Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who left the world dominate auto maker, General Motors and rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes?
He also took leadership in restoring Ellis Island and renovating the Statue of Liberty in New York. He has a new book, and here are some
excerpts.
Lee Iacocca Says in this quote from his recent book:
"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods
their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course."
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America not the damned "Titanic". I'll give you a sound bite: "Throw all the bums out!"
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this
country anymore. The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the
Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the "America" my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest "C" is Crisis! Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when
you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A Hell of a Mess
So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest
deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by
health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing and putting the poor in jeopardy (not to mention the rest of us), and nobody in power has a
coherent energy policy.
Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out
for leadership.
But when you look a round, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the
point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?
We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're
going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who ld have believed that there could ever be a time when "The Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for:
a paying down the debit,
b or solving the energy crisis,
c or managing the health care problem.
"The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
"I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is
being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on CNN will call
them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
"Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope;
I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some
of our worst crises: the "Great Depression", "World War II", the
"Korean War", the "Kennedy Assassination", the "Vietnam War", the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this:
"You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action.
"Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm
raising in this book. It's a call to "Action" for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close.
So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough."
COMMENTS
Chrysler were bailed out by the US government and propped up by US Defense spending but I digress
Over here in the UK, we are stuck in the same theatres as the US fighting an unpopular war that is alienating groups in our society, our petrol is sklyrocketing in price and we lost our manufacturing industries years ago. The housing market has flatlined due to lack of available credit. We are also hamstrung with a lame duck government and a leader who is worse than useless. It hasnt been this bad since the 70s.
And down here in the States ... speaking out against the government (once protected by the Constitution) is today construed as Terrorism; and thanks to the Patriot Act - we can just "disappear".
Be a proud American, stand up for your rights and speak your voice - and we've created a law that allows our own government to TAKE AWAY our rights; throw due process out the window and just make us go away for the rest of our lives. No questions asked and no accountability.
You can't argue when someone's right but 20 years ago a statement such as this would have been paraded in every paper as an opinion on our government but today it's hidden away as if we're all afraid of exercising our own freedom of speech. Wait freedom of speech only exists now if you're saying something about a celebrity, you can say whatever and it's cool don't have to be right or truth but nothing about the government or homeland security or our rights being taken away. The 1st amendment no longer protects our right to say anything about that just Brittney Spears.
Nice to know I can still cause a well founded, intelligent uproar around here...lol
*sigh*
Yet another installment in the ongoing saga of "Dr. Vampirelove, or how I stopped worrying and started to HATE the government"...
After a year of trying in vain to finish up my residency paperwork, with all sorts of signed this and that and notes of "what the fuck is going on" from the people at Westcan, CIC has fucked me over yet AGAIN
After swearing out an affadavit to the effect that Connor was NOT coming up here to live with me and ride Canada's precious fucking medical care system, and months of waiting for this office to talk to that office, and this file to get married with that file, THIS is what I get from these bastards.....:
"Your file and the information you have submitted regarding custody of your son has been reviewed by a Team Leader in this office. A review of the Divorce Agreement reveals that both you and your ex-spouse have shared parental responsibility. You have not satisfied this office that you have made all possible attempts to comply with the requirement to have your son examined. You state you have simply chosen to NOT have your son examined because he resides 300 km. from the closest designated medical practitioner. Your request to waive the examination of your dependant has been refused.
Please contact your ex-spouse and have your child taken for a medical examination. We have contacted our office in Buffalo requesting your son's file remain open. If he does not comply with Buffalo's requests in a timely fashion and they close their file, your application may be refused for non-compliance."
So.....
I have had to beg countless people to borrow air miles to add to my own pile (which I was earning to take Scott and I to New Orleans this summer), fly to Florida and get Connor between his last day of school and his grandparents getting him for the summer. I have to rent a car, a hotel room for a couple of nights, and drive 225 miles, to Brooksville. That is the closest doctor who is CIC registered to do the exam, all within the next 60 days.
If I don't do this now, Scott and I will lose the $3,500 we have already invested in this venture, and we will have to start over from scratch, with ANOTHER $2,500 to start with...
Right now, all I want to do is curl up into a tiny tight ball and cry...
THIS is why I have been woefully absent for the past week- my nasty little cold being the reason for the week before. Sorry kids...I'll be here when I can.
Yes, I worked another one....these people REALLY were looking for a night club instead of a wedding, but what the hell- all in good fun, right?
Will someone PLEASE tell me where it says that having the first dance as man and wife be to the dulcet tones of "You give love a bad name" is a GOOD idea???
And later that same night....
"(I'm on a) HIGHWAY TO HELL"
o_0
A teacher in Elmira, New York asked her 6th grade class how many of them were Hillary Clinton fans.
Not really knowing what a Hillary fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for Little Johnny.
The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different...again.
Little Johnny said, 'Because I'm not a Hillary fan.'
The teacher asked, 'Why aren't you a Hillary fan?'
Johnny said, 'Because I'm a Republican.'
The teacher asked him why he's a Republican.
Little Johnny answered, 'Well, my Mom's a Republican and my Dad's a Republican, so I'm a Republican.'
Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, 'If your mom was a moron, and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?'
With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, *'That would make me a Hillary Clinton fan.'*
COMMENTS
haha Those are so true. Thanks for making me smile. I needed that.
Hah! Been a spell since I last heard some of those words!
Fried Green Tomatoes or Steel Magnolias- Its a toss up between them two. :)
*hugs the much missed puppy*
G - Girls
R - Raised
I - In
T- The
S- South
And we gals have PLENTY of Grits!! :)
Damn I miss the South!
some of the best folks I ever met were a redneck, a good ol' boy, or po' white trash.
GOOD:
Albert Lee, MN , policeman had a perfect spot to watch for speeders, but wasn't getting many. Then he discovered the problem - a 12-year old boy was standing up the road with a hand painted sign, which read 'RADAR TRAP AHEAD'. The officer also found the boy had an accomplice who was a bit further down the road with a sign reading 'TIPS' and a bucket full of money. (And we used to just sell lemonade!)
BETTER:
A motorist was mailed a picture of his car speeding through an automated radar post in Mankato , MN . A $40 speeding ticket was included.Being a wise guy, he sent the police department a picture of $40.The police responded with another mailed photo of handcuffs.
BEST:
A young woman was pulled over for speeding. A Minnesota State Trooper walked to her car window, flipping open his ticket book, she said, 'I bet you are going to sell me a ticket to the State Trooper's Ball.He replied, ' Minnesota State Troopers don't have balls.'There was a moment of silence. He then closed his book, got back in his patrol car and left.
COMMENTS
LMFAO
Nice lol
lol :) Cute sis.
COMMENTS
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pandorasbx65
20:23 May 27 2008
Lol, I love the way your mind works....nice..
TheHellequin
22:59 May 27 2008
That's what you did in the Civil War IIRC - take the immigrants off the boats and ship em off to fight the rebels. 11 million is negligible in real terms - it costs less to let them stay than keep them out. I bet a lot more don't make it to America because of the controls that are in place
LadyChordewa
06:16 May 28 2008
Vampirewitch39
23:14 May 30 2008
As you said- Problem solved.