One of the greatest lessons I learned in college was from a hard-nosed Belgium professor. Back then my goal was to become an attorney and this was my first legal studies course. This professor was hard nosed, stubborn, and didn't waste time explaining things. He hated the Latin language and did not allow anyone to speak Latin-based words. He cared very little of how his students felt and after a midterm where he failed most of the class, he said something that I have remembered clearly for the past ten years. "Failure is good...you Americans are all concerned about your grades, concerned about going to law school, and concerned about being successful. You argue too hard for your 'A' grades, well sometimes you just need to fail, because failure is good!" By the way I got a D in that class, but it was still one of the best lessons that I learned.
I watched the President's remarks yesterday while he explained his reasons for still giving GM and Chrysler a life line to survive until they come up with their next plans to rise out of the ashes. I thought about my Professor and knew exactly what he would have thought. His wrath would not only have been to the auto industry but to the banks, the newspapers, and everyone else. Let them fail.
I am outraged that failure is no longer acceptable
Failure is the basis of which success is built on. The best ideas have risen from the fundamental failures that have come before. Failure is the great test of whether one should try again. Failure presents the opportunity to rethink, to innovate, to envision. This opportunity is being taken away like phrases like "too big to fail." Failure allows us to take in the lessons learned and simply put not to repeat ourselves. A banker I knew in upper management once told me that, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This was also about ten years ago, when we allowed failing companies to guess what...fail!!!
Our country has spent countless millions on saving our capitalist system in a not so capitalistic way. The billions that were spent could have been better spend. What did we really pay for: remodeling offices, purchasing corporate jets, giving "retention bonuses" to people who were not retained. We have been rewarding failure instead of penalizing and punishing it. The penalty for failure used to be that your company was out of business and someone would create something better. We have become a country of old ideas. Old is just old, just look at Congress. I can firmly see why things don't work there because the same old people have their same old ideas regardless of what party is in power.
What about the business models of banks or the car industry or newspapers? Did they ever have a blueprint to evolve? What genius thought of making those same gas guzzling cars, trucks, and minivans? Could the newspaper industry see their subscriptions decline and see the rise of craigslist, blogs, and the rise of internet usage to view the news? What about banks and the idea that refinancing the same house 7 times was still a good idea? Someone had to see all of this coming or were we all just marveled by the thing that was formerly called success. Where did all of the new ideas go? Remember the exact same thing happened to AOL years ago when they had over 45 million customers on dial-up. They didn't plan far enough ahead with to introduce broadband, got behind, and is now dying a slow death.
An Outraged Idea: Let's stop with the fear mongering and say good bye to one of these banks and automobile companies. Let's give some unknown genius the opportunity to create something that can start the next great economy. Let's take this old system off life support, let it die, and allow it to be reborn. Let us allow failure to be the beginning of our next economic boom.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Is Meghan McCain the New Maverick?
Ok, hear me out! I have been following the latest media blitz of Meghan McCain and have found her, next to Ron Paul as the Republican that has made the most sense recently. I watched her on Larry King Live and missing were those witch hunting Republican talking points, the criticism that President Obama and his administration are trying to do too much too quickly, and rebirth of the out of context use of Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" policy that the Republicans have been using recently, and instead saw something fresh and new.
Just look at Meghan McCain's critics. Anytime some is vilified over something personal (like weight, which the OC disagrees with) you know that they are getting their message across. The OC thinks of it this way. The enemy of your enemy may just be your friend. Think about it in your daily office politics and life in general. Remember World War II and the alliance of the United States, China, and Russia? That was clearly the enemy of your enemy is your friend.
The Republican Party has been looking for its leaders in all the wrong places. It is not the talking radio piece with the drug problem or Michael Steele (the RNC Chairman) aka the Obama clone or Sarah the folksy-talking governor from Alaska and definitely not Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal either--or is he the guy from 30 Rock. Sometimes the most obvious things are right in front of us. Meghan McCain can talk issues, give honest answers, keen at bipartisanship, and can put her personal differences aside and be proud of and willing to work with our President from another party. She has her own beliefs but still understands that we don't have to legislate them and demonize those who beliefs are different from our own.
This isn't new and we have found leaders in the most unlikely of places, remember Bill Clinton, or President Obama and who have thought that W. would have been President--of the United States? Their rise to prominence wasn't predicted either. Meghan, your Dad was this nine years ago when he first ran for President, long before he compromised himself to his party. He set out to change the Republican Party and in turn it changed him. He put on attacks against then Senator Obama, that G.W. Bush did to your family in 2000. He was once a Maverick, but now he is just the sidekick to the old-new Republican Party slogan, "Just Say No!" (It didn't work for drugs and it's not going to work here either.)
So Meghan, take it from the OC, you have a future in politics and have the chance to finish the work that your Dad started in making the Republican Party respectable and a source of substantiate debate. I would just advise that you avoid those talking points that they like to hand out and you stay away from the Republican Kool-Aid that they have been serving recently. Stay true to your Maverick roots and don't let anyone bully you or change who you are. Maybe we can kill the outrage and get some serious work done.
Just look at Meghan McCain's critics. Anytime some is vilified over something personal (like weight, which the OC disagrees with) you know that they are getting their message across. The OC thinks of it this way. The enemy of your enemy may just be your friend. Think about it in your daily office politics and life in general. Remember World War II and the alliance of the United States, China, and Russia? That was clearly the enemy of your enemy is your friend.
The Republican Party has been looking for its leaders in all the wrong places. It is not the talking radio piece with the drug problem or Michael Steele (the RNC Chairman) aka the Obama clone or Sarah the folksy-talking governor from Alaska and definitely not Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal either--or is he the guy from 30 Rock. Sometimes the most obvious things are right in front of us. Meghan McCain can talk issues, give honest answers, keen at bipartisanship, and can put her personal differences aside and be proud of and willing to work with our President from another party. She has her own beliefs but still understands that we don't have to legislate them and demonize those who beliefs are different from our own.
This isn't new and we have found leaders in the most unlikely of places, remember Bill Clinton, or President Obama and who have thought that W. would have been President--of the United States? Their rise to prominence wasn't predicted either. Meghan, your Dad was this nine years ago when he first ran for President, long before he compromised himself to his party. He set out to change the Republican Party and in turn it changed him. He put on attacks against then Senator Obama, that G.W. Bush did to your family in 2000. He was once a Maverick, but now he is just the sidekick to the old-new Republican Party slogan, "Just Say No!" (It didn't work for drugs and it's not going to work here either.)
So Meghan, take it from the OC, you have a future in politics and have the chance to finish the work that your Dad started in making the Republican Party respectable and a source of substantiate debate. I would just advise that you avoid those talking points that they like to hand out and you stay away from the Republican Kool-Aid that they have been serving recently. Stay true to your Maverick roots and don't let anyone bully you or change who you are. Maybe we can kill the outrage and get some serious work done.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tell US No (More) Lies
Nothing makes me more outraged than blatant liars who are supposed to have our best interest at heart. These liars are in the most important roles in our government and businesses. I concede that the little white lies are more convenient and easier than the hard truth, but I am not responsible for the monitoring and accountability of national security or our financial system. I am not the CEO of a failed company that needed bailout money to survive. I didn't pay out bonuses to people who didn’t deserve them. The American people can tell the difference between little white lies and heinous lies, or can we. The 42nd President of the United States (Clinton) lied about an affair that he had. Some would not agree with his actions but nonetheless would understand why he did it. The 43rd President (Bush) lied to us about WMD’s and sent us to a war that we are still fighting, costing us billions of dollars, thousands of lives, and thousands more soldiers returning home injured for life who may not receive the proper care they deserve. Of these two Presidents, remember which one got impeached? Yes, that should outrage you too!
Imagine former President Bill Clinton. If I was him, I would have spoken to the masses about this fact. I would have gone on a media blitz to all that would have listened; but this simply shows us the true difference between Democrats and Republicans. If Al Gore was President, I have no doubt he would have been impeached after the events of 9/11 and those yet to be found WMD’s. Republicans would have screamed how incompetent the Gore Administration was (like what they are doing now with Geithner and the Treasury Department of the Obama Administration). There would have been REAL investigations on who knew what, when, why, and how they let this happen on their watch. Someone would have gone to jail or worse. People would have been charged with treason. One thing that I will give Republicans is that they know how to fight but that’s only limited to grandstanding in Washington D.C. and on television.
I do have an thought and a fact that should make you outraged. It is something that you have probably thought about the past few months with all the money we have spent, printed, and wasted. What is one of the biggest lies that our government tells us? The answer: The fact that we don't have enough money! It depends, because they can't figure out the difference between needs and wants.
I am outraged: over the lies of what we can and CAN’T afford!
Honestly right now, we can't really afford too much of anything, but we are still spending. The spending between the bailout and the two wars we are fighting is a lot of what we can't afford, but we are told that these things are necessary evils. It seems like we need to waste money and want to save money on what is needed the most. An oxymoron if one was really needed.
Here are just a few of the things what (yes) we CAN afford:
An Outraged Idea: Let one of these banks go broke just to show some tough love and make an example. I remember tough love...my parents gave it to me and it made me a better person. Let’s face it we reward failure and reward it big time. The too big to fail is a bad policy and it is a sign that a company is fact too big. The only bailout these companies deserve are for these executives to be bailed out of their expensive offices, homes, and cars and spend some time in a prison cell where there is no stimulus plan for the frauds that they have committed. Bernie Madoff needs some company and there are more than enough of these blatant liars to overcrowd some desolate prisons and throw away the key. How about some new and fresh leadership? Now that’s a new idea to solve our financial crisis.
An Outraged Note: Let’s try this policy: Give us no promises and tell us no lies. Now that a promise that we can all keep!
Imagine former President Bill Clinton. If I was him, I would have spoken to the masses about this fact. I would have gone on a media blitz to all that would have listened; but this simply shows us the true difference between Democrats and Republicans. If Al Gore was President, I have no doubt he would have been impeached after the events of 9/11 and those yet to be found WMD’s. Republicans would have screamed how incompetent the Gore Administration was (like what they are doing now with Geithner and the Treasury Department of the Obama Administration). There would have been REAL investigations on who knew what, when, why, and how they let this happen on their watch. Someone would have gone to jail or worse. People would have been charged with treason. One thing that I will give Republicans is that they know how to fight but that’s only limited to grandstanding in Washington D.C. and on television.
I do have an thought and a fact that should make you outraged. It is something that you have probably thought about the past few months with all the money we have spent, printed, and wasted. What is one of the biggest lies that our government tells us? The answer: The fact that we don't have enough money! It depends, because they can't figure out the difference between needs and wants.
I am outraged: over the lies of what we can and CAN’T afford!
Honestly right now, we can't really afford too much of anything, but we are still spending. The spending between the bailout and the two wars we are fighting is a lot of what we can't afford, but we are told that these things are necessary evils. It seems like we need to waste money and want to save money on what is needed the most. An oxymoron if one was really needed.
Here are just a few of the things what (yes) we CAN afford:
- Yes, we can the afford cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but not education, health care, and transportation improvements here in the United States.
- Yes, we can afford to rebuild Baghdad, but not New Orleans. Too money has been wasted in both and each may never be the same again.
- Yes, we can afford NASA and the space program, but some of our citizens are homeless, foreclosed upon, and can’t make it across town rather than across the stars and to Mars.
- Yes, we can afford the prison system and its perks like three meals a day, a bed, workout privileges, access to health care and education--oh that's only for convicted criminals. Its admittance policy requires that you cause harm to someone else first. Your admission must be approved by a council of twelve people (a jury) and signed off by the administrator (the judge). Of course we can afford this but not a college education, or better yet a decent high school education. Another example of being good to people who are acting badly and being rewarded for it!!
An Outraged Idea: Let one of these banks go broke just to show some tough love and make an example. I remember tough love...my parents gave it to me and it made me a better person. Let’s face it we reward failure and reward it big time. The too big to fail is a bad policy and it is a sign that a company is fact too big. The only bailout these companies deserve are for these executives to be bailed out of their expensive offices, homes, and cars and spend some time in a prison cell where there is no stimulus plan for the frauds that they have committed. Bernie Madoff needs some company and there are more than enough of these blatant liars to overcrowd some desolate prisons and throw away the key. How about some new and fresh leadership? Now that’s a new idea to solve our financial crisis.
An Outraged Note: Let’s try this policy: Give us no promises and tell us no lies. Now that a promise that we can all keep!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
One Outraged Citizen
I have news for all of you, I am outraged and guess what YOU should be too! If you look at the newspapers (the ones that have are still in business), television, or just walk through your city, there is plenty to be outraged about. Before I unleash my rage of all that I find inherently stupid, mundane, and all things simply lacking common sense let me first say a few things about myself (the particulars):
That's enough for now. It is my intention not only for you to share my outrage but to find yours and do something about it. We are being screwed royally on a daily basis over greed, waste, and general incompetence by corporations and the government and guess what we take it! This leads me to the first thing that I am outraged about.
I AM OUTRAGED BY... : the Democratic Congress (AKA the 111th Congress)
Didn't you think on November 4, 2008, that we were about to enter the great renaissance of our country? Didn't you have hope that a Democratic President and a Democratic-controlled Congress would figure this all out? The reality is that the Democrats in Congress collapse first chance that they get. News flash: YOU WON!!! Remember!! We didn't vote for "bi-partisanship" well, I didn't. I voted for change and I thought you Democrats would have grown a pair by now. Stop asking for permission and get to work before we decide to fire you and bring back the other guys and gals.
And Democrats, why are you so afraid of the Republicans filibustering legislation? I actually think that I would be an amazing sight. I can't remember the last time a Senator had the nerve to filibuster a bill on the Senate floor. Senate Leader Reid, here's an idea, let them filibuster a bill and keep the Senate in debate until the late hours of night and early morning on the Senate floor. Let them say whatever, read whatever it takes to talk down the much needed legislation that is important to millions of Americans. This madness should be shown on C-SPAN and the news networks so we can see these Senators for the idiots that they are. Who would really want to talk down education, universal health care, jobs, and transportation improvements especially when over 51 senators would vote for it? I want to see them do this so we can know their names.
You Democrats need to show some fight, some teeth, and some raw nerve. You need to display some true leadership and believe that the American people will see the truth. Stop playing up to the media and quit the staged anger that you apparently show to try to connect with American people. The latest example is the AIG bonuses when you already knew about days and weeks ago. Your "sideshow" the other day was great grilling Liddy in House testimony. I have been outraged for a long time and I know true outrage when I see it! This insults my intelligence and it should insult yours out there too. This is what happens when you vote for a bill without reading it first. Remember the Patriot Act?
Finally, don't let these Republicans or anyone call our President, a socialist, a communist, or a non-citizen which is truly outrageous. He is the President of the United States and they are just upset that their guy lost and lost miserably.
An Outraged Note: Republicans get over it! If you want to be the party of the opposition SUGGEST SOMETHING and quit your whining that you lost your place at the table. News flash: you lost you place to talk first at the table in November. Stop acting like sore losers and get over it!
- I worked in the banking industry for over 10 years and was a personal witness to the greed, deception, favoritism, and politics while I was employed there. (You should have figured out my stand on TARP, the bailouts, and cooperate greed by now.)
- I received my college education from UC Berkeley (I guess that makes me a liberal nut, we'll see about that)
- I live in a city with absolutely no commerce, failing schools, terrible roads, a high murder rate, a transportation system that kills unarmed men, and no sense of government leadership. (Oakland, CA for those who don't know).
That's enough for now. It is my intention not only for you to share my outrage but to find yours and do something about it. We are being screwed royally on a daily basis over greed, waste, and general incompetence by corporations and the government and guess what we take it! This leads me to the first thing that I am outraged about.
I AM OUTRAGED BY... : the Democratic Congress (AKA the 111th Congress)
Didn't you think on November 4, 2008, that we were about to enter the great renaissance of our country? Didn't you have hope that a Democratic President and a Democratic-controlled Congress would figure this all out? The reality is that the Democrats in Congress collapse first chance that they get. News flash: YOU WON!!! Remember!! We didn't vote for "bi-partisanship" well, I didn't. I voted for change and I thought you Democrats would have grown a pair by now. Stop asking for permission and get to work before we decide to fire you and bring back the other guys and gals.
And Democrats, why are you so afraid of the Republicans filibustering legislation? I actually think that I would be an amazing sight. I can't remember the last time a Senator had the nerve to filibuster a bill on the Senate floor. Senate Leader Reid, here's an idea, let them filibuster a bill and keep the Senate in debate until the late hours of night and early morning on the Senate floor. Let them say whatever, read whatever it takes to talk down the much needed legislation that is important to millions of Americans. This madness should be shown on C-SPAN and the news networks so we can see these Senators for the idiots that they are. Who would really want to talk down education, universal health care, jobs, and transportation improvements especially when over 51 senators would vote for it? I want to see them do this so we can know their names.
You Democrats need to show some fight, some teeth, and some raw nerve. You need to display some true leadership and believe that the American people will see the truth. Stop playing up to the media and quit the staged anger that you apparently show to try to connect with American people. The latest example is the AIG bonuses when you already knew about days and weeks ago. Your "sideshow" the other day was great grilling Liddy in House testimony. I have been outraged for a long time and I know true outrage when I see it! This insults my intelligence and it should insult yours out there too. This is what happens when you vote for a bill without reading it first. Remember the Patriot Act?
Finally, don't let these Republicans or anyone call our President, a socialist, a communist, or a non-citizen which is truly outrageous. He is the President of the United States and they are just upset that their guy lost and lost miserably.
An Outraged Note: Republicans get over it! If you want to be the party of the opposition SUGGEST SOMETHING and quit your whining that you lost your place at the table. News flash: you lost you place to talk first at the table in November. Stop acting like sore losers and get over it!
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