other examples show the benefits of co-existence and cooperation with major rising powers. Inevitably, there will be competition, disagreement and also the potential for conflicts. But I firmly believe that vigilance and engagement within the framework of a strong multilateral system is the answer. Containment, confrontation and decoupling are not.

Ine Eriksen Søreide is Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs. Søreide's statement was delivered at the Leangkollen conference on defence and security policy on February 3.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/the-china-challenge-remaking-the-landscape-of-transatlantic-security via http://www.rssmix.com/

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michaeljames1221 · 5 years

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Corporate Lawyer Herriman Utah

Utah’s first general incorporation statute found print in 1870 and displayed characteristics both of its predecessors and regional counterparts. First, the statute enabled Mormon and Gentile alike to incorporate. More precisely, the statute muted rising Gentile criticisms and put Mormon and non-Mormon merchants on the same legal footing. Second, for Utah as for many other territories in the region, a general incorporation act was another of numerous trappings necessary for statehood. Utah has come a long way since then.

Today, businesses across Utah are growing rapidly. Many rapidly growing businesses are operating from Herriman, Utah. As a business grows so does the regulations that govern the business. However as a business owner, the regulations should not scare you. Instead you should speak to an experienced Herriman Utah corporate lawyer. The right corporate lawyer can advice you on how to manage your and grow your company.

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Good management

Your company’s board of directors has its own set of responsibilities and duties. Good management, in the context of concern for the future of the company, will achieve a harmony of profit, the interests of the stakeholders, and other ethical goals. Conversely, when management fails to think in terms of the broader social dynamics in which it operates, it will be unlikely to anticipate changing client needs and its performance will, over time, decline. No government regulations, no board of directors, no federal agency can offset the consequences of inadequate management. It is vital to guard against usurping management’s role or crippling able management. It is the level of managerial leadership, its eagerness to venture, to take risks and seek rewards that will decide the future of both individual business and the economy as a whole. In this relationship, the board should act as guide and mentor to management.

Three basic principles that should guide the board are: • To effectively select and monitor senior management, directors must be independent of management. • The board must actively participate in developing long-term strategy and financial goals, but it should not become too involved in detail • The CEO and his corporate executives should work under the authority of the board. Even if you are not the owner of a company but a board member, you have certain duties. An experienced Herriman Utah corporate lawyer can explain these duties to you.

Family owned companies

When companies are small and controlled by the founders or when the main shareholder is also the CEO, there is little doubt about how a board director is chosen. This situation gradually changes as the company grows, as other shareholders come in, and when the company goes public. At this point, shareholders other than the original ones become interested parties and have a say in the choice of directors. Later, when the equity begins splitting into very small portions and the number of small shareholders rises to many thousands, individuals lose their power to influence the annual general meeting or to choose the directors. The choice, then, almost by default, returns to the CEO. Alone, or with the support of an influential board member, he or she fills the vacancies mat have occurred. Speak to an experienced Herriman Utah corporate lawyer to ensure that your company does not violate any laws when selecting a new CEO for the business.

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Corporate governance

As your company grows, corporate governance will begin to play an ever increasing role. Corporate governance, as a term, has come to imply good, in the non-moral as well as the moral sense. Speak to an experienced Herriman Utah corporate lawyer to know more about corporate governance. During the 1990s the term corporate governance became a household name, not only in the business and financial communities, but also with the public at large. Like so many other new ideas, trends and fads, corporate governance originated in California. Starting in California it has become more than just an American phenomenon. It has spread all over the world – especially since the mid-nineties.

Since corporate governance was initially developed and implemented in the USA and then passed to the United Kingdom, the English term of what from the beginning was an Anglo-American phenomenon has also been accepted in its international proliferation. Another important aspect of corporate governance is how it is organised. As the term indicates it is about governance of corporations but it does not explicitly say anything about who should govern.

Corporate governance is something more than sitting around a boardroom table debating grave matters in measured tones. The board cannot run the company, but that doesn’t mean that the role of the directors should be belittled. Their major challenge is how they perform when the company, or a segment of it, is about to go sour or is already in difficulty. Even in normal conditions the director has an important role to play. When there is a crisis, the most effective director is the one who has the curiosity and confidence to ask tough, possibly embarrassing questions. He rejects glib replies and insists on full, well-argued answers. Such a director can avoid mistakes and become a well-informed, responsible observer and a constructive critic of corporate policies, strategies, procedures, and governance plans. Tough queries are helpful when posed in a positive vein.

It is also possible to question corporate officers firmly without antagonizing them if it is done courteously and respectfully. Care should be taken, however, to avoid pitfalls such as becoming: 1. the adversarial director, contentious and negative; 2. the contrarian director, suspicious and pessimistic; 3. the nit-picking director; or 4. the “do nothing” director who rarely contributes to the proceedings but meticulously collects his fees.

When directors show empathy for the company’s senior officers and maintain a keen curiosity about corporate affairs, the odds are that their contribution to governance will be effective and appreciated. It is the primary job of the board to replace the chief executive officer with his successor when that is necessary. A wise, open-minded board often identifies a brilliant candidate; it is rare that a mediocre board does better than choose a mediocre CEO. As many directors serve longer than most CEOs, they participate at least once in such a selection. It is often noted that the choice of the next CEO is probably the single most important decision the average director makes, but most come to the board with little or no training for this responsibility. Few boards have members with sufficiently strong judgment and interpersonal skills to choose an outstanding leader. The process of selecting a CEO challenges the board to be a cohesive, efficient unit, with outstanding powers of judgment. Because these qualities are so rare, it is no wonder that boards usually make the safe, rather than the inspired, choice. Then it usually takes a long time for the board to realize that the new CEO is turning out to be unimpressive. Some boards never discover it.

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In rapid-growth companies or those operating in a volatile climate, the challenges CEOs face are much greater, and they have more opportunity to prove their worth. Quite often in such corporations, the quality of the directors is also more impressive and the risks of office are correspondingly greater. Boards should prepare themselves for the inevitable task of replacing the CEO. One recommended step is to conduct formal annual CEO evaluations, involving all outside directors. If done diligently and in depth, the results will not only highlight the current CEO’s strengths and weaknesses but also give the board invaluable information that will guide them when they begin a search for his replacement. Beyond this basic preparation, there are a number of do’s and don’t’s that every board should consider when it comes to selecting the next CEO: • Define the needed skills and experience and prioritize them. It is almost impossible to find a candidate with all the desired qualities. • Look as far afield as necessary to find candidates with imagination, character, and a gleam in the eye, rather than settling for the solid, duller candidate close to home. • Do not be misled by show and bravura. Ask searching questions and seek the clarity of thought so imperative in an emergency. • Conclude the search only when the finalists have been subjected to a full due diligence review—a necessary step to avoid most irreversible mistakes.

In other words, the board should see itself as a search committee and prepare a plan of action by taking the following steps: • Prepare a mission statement. • Define performance criteria: What will be expected of the new CEO? How will the board assess the success of its choice? • Scrutinize the board itself to see whether it includes a suitable person with knowledge of the company. • Establish accountability. It will be more effective if not more than three outside directors act as the actual search committee. Their short list should be brought to the full board for consideration and decision. • Call for help when time limitations or lack of contacts prevent the board from finding the right candidate. Any outside executive search firm should be given a clear statement of its mission. • Be flexible—for example, some excellent potential can be found among younger, not yet fully tested, executives. Older candidates are often solid and dependable but have a chip on their shoulder or carry baggage that could be an impediment to excellence. • Vet any serious candidate carefully. The board not to be impatient when it believes it has found the right candidate. The members should make every effort to understand his or her thought processes and value system, using tests if necessary. • Make sure the candidate understands the company. • Make sure there is good chemistry and compatibility between the chosen candidate and the board. • And, after all the above is done, intuition can prove to be crucial.

The above are a set of general guidelines; obviously, each board will have its priorities. The board members must remember how crucial their choice will be to the company’s future and invest all their talents accordingly. An experienced Herriman Utah corporate lawyer can prove to be an invaluable source of assistance when it comes to assisting the board choose a CEO for the business.

Just as every social structure has its own accountability system, in the classic market economy a company is held responsible in the marketplace. In the same vein, corporate governance is based on the premise that corporate officers operate best when they are held to account for what they do. Today, business activities are growing continuously in range, diversity, and magnitude. When management assumes operating responsibility for production, thereby overseeing the money of other (often anonymous) people, it must accept being measured by yardsticks designed to indicate performance.

An important consequent obligation of corporate governance is to provide information that enables the company’s shareholders to verify that the capital they have entrusted to their agents – the corporate management is, indeed, well looked after. Society at large, through establishment of regulatory procedures and business standards, has over the years created a set of tools for proper corporate governance. Some of these instruments can be used to hold management, directors, auditors and, for that matter, regulators, accountable to the principals and the public in accordance with the terms they accepted when they assumed their responsibilities. Don’t let the regulations come in the way of the growth and good governance of your company. Seek the assistance of an experienced Herriman Utah corporate lawyer. Remember seeking the assistance of an experienced Herriman Utah corporate lawyer is cheaper than the alternative – hefty fines for lack of corporate governance.

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aretia · 5 years

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Corporate Lawyer Herriman Utah

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Good management

Family owned companies

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Corporate governance

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Herriman Utah Business Lawyer Free Consultation

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Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

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advertphoto · 5 years

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Corporate Lawyer Herriman Utah

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Good management

Family owned companies

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Corporate governance

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Herriman Utah Business Lawyer Free Consultation

When you need legal help with your business in Herriman, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

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mayarosa47 · 5 years

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Corporate Lawyer Herriman Utah

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Family owned companies

Corporate governance

Most mature industries, utilities, banks, or, for that matter, large service groups operate in a staid, uneventful environment. If they succeed in keeping out of trouble and stick to what they know, their CEOs will complete their term of office, perhaps with little glory but also untainted by crisis, debacle, or embarrassment. In a role resembling that of dependable duty officers, they try to prevent upsets, and at best they help improve the position of their company moderately. Soon after they retire, their influence dissipates and they are forgotten. Of course, this is not the scenario in all companies. In rapid-growth companies or those operating in a volatile climate, the challenges CEOs face are much greater, and they have more opportunity to prove their worth. Quite often in such corporations, the quality of the directors is also more impressive and the risks of office are correspondingly greater. Boards should prepare themselves for the inevitable task of replacing the CEO. One recommended step is to conduct formal annual CEO evaluations, involving all outside directors. If done diligently and in depth, the results will not only highlight the current CEO’s strengths and weaknesses but also give the board invaluable information that will guide them when they begin a search for his replacement. Beyond this basic preparation, there are a number of do’s and don’t’s that every board should consider when it comes to selecting the next CEO: • Define the needed skills and experience and prioritize them. It is almost impossible to find a candidate with all the desired qualities. • Look as far afield as necessary to find candidates with imagination, character, and a gleam in the eye, rather than settling for the solid, duller candidate close to home. • Do not be misled by show and bravura. Ask searching questions and seek the clarity of thought so imperative in an emergency. • Conclude the search only when the finalists have been subjected to a full due diligence review—a necessary step to avoid most irreversible mistakes.

Herriman Utah Business Lawyer Free Consultation

When you need legal help with your business in Herriman, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

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asafeatherwould · 5 years

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Corporate Lawyer Herriman Utah

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Corporate governance

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Herriman Utah Business Lawyer Free Consultation

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Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

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wddadvertising · 1 year

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Should I hire an agency over a freelancer for my business? This is the first question that pops up when you, as a business owner, decide to take your company digital or create an impressionable presence for your business. A successful venture is built with a mix of online & offline strategies that can maximize reach and help take your business to a level or even 10 levels ahead. But the question remains, who can advise, execute and help your business grow better?

Which is a better-suited option-an agency, or a freelancer, for outsourcing digital marketing services for businesses starting out, in their bloom, or even cohesively established? The answer is a long-running debate, never as simple.

When it comes to getting to work, both can have bags of merits & demerits, but from the two, one answer surely beats the other. And, since you’ve even googled it, we know this daunting question is probably running rounds like the merry-go-round, on & on in your mind. And, we? We’re here to help put a stop to it by simplifying the answer!

Ready to read our take? It’s always an AGENCY! Before you think we’re biased, we’ll go ahead and tell you why they are a best-fix for the long run.

-When You Aim for Business Growth, Look for Reliability in the Long Term!

We do not deny that freelancers can be reliable. But what when they have prior engagements just before your urgent deliverables or go AWOL on you? Most freelancers work on multiple projects, and often with a full-time professional job in hand! They set the rules for your engagement on their terms—which is great for the freelancers but acts detrimental to your business.

Agencies, on the other hand, have a proven track record of being the most trusted & reliable partners for outsourcing digital marketing & advertising. The reason is simple, their only goal and business value are to help ventures with professional services & conduct that translates to long-term business relations. You can rely on their set business process to deliver planned & strategic branding, digital marketing, or even offline requirements; even find them readily available to deliver those last-minute requirements that you suddenly remember before the big event! They don’t easily shy away from the responsibilities and have a team of professionals ready to get your work done.

So, when you're in the market to make a mark, do consider the long-term game.

-Why Settle for Good, When You Can Get the Best?

You may find that one stellar freelancer—who fits your budget and can also get the job at hand done, but is that good enough? The answer is a most definitive no.

The best freelancers can get their expertise from years of experience in one domain. But, as a business, you need to adopt a holistic approach and find the right people who get your business covered from every angle when it comes to outsourcing social media marketing. Never settle for good; when you can get hold of the best professionals, marketers, designers, strategists, writers & other vendors-all under one roof with one simple decision of hiring or outsourcing to the top agencies in India or other countries. Agencies are a business in themselves, which means they hire the best in the field. They grant you access to a pool of talented, experienced resources that prioritize your work to deliver the best quality with utmost efficiency. It also saves your business so much time and precious money as they understand the art of balancing multiple deliverables and workflows by leveraging a team of adequate resources to deliver high-quality, comprehensive tasks to reach your goals.

-Your Business Deserves Only 1 C! Not Compromise, Consistency!

As a business owner, there’s no room for compromise when there’s so much at stake! It’s not just the big bucks that you invest but also the time & outcome of those investments. When you hire a freelancer, your POC generally is on their toes or is staying awake, listing all the work still pending or running behind the freelancer for the 10th change. You may end up getting your hopes high on an inexperienced or not-so-professional freelancer to do the job that’s out of their forte. What then?

Would you rather start the hassling search for the right professionals all over again, Or Hire the right people from the go and leave no place for unwarranted stress?

Consistency is the key for any business when it comes to creating a brand name & establishing a brand presence in your niche. Social media services & other affiliated advertising tasks is a process of setting consistency in everything-your communication, design & feel to create a unique identity for your business that your target audience can easily relate to! This means getting the work done in strict time frames & drawing up short & long-term strategies and working on them consistently.

Once you’ve briefed your requirement to social media outsourcing companies, you can consider the job done! You never have to worry about petty excuses because an agency is always ready with their backup plans C & D if plan A is running off course!

We could ponder over so many more reasons that clearly enunciate why outsourcing to the top agencies is any day better than hiring a freelancer. But, since you’ve read till here, you’ll already have your answer. And in case you’re still not convinced, we’ll leave you with a piece of bonus advice.

Agencies are registered companies, which means they follow government regulations, consumer protection norms & the regulations of the market. You always have support from the top managers of the agency & even seek ease of redressal through legal norms in case of grievances.

Can you do the same for freelancers?

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gonnagoandrunwiththehorses · 5 years

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Corporate Lawyer Herriman Utah

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Good management

Family owned companies

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Corporate governance

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Herriman Utah Business Lawyer Free Consultation

When you need legal help with your business in Herriman, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

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melissawalker01 · 5 years

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Corporate Lawyer Herriman Utah

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Family owned companies

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Corporate governance

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Herriman Utah Business Lawyer Free Consultation

When you need legal help with your business in Herriman, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

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4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

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from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/corporate-lawyer-herriman-utah/ from Divorce Lawyer Nelson Farms Utah https://divorcelawyernelsonfarmsutah.tumblr.com/post/186507080920

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divorcelawyergunnisonutah · 5 years

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Corporate Lawyer Herriman Utah

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Good management

Family owned companies

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Corporate governance

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Herriman Utah Business Lawyer Free Consultation

When you need legal help with your business in Herriman, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How To Stop a Wage Garnishment

Private Adoption Lawyer

Getting Probate

Will My Spouse Pay My Attorney Fees?

Can Divorce Cause Cancer?

Restaurant Law in Utah

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/corporate-lawyer-herriman-utah/

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coming-from-hell · 5 years

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Corporate Lawyer Herriman Utah

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Good management

Family owned companies

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Corporate governance

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Herriman Utah Business Lawyer Free Consultation

When you need legal help with your business in Herriman, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How To Stop a Wage Garnishment

Private Adoption Lawyer

Getting Probate

Will My Spouse Pay My Attorney Fees?

Can Divorce Cause Cancer?

Restaurant Law in Utah

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/corporate-lawyer-herriman-utah/

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lifeartmuzic · 6 years

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World Environment Day with Miss Earth and Tsogo Sun

As the world observes World Environment Day celebrations, with India playing the host country for 2018, the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership programme alongside strategic partners such as Tsogo Sun are recommitting their focus and work on the importance of their campaign #WasteStopsWithME

While plastic has many valuable uses, humanity has become addicted to single-use or disposable plastic — with severe environmental consequences. In light of the staggering statistics, people are relooking at plastic use. Around the world, one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once — and then thrown away. Plastic waste is now so ubiquitous in the natural environment that scientists have even suggested it could serve as a geological indicator of the Anthropocene era says United Nations Environment.

Over the past three years the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership programme has been hard at work at a grass-roots level in communities across the country with a firm focus on the individual responsibility and role that is played by citizens, rethinking plastic consumption, re-addressing the use of single-use plastic and firmly focussing on banning the use of straws, by highlighting and creating much needed awareness of the long term effects that these have on the environment, our oceans, water bodies and marine life. Pollution, plastic and litter are all part of the same conversation and while the organisation and their partners have been a well-established environmental advocacy platform, there is no doubt that climate leaders from these ranks have become thought leaders within this space.

With the global theme for this year’s World Environment and World Oceans Day being a strong stance to #BeatPlasticPollution the Miss Earth South Africa and Tsogo Sun have taken the opportunity to recommit to do all they can within their projects, advocacy and educational work in communities nationwide. The community work done by the ambassadors, finalists and Tsogo Sun Volunteers is set to encourage communities and local leaders to take up the responsibility and care of the natural environment and public spaces in their areas. It is an opportunity to reconnect with neighbours and those with whom we share spaces. Thus, using environmental days of importance to kindle social cohesion through community involvement in clean ups, greening initiatives, dialogue, debate, empowerment seminars and more.

#WasteStopsWithME is a campaign which strives to promote and engage citizens across South Africa to understand the role that they play as active and conscious citizens, that consider their carbon footprint, their environmental impact and reflect on the amount of waste that they create every single day. When landfills cease to be able to hold the amount of rubbish South Africa generates, what will we do? Could we re-purpose, upcycle and rethink about our waste? The answer is indeed we could.

Educational Programme Director, Ella Bella Leite said; “When you connect with nature and give of your time to preserve, interact and nurture this gift, it has the ability to build communities and in turn contribute to building a better South Africa, underpinned by social cohesion and a shared vision. Our focus is to celebrate the month of June this year, by building a better Earth for all, one in which we push for the elimination of single-use plastic and straws, moving forward with an understanding that indeed #WasteStopsWithME.”

The Miss Earth South Africa organization believes that #WasteStopsWithME is an active engagement opportunity that is able to instill a behavior change that is desperately needed to address the waste challenge we see unfolding, not only in South Africa but across the world. The campaign successfully launched in 2016 and has seen significant work being done from practical community engagement, education and awareness levels across South Africa.

According to the UN Environment Report of 2018, there are a number of things that governments can do — from running public awareness campaigns, to offering incentives for recycling, to introducing levies or even banning certain products outright. In the last decade, dozens of national and local governments around the world have adopted policies to reduce the use of disposable plastic. And the number continues to grow. Africa stands out as the continent where the most countries have adopted a total ban on the production and use of plastic bags. Of the 25 African countries that have banned the bags, more than half have done so in the last four years alone.

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the United Nations to increase awareness of the need to preserve and enhance the environment. In the South African context, WED is a launching pad for the projects which roll out during the month of June, an Environmental Month that includes World Oceans Day and World Day to Combat Desertification, these are annual events and are celebrated globally for positive action in the environmental sector.

“World Environment Day and Environment Month serve as opportunities for us all to remember to take responsibility for our behaviour and change it for the better; the 5th of June is an important reminder that we need to continually make positive changes in the way we consume and dispose, and to harness individual efforts into a common result that is beneficial to the planet. Tsogo Sun remains committed to limiting our impact on the environment, and treading lightly wherever possible,” says Candy Tothill, Tsogo Sun’s GM of Corporate Affairs.

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celticnoise · 7 years

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In the latter part of the campaigns of Alexander the Great, around 334 BC, the renowned general held a conference with the ambassadors of the Celtae. He asked them what they were most afraid of in the world. To his dismay they didn’t give the answer he expected – which was that they were most afraid of him.

Instead they told him they were afraid of the sky falling.

Look at your history books; superstitious people have always been afraid of that.

Some, who wouldn’t regard themselves as superstitious, still do.

Stewart Regan worried about it back in 2012, when he talked about Scottish football facing “financial Armageddon.”

He voiced even greater, more apocalyptic, fears for our society when he talked about how there might be “civil unrest” if Sevco weren’t given a league berth. These kind of comments were scandalous. They were fear mongering.

And they were designed to let Sevco off, scott-free.

Some resisted. We owe them an enormous debt, the late Turnbull Hutton foremost amongst them.

A good man. A man of integrity.

He refused to bow to the pressure, and he refused to be silent as it was being applied.

He stood on the steps at Hampden and he called the SFA corrupt.

He was not alone in thinking that way, or in standing tall.

He understood the great, historic, maxim fiat justitia ruat caelum; let justice be done though the Heavens fall.

If financial Armageddon had hit our clubs, including his, he believed it was a price the game should be willing to pay in order to send a message to the rest of the world that Scottish football placed a greater value on honesty and integrity than in money.

Think on that for a moment.

On what that means.

On the noble virtue in what Turnbull and others believed and acted on.

The sky didn’t fall, but many chairmen had expected it to, yet they did the right thing regardless. They understood that justice sometimes comes with consequences and most fully expected there to be serious ones in relation to that decision.

I believe history will record it as one of the finest moments in the history of our game.

I think Scottish football would have been destroyed had those men not done what they did.

Fans would have deserted in droves. Stadiums would have been empty. The credibility on which the sport depends – and the concept of a level playing which underpins all of it – would have been wrecked and in a manner from which it could not have been rebuilt. The scandal would have enveloped us, and it would have been the prism through which Scottish football was viewed – by the only people who mattered; the fans – forevermore.

The people who would have plunged us into this darkness are still in office.

They were never removed, as they should have been, after the Sevco decision was made.

That should have been followed with a comprehensive debate on their competency, which should have ended in their immediate dismissal.

The club’s failed to finish the job.

Perhaps they were afraid that the sky would fall if they did. Perhaps they thought there had been enough chaos in that long, heavy summer, and they pulled back from creating more. For all we can understand that decision, it was without question the wrong one.

The integrity of the sport demanded not only that the effort at cheating fail but that those who tried it suffer the consequences of ever having done it in the first place.

Justice should have done, whatever the cost.

We are still paying for that failure, and for others.

The Resolution 12 case hangs over the SFA like a killing weight, that and the full impact of what was happening at Ibrox in the last decade of David Murray’s tenure. There was clear-cut cheating, even criminality, at a club that was, for much of that time, trading whilst insolvent. The Big Tax Case is in its final act right now, and should wrap up later this year. The verdict in that case is said not to be of interest at Ibrox, but it cannot be of no concern at all.

The lie this club clings to – The Survival Lie – is one so dangerous to it that it hardly needs stating.

We now know, through courtroom testimony, that either the SFA or Rangers lied to UEFA over their European License for the 2011-12 season. That is an uncontested fact, established in front of a judge and a jury, and tweezered out of witnesses under oath.

Someone is guilty of defrauding Celtic and other clubs out of millions of pounds in potential earnings.

Someone is guilty of misleading the European governing body.

Someone is guilty of lying to the Lord Nimmo Smith commission about this affair.

This is no longer speculation.

No longer the province of the Internet Bampots.

It is no longer in the slightest dispute.

These matters are back in the public domain, and with them a lot of potential after-effects.

Because justice must be seen to be done, or what’s the game worth?

I know some of our jaded hacks don’t believe this matter meets the standards of news.

They are a joke.

I meant the likes of Tom English who decries “bigots and bores” who want what he appears not to; a clean game, run for the benefit of all clubs.

That they won’t even explore these issues far less actually comment on them and demand that restitution be made is scandalous.

Fans are the only people who seem to care; Stein was more right than he ever knew.

Fans are the game, and it becomes clearer with every day that passes that our media is simply a parasite feeding on the margins of it.

Taking, without contributing a thing.

It is outrageous for these people to try to lecture those of us who care.

The clubs must push the SFA towards resolving these issues, and if the SFA won’t then the people who run the show there have got to go.

It is important to keep the pressure on, and that pressure has to start with the fans.

The Celtic Trust are our key representatives in this matter, along with the Celtic Supporters Association and their brother organisation the Affiliation. They can take a lead in jointly calling for the game here to be cleaned up, and for investigations into the EBT years, up to and including issues surrounding Resolution 12.

In their every discussions with the board these must be the core messages and those messages must get through to the people who matter.

The SFA maintains the fiction that Sevco and Rangers are the same club; fine.

Let’s see what it’s worth to them.

We must demand an inquiry into the whole matter of Resolution 12 and an answer to the question about who lied to who.

If Rangers lied, the SFA has a choice; to accept that the club died in 2012, and acknowledge that publicly or, if they insist on the fiction, then the SFA must open an immediate disciplinary case against the club at Ibrox right now and make it clear that everything is on the table including a European football ban and suspension from domestic cup competitions.

If the SFA lied then all involved should walk the plank without delay and Celtic should demand financial or other restitution on behalf of its shareholders.

It will plunge the game into crisis.

The SFA will maintain that such suggestions are damaging and threaten the cohesion of the sport; even if that were true and not more scaremongering the other option isn’t one we should remotely consider; to drop these matters and pretend they never happened.

Where does our game go from there?

When cheating has been established and proved and has gone unpunished?

How can anyone say that doesn’t matter?

There are some who will ask what the point in all this is, when the game has “moved on” and “gotten past” the arguments of five years ago. The problem is that the game never did move on. Lessons were not learned. No punishment was ever handed out.

Fresh outrages were allowed to happen.

The perpetrators, from David Murray to Charles Green, from Campbell Ogilvie to Stewart Regan, all got off scott-free.

No titles were ever stripped, no lines drawn through the history, no trophies removed from the record. It stands today as a testament to corruption and the perverse influence of one club, and the successor to that club will fight tooth and nail to make sure none of this happens.

But it has to happen.

There’s simply no choice here, and if its board threatens to close the doors then that’s a bluff we should be perfectly willing to call.

If the bullies and psychopaths in the stand want to march on Hampden then a police line should be there to meet them and the documents signed and the punishments handed out come what may.

If it wrecks their club and forces it to the wall, then sorry but that’s just the way it goes, and whatever that means to the wider game is simply something we’ll have to deal with.

Because nothing is more important than seeing these wrongs set right.

The future integrity of the sport depends on the misdeeds of the past being dealt with in an appropriate manner which puts them to bed once and for all.

Until then, this will linger over our game like a toxic cloud, poisoning trust and upping the levels of intolerance and hate to unsurpassed levels.

There will be consequences.

There will be pain.

That’s the price we might all have to pay.

Let justice be done though the heavens fall.

Think on what that means. Think on what the alternative is.

Sevco is already shredding the regulations, bending the rules on financial declarations and pissing all over financial fair play.

King might well be running a criminal enterprise from his boardroom.

The SFA cowers from even making a definitive statement against racism – I am working away on that behind the scenes, but this is now Day 11 of their shameful silence.

In other words, the sky might fall anyway as a result of doing nothing.

We can’t allow it to happen that way.

We can’t allow these people to bring fresh crisis and fresh scandal on our clubs and on our sport.

If the heavens are to fall then let it be because we tried to make things better instead of watching as it rots from the inside.

Otherwise, what’s it all worth?

What’s the point?

Who wants to pay to watch a rigged game, with corrupt leaders and clubs too scared to change it?

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