Dan J. Harkey

Master Educator | Business & Finance Consultant | Mentor

The American Enterprise

A Contrarian’s Look at America’s Enterprise—Economy, Government, and Leadership—Minus the Public-Relations Gloss.

Dan's unique perspective on the economy, the government, and our country's leadership is not commonly found in mainstream media. Designed to enlighten and engage you with what he believes is a refreshing dose of truth, his articles challenge the narratives often presented by mainstream media and encourage critical thinking about the state of our country's enterprise.

Dan offers workarounds and solutions when possible. His aim is to provide actionable solutions to the challenges we may face in these areas.

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“I Love Rock ’n’ Roll:” Joan Jett

Here’s a detailed History of the iconic anthem made famous by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts:

“Midnight Train to Georgia:” Gladys Knight & the Pips

The History of one of the most iconic soul songs of the 1970s, performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips:

The 1950s Happy Family: A Meal, A Mirage, and A Marketing Campaign

How Do Employees Handle an Accountability Questionnaire: Management Guide

(A Satirical Survival Manual) Answers to the questionnaire

Cognitive Aptitude Test for the Public Employees: Bureaucratically Inclined

“I’m From the Government, and I’m Here to Help”:

Our Truth-seeking Institutions are Under a Coordinated Siege of Sabotage: We are facing a Critical Infrastructure Breakdown that demands our immediate attention.

Our societal fabric, once woven with truth and the American way, is now being torn apart by systemic illusions. These illusions, crafted for the pursuit of power, preference, free stuff, and money, are creating a mass hysteria, to a point of mass mental illness, that is profoundly impacting our society, threatening the very core of our values and beliefs. Mass illusions turn to mass hysteria, which turns to mass mental illness.

Robot Armies Can be Approached from Several Angles—Technological, Ethical, Strategic, and even Speculative.

Defining Deviancy Up and Down:

Deviency occurs from sociological and cultural discussions about shifting standards of acceptable behavior. Daniel Patrick Moynihan popularized it in his 1993 essay, “Defining Deviancy Down,” and later others expanded on the idea of “defining deviancy up.”

Defined Deviancy Down—meaning behaviors once considered unacceptable have become normalized or tolerated: Quick Read

Regular and Corporate Board Meetings: The Structure and Execution

Avoid turning a Board Meeting into a Bored Meeting. Some board meetings meander all over the place, frustrating everyone from the leader to the participants.

Sports Betting Arrest: What’s Happening Around All the Professional Athlete Sports Betting Arrests?

This is a Very Big Deal in the World of Sports Betting: Investigations are underway, and many other participants will be arrested.

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew: A Modern Idiom Explored

The phrase “bite off more than you can chew” is a vivid idiom that has endured for over a century, maintaining its relevance across generations and contexts. It serves as a cautionary metaphor for overcommitment, unrealistic ambition, and the consequences of taking on more than one can reasonably handle.

Dealing with Sociopaths in the Business World

A sociopath is generally understood as someone with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), a condition characterized by persistent patterns of disregard for others and social norms.

Regulatory and Law Overreach Enslavement: When Rules Become Shackles-Technical Read

Regulatory and Law overreach enslavement occurs when legal frameworks and administrative rules expand beyond their intended scope, imposing excessive restrictions on individual or business autonomy. This form of captivity is systemically rooted in bureaucracy and compliance mandates rather than brute force.

Bobby McGee: Written by Kris Kristofferson- Part II

Freedom Is Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose. A few lines in music capture the paradox of liberty like the refrain from Me and Bobby McGee:

Off the Hook: A Dive into This Versatile Phrase

“Off the hook” is a versatile phrase that can mean escaping responsibility or describing something amazing. It’s a phrase that sounds casual but packs a lot of meaning, making it fun and engaging in everyday conversations.

Bobby McGee: Freedom Is Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose- The Paradox

Few lines in American music have captured the tension between liberty and loss as vividly as Kris Kristofferson’s phrase, immortalized by Janis Joplin in Me and Bobby McGee:

Monkey’s Uncle: Origin and Meaning

The idiom “I’ll be a monkey’s uncle” expresses surprise, amazement, or disbelief, like saying “Well, I’ll be darned” or “When pigs fly.” Today, it’s often used humorously when something unexpected happens:

Barrel of Monkeys: Meaning and Origins

The phrase “barrel of monkeys” is an idiom that has become part of popular culture, often used to vividly describe something fun, chaotic, or amusing. It’s a phrase that instantly suggests a lively, unpredictable scene, much like a barrel filled with monkeys. But where did it come from, and what does it really mean?