Bill Falzett
Bill Falzett is a community psychologist, medical provider, and a fair-trade, fiscal responsibility, Progressive Democrat.
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Articles by Bill Falzett
September 08, 2008
You must remember the fairytale called "The Emperor's New Clothes. We're seeing a modern day version with a twist - John McCain in the role of the leader as a serial dupe.
Take yourself back to 2000. John is running for Republican Presidential nominee. The Rovian/Neo-Con tailors fit him with a su...
July 01, 2008
Scarcity scares people. When we see that there might be a lack of goodies, there is an immediate reaction. We compete aggressively or fade into the woodwork – the old fight-or-flight response. There are some who struggle a bit and give up after that initial energy surge. Others attach themselves to ...
February 05, 2008
Corporate empathy is an oxymoron like military intelligence. I´m a psychologist, so I am supposed to be knowledgeable about the subject of empathy and, perhaps, oxymorons too. Empathy is usually defined as an ability to understand another person´s feelings. It is a trait that allows peop...
January 25, 2008
Here we are in the midst of a recession while denying it. Denial is a central feature of the Bush administration´s policies and procedures. I guess that´s better than saying they lie. Taxation is one areas that these folks have dissembled about most. They have some economists who support...
December 12, 2007
LOL means Laugh Out Loud. By LOL, I mean that if you believe that gas prices are high because of supply-demand issues, you're buying a song-and-dance perpetrated by Big Oil. Your laughing, at this point, should have a tinge of hysteria due to worry about making ends meet, paying the mortgage, and...
December 12, 2007
Let’s agree to forget about whether Global Warming exists or not. Don’t think about it for a while. Instead, let’s explore what else goes on under our noses as we grouse about Global Warming. For example, we are plagued by outrageous gas prices, increasing healthcare costs, falling median incomes, ...
November 05, 2007
I work with a client that is a 58 year old man. He has reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) that is the result of polio as a child. He worked as a truck driver, cabinet maker, soldier, and goldsmith among several other occupations as a younger man. He is now unable to work due to the RSD, diabetes, he...
September 26, 2007
I live in Northern California. On the red-blue map, this is a very red area. It is also the area with the highest unemployment in the state and has the lowest average incomes in the state. Those are two huge elephants in the room that very few people address. It's also not surprising when you look a...
August 01, 2007
John, you got it wrong again (“Bill Gates Needs an Econ Course”, June 21, 2007, The Appeal-Democrat). The prosperity problem is not about government versus free market; it’s about people and the Village. What makes a Village prosperous and people-friendly is openness, clear consequences for breaking...
July 27, 2007
You and I have some things in common. I was raised in Texas so I get it when you talk about macho, “We’re number 1.” or “Bring it on.” I too was in the Air Force in the ‘60s. I went to the Far East in the ‘60s but you didn’t. As a young man I was conservative and ornery. I voted for Goldwater and yo...
June 02, 2007
A professor of business ethics who is a Libertarian wrote in a recent editorial opinion that the “immorality” in our governmental system is “in the welfare state itself, in the government’s policy of coercive wealth redistribution.” He went on to point out that there is no moral justification to suc...
May 05, 2007
I was an “Army brat” growing up. I was reminded constantly while we were living in government housing I had to behave. If I didn’t, my dad, an Army Sergeant would get a DR. I didn’t know what that was. It sounded pretty bad. I learned later that it meant “Disciplinary Report”. I didn’t always behave...
April 10, 2007
Ronald Reagan once said that the 9 scariest words in the English language were; “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” It sounds humorous at first. But think, Why would our President create fear and doubt about government help? George Bush revived that negative association by neglecting the...
February 22, 2007
Of course it is and we all know it. This country was once a bright light. We were the shining example of democracy. We were the land of opportunity, justice, and liberty. Many of those went away in the 80s and 90s. We still have some pieces of that glory. Lately, however, we are the big bully on th...
February 02, 2007
California Governor Schwarzenegger’s health insurance proposal is a bad one. I suspect that it might get passed but it shouldn’t. It puts the load on providers, hospitals, small businesses, and the consumers once again. Guess who gets off the hook? That one is easy – the health insurance industry. A...
February 02, 2007
For those of you who remember Transactional Analysis, this will probably make you feel warm and fuzzy. You will remember the warm fuzzy fairy tale of the ‘60s. At that time, we were trying to get people to realize that positive strokes/warm fuzzies were unlimited. You could say and do nice things to...
December 11, 2006
Experience shows us that in any group there are some who push the limits. You could call them competitive, energetic, creative, cheaters, or idealists. This phenomenon is a regular topic with social research. Garrett Hardin described the “tragedy of the commons” in 1968. The prototype is a village o...
December 11, 2006
What makes a good democracy? Social and political scientists say it is proper management of the common wealth – things like forests, airwaves, air, water, natural resources, and our children – in the common good. First, proper management depends on open discussion and debate. Second, misuse of the c...
October 30, 2006
Northern California Chambers of Commerce seem to like this conservative Republican Administration. The director of one of them said as much to me earlier this year. When I asked him what about them was so helpful, his face got red. He had no answer but told me his group was committed to Republican W...
October 30, 2006
As a clinical psychologist, I treat victims of violence. At times, these people are blamed for their circumstances. Victims are usually on the short end of the power continuum. I recently realized what most of us already know intuitively; -- the American public has become such a case of the “blamed ...
May 17, 2006
A recent article summarized Congressman Wally Herger’s position on the economy and so-called tax relief. He voted for House Resolution 4297, the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005, which the House passed by a vote of 244 to 185. This bill extends tax breaks for the wealthiest seg...
April 26, 2006
The recent opinion piece by Doug LaMalfa (R-California State Assembly District 2) in the Marysville-Yuba City Appeal-Democrat is a prime example of the Republican office holders’ inability to get it right. They consistently misinform and mislead. Universal health care as proposed by Senator Kuehl in...