Donald Trump and the Big Con (Part 1)

As depicted in the 1973 movie The Sting, the big con is successful if the mark, or target, doesn’t realize he’s been taken until well after the con is completed and the con men are long gone.  In the movie, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) “escaped” from the betting saloon oblivious to the fact that the saloon was a facade, and that the pair he just saw “killed” had gotten up, wiped off the fake blood, and divvied up the loot.  Lonnegan was out $500,000, but didn’t know who to blame.

American voters willingly, energetically, have thrown their hopes and trust to a man who offers grand promises of jobs and prosperity, to be delivered by someone who supposedly has unparalleled business acumen and deal-making abilities.  According to Mr. Trump, he will be “the greatest jobs president that God ever created.”  He will “bring back our jobs from China, from Mexico, from Japan, from so many places.”

Slowly but surely over the following 4 years, America will realize that it has been conned.  By the time reality sets in, however, Americans won’t be able to do much about it. Continue reading “Donald Trump and the Big Con (Part 1)”

Transforming to Digital – Without the Drama

“I have one word of advice for you, Benjamin.  One word.  Are you listening?  ‘Digital.’”

Whereas “plastics” (the one word of advice for Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate) may have defined the future in the 1960s, “digital” is defining the future in the 2010s.  In a nutshell, digital can mean the reliance on technology and online capabilities to shorten and/or simplify processes, reduce costs, and reconfigure services.  It can mean the transformation of what we buy, how we buy, and how we interact with businesses.  Think online transactions, internet-driven automated services, remote call centres, and individualized marketing driven by personal data.  It’s a big deal. Continue reading “Transforming to Digital – Without the Drama”