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LEE IACOCCA'S NEW BOOK EXCERPT

Rick Roy
Rick Roy writes:
A VERY GOOD READ
Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
By Lee Iacocca with Catherine Whitney




----------------------------------------...
Had Enough?

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 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 President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). 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 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.

My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to—as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us.

Who Are These Guys, Anyway?

Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them—or at least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a dictatorship, not a democracy.

And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of factions. We're a people. We share common principles and ideals. And we rise and fall together.

Where are the voices of leaders who can inspire us to action and make us stand taller? What happened to the strong and resolute party of Lincoln? What happened to the courageous, populist party of FDR and Truman? There was a time in this country when the voices of great leaders lifted us up and made us want to do better. Where have all the leaders gone?

The Test of a Leader

I've never been Commander in Chief, but I've been a CEO. I understand a few things about leadership at the top. I've figured out nine points—not ten (I don't want people accusing me of thinking I'm Moses). I call them the "Nine Cs of Leadership." They're not fancy or complicated. Just clear, obvious qualities that every true leader should have. We should look at how the current administration stacks up. Like it or not, this crew is going to be around until January 2009. Maybe we can learn something before we go to the polls in 2008. Then let's be sure we use the leadership test to screen the candidates who say they want to run the country. It's up to us to choose wisely.

So, here's my C list:

A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the "Yes, sir" crowd in his inner circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world is a big, complicated place. George W. Bush brags about never reading a newspaper. "I just scan the headlines," he says. Am I hearing this right? He's the President of the United States and he never reads a newspaper? Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter." Bush disagrees. As long as he gets his daily hour in the gym, with Fox News piped through the sound system, he's ready to go.

If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care. Before the 2006 election, George Bush made a big point of saying he didn't listen to the polls. Yeah, that's what they all say when the polls stink. But maybe he should have listened, because 70 percent of the people were saying he was on the wrong track. It took a "thumping" on election day to wake him up, but even then you got the feeling he wasn't listening so much as he was calculating how to do a better job of convincing everyone he was right.

A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something different. You know, think outside the box. George Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him is spinning out of control. God forbid someone should accuse him of flip-flopping. There's a disturbingly messianic fervor to his certainty. Senator Joe Biden recalled a conversation he had with Bush a few months after our troops marched into Baghdad. Joe was in the Oval Office outlining his concerns to the President—the explosive mix of Shiite and Sunni, the disbanded Iraqi army, the problems securing the oil fields. "The President was serene," Joe recalled. "He told me he was sure that we were on the right course and that all would be well. 'Mr. President,' I finally said, 'how can you be so sure when you don't yet know all the facts?'" Bush then reached over and put a steadying hand on Joe's shoulder. "My instincts," he said. "My instincts." Joe was flabbergasted. He told Bush, "Mr. President, your instincts aren't good enough." Joe Biden sure didn't think the matter was settled. And, as we all know now, it wasn't.

Leadership is all about managing change—whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt. Maybe Bush was absent the day they covered that at Harvard Business School.

A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Nobody in the current administration seems to know how to talk straight anymore. Instead, they spend most of their time trying to convince us that things are not really as bad as they seem. I don't know if it's denial or dishonesty, but it can start to drive you crazy after a while. Communication has to start with telling the truth, even when it's painful. The war in Iraq has been, among other things, a grand failure of communication. Bush is like the boy who didn't cry wolf when the wolf was at the door. After years of being told that all is well, even as the casualties and chaos mount, we've stopped listening to him.

A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power." George Bush has a lot of power. What does it say about his character? Bush has shown a willingness to take bold action on the world stage because he has the power, but he shows little regard for the grievous consequences. He has sent our troops (not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens) to their deaths—for what? To build our oil reserves? To avenge his daddy because Saddam Hussein once tried to have him killed? To show his daddy he's tougher? The motivations behind the war in Iraq are questionable, and the execution of the war has been a disaster. A man of character does not ask a single soldier to die for a failed policy.

A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. George Bush comes from a blue-blooded Connecticut family, but he likes to talk like a cowboy. You know, My gun is bigger than your gun. Courage in the twenty-first century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk.

If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. Bush can't even make a public appearance unless the audience has been handpicked and sanitized. He did a series of so-called town hall meetings last year, in auditoriums packed with his most devoted fans. The questions were all softballs.

To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION—a fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done. How do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President—four hundred and counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer that the high point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound perch in his hand-stocked lake.

It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now, that's not leadership.

A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential. Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through the roof.

A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent? Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters. A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face as a nation seem to be on the back burner.

You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel. Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites. You know—Mr.they'll-welcome-us-as-liberators-no-child-... Bush.

Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home. I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world—and I like it here."

I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while.

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. Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can see it for yourself. Then, instead of taking the quickest route back to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day—and he told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op at Ground Zero.

That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road to Iraq—a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father. He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will.

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 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 around, 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, competence, 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 would 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 paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, 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 bobblehead on Fox News 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 horseshit and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough.

8/27/2008 1:34:16 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
That was great! Thanks for that Rick!!
8/27/2008 2:40:35 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
No way you read that whole thing
8/27/2008 2:46:29 PM
GOD
GOD writes:
Lee Isellcoca
8/27/2008 2:54:53 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
I read through it. My take on it is pretty much what I've expressed in previous "controversial" posts.

Everything that Iococca is saying is legit and true for the most part; it's just that the issues he brings up are only symptomatic
of the root cause.

And that cause is—I'll say this as succinctly as possible—that our "appointed" leaders are no more in-charge of what is happening in the world and how the the country responds to whatever happens than either you or I.

The foundation of representative republican government—not to be confused with "democracy"—is fast becoming a conceptual anachronism.
8/27/2008 3:00:59 PM
Jennifer
Jennifer writes:
Is this REALLY an excerpt from Lee Iacocca's book or is it like the George Carlin/ Andy Rooney web rants that are totally made up?
8/27/2008 3:09:50 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
What makes you say that Jenn?
8/27/2008 3:13:12 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
I suspected that too
8/27/2008 3:14:29 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
Paul a lot of times quptes get attributed to celebrities who say stuff 'similar' to what the quote is or seem like they would-

I think Robin Williams had one out there about solving illegal immigration
8/27/2008 3:15:44 PM
Jennifer
Jennifer writes:
because it reads like those emails. Some old angry guy spouting what everyone wants to say but doesn't, but we can all nod our heads and agree with it when someone else says it. that's all.
8/27/2008 3:15:49 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
More treachery from Milhouse!
8/27/2008 3:15:50 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
According to "Snopes.com" - this was confirmed a while ago as being legit. It is from Lee's book.

And even if it were a fake (which it's not) it's EXACTLY how I feel...! I was ranting these VERY SAME THINGS to my wife the other night. Kinda coincidental - but I agree with everything outlined in there. (And yes, I too read it all)

:o)
8/27/2008 3:16:43 PM
Jennifer
Jennifer writes:
Snopes says it's true.

snopes.com/politics/soapbox/i...

I'm just a skeptic I guess.
8/27/2008 3:18:33 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
Somebody check snopes
8/27/2008 3:19:01 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
PAUL GET ON THE SNOPES
8/27/2008 3:19:58 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
I don't give a fuck who wrote it because everything being expressed it is a legitimate grievance and makes sense. As to whether Lee Iococca wrote it or not, I don't know. Weird.

It's getting to the point where I'm gonnna have to check with Snopes after everything I think and write in order to verify if it really did in fact come from me.

Besides, I didn't post the goddamned thing, Rick Roy did!! If this his idea of a practical joke (and I don't think it is) it's not a very good one because that essay is essentially a pretty good read like he said.

So what's the point? To somehow defame Lee Iococca with something he didn't actually write?

Lee Iococca had his hour in the sun as CEO of Chrysler back in the 80s'. I'm willing to wager that a good number of people of participate on this forum don't even know who the hell the guy is/was. I haven't even heard his name in over a decade!
8/27/2008 3:44:22 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
ummm... what are you upset about...?
8/27/2008 3:46:01 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
He's probably just hungry
8/27/2008 3:49:16 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
The bottom line is: It doesn't matter if it was Lee Iacocca, John Lee Hooker, Sarah Lee, Bruce Lee or Lee Majors...

Someone being "famous" doesn't legitimize the sentiments any more or less - the fact is: *I* agree with the sentiments 100% regardless of the origin.

The fact that it is someone who most people MIGHT recognize a name means SOMETHING to some people - but not me. I'd agree with all of it if it were found-out that it was written by Ted Kazinsky or however the $&%# you spell it.

:o)
8/27/2008 3:51:33 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
Me not are a good writer with word things.
8/27/2008 3:52:47 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
Of course the irony being, Lee's former company Chrysler was smack dab in the middle of the first wave of the beginning of the Big Business Bail Out by Government debate. A lot of people really felt government was acting, in just the manner Lee is accusing the present government of behaving, but if I remember correctly, the Chrysler bail out actually worked out, and jobs were saved, and Chrysler repaid the gov. loans.

(keep in mind, I'm going from memory, so I could have it all wrong)
8/27/2008 4:02:32 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
As for his problem with the tax rebate, screw him, I liked it! And like every rich bleeding heart who thought it was a bad idea, SEND THE MONEY BACK, DIPSH*T!

As for his problem with the Gov.'s response to Katrina, I'd say Lee's just trying to sell books. He says the issue hasn't been properly looked at?!?!?! Investigations and accusations were all we heard for a freakin' year! The truth is, the main people to blame were the officials at the city and state level, but the media couldn't get on them, because they were the same color of the majority of people displaced, and that's just not an interesting enough story for the mainstream media.

And how about every other natural disaster, before and after Katrina that this country handled, and continues to handle better than any other country in the world?!?!

Lee is hopping on the bandwagon to sell books.
8/27/2008 4:12:16 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
If he was such a great leader to be giving lessons, why the hell did Chrysler need a bail out?!?!
8/27/2008 4:13:01 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
The guy's major accomplishment in life was the freakin K-Car.

;-)
8/27/2008 4:14:55 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
Well - we disagree there. The rebates did *absolutely nothing* to stimulate the economy as they hoped.

That money did very-little to help those in financial trouble - it HELPED, but it didn't become a lasting benefit for anyone.

I mean, why NOT give the money back to us, right...? I mean our roads and bridges are in top-notch condition, our schools and education system are flawless and don't need any help, we are not in any sort of fiscal deficit right now and... oh... wait... I mean the EXACT OPPOSITE...!!! :o)

I know, I know... some people like the rebates - but I think it was a colossal mistake - as it was the FIRST time. It's just a pacifier... a distraction...

But hey, who the #&$^ am I to know one way or the other - I'm a drummer. :o)
8/27/2008 4:18:00 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
None of our tax money goes to roads and bridges anyway as far as I can tell
8/27/2008 4:20:13 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
I used the money to buy weed so the potholes wouldn't bother me
8/27/2008 4:21:16 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
Who do you think pays for the upkeep of our roads & bridges...? It's all *us*... we pay for it. Through our taxes.
8/27/2008 4:21:44 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
Sorry
8/27/2008 4:22:09 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
there's a pun there - smoking "pot" to counter the effect of "Pot"holes...
8/27/2008 4:23:57 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
pun is not the right word... I am a f*cking moron.
8/27/2008 4:24:49 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
<--- the byproduct of Woburn High School - Now THERE'S some money well-spent, I'll tell ya...!
8/27/2008 4:25:39 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
No one knows yet how much the tax rebates helped the economy. It's too soon to tell. But if you think that money would have been spent on infrastructure, by the Federal government, I think you're mistaken. Except for things like "The Big Dig" (great success that IT was) roads etc. is a more local thing. (I think)

And keep in mind, you still have time to send yours back to whichever department handles whatever repairs you feel need to be done.
8/27/2008 4:25:48 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
Too many to list here Carl - WAY too many.

:o)
8/27/2008 4:27:22 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
Scott my point is our tax dollars, while they are intended for fixing the roads and such, the money more often than not goes for something really f*cking stupid that I would never agree to pay for if you asked me for the money
8/27/2008 4:28:00 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
"The bottom line is: It doesn't matter if it was Lee Iacocca, John Lee Hooker, Sarah Lee, Bruce Lee or Lee Majors...

Someone being "famous" doesn't legitimize the sentiments any more or less - the fact is: *I* agree with the sentiments 100% regardless of the origin."

That was my point Scott!
8/27/2008 4:28:35 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
The big dig was good

lot of CAT machines sitting around the city taking up space there

My company could use another big dig

right now we're in the sh*tter
8/27/2008 4:29:36 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
BIG DIG II - Electric Boogaloo
8/27/2008 4:33:25 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
I love that Lee is so big on reading newspapers. Showing his age big time. Print is dead.

Newspapers are losing money like crazy because only old people, with very open schedules read them any more.

The newspapers are just shills for whichever side of the political aisle they support.

Lee wants the President to read the news in Today's papers that the President was probably briefed on Yesterday, or last week.

8/27/2008 4:42:57 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
Crazy Cat, do you really agree with almost 100% of what that octogenarian says?
8/27/2008 4:44:38 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
Well - I know what you're saying... and you're right - roads and bridges are NOT a priority... and there are so many flippin' things that SHOULD be a priority right now in this country that aren't...

I just feel that the rebates were meant to pacify us - to take our minds off of how shitty things are - and if it works for some...? GREAT...! But to try to pass it off as something that is to "help" the economy was BS - and yes, you CAN see the results. It has been months and there was no, zero, zilch, zip, nada effect on our economy - nor is there any indication of any upward swing - by this time, any gains are due to OTHER influences - not those checks.
8/27/2008 4:45:29 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
Fuck....I'll dig the hole.......where's the lime?
8/27/2008 4:46:50 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
No, just the political part.......
8/27/2008 4:47:46 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
Atta boy Paulie

I have a f*cking shovel and some lime in my trunk-

see you at 6:30 AM tomorrow
8/27/2008 4:48:35 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
sharp
8/27/2008 4:48:55 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
SHARP
8/27/2008 4:49:12 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
<--- will bring the coffee but I ain't grabbin' no shovel... I'll make sure the trench is straight and direct traffic around youz-guyz.
8/27/2008 4:50:19 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
How does Congress help a sagging economy?

Tax cuts. It's always been an accepted fact. The President, AND Congress agreed that it was a good idea, why do YOU think it's not?

People are complaining that they don't have as much money as they used to, Government says, "Okay, here's some of your money back", and you think it's a bad idea?!?!?

Did we take our rebates and bury them in the ground? No, we spent them in this economy. Every sale rung up, that was paid for by that money, was fed back into the economy. Whether it was purchasing goods, or paying bills that were overdue, it was put back into the economy. Fluidity, is key in helping the economy.
8/27/2008 4:50:46 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
Okay jerks! I'm outta here for the night - Have a good one. Time to go home and shovel some groceries down my neck.

Buh-BYE.
8/27/2008 4:51:54 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
Phew Crazy Cat, I was afraid you were supporting everyone going out and buying subscriptions to the New York Times to find out what's really going on. ;-)
8/27/2008 4:52:15 PM
chippa
chippa writes:
Get us bagels too then, not the sh*tty kind either Paul likes sesame or whole wheat and I want a pumpernickel one

maybe some chives and cream cheese
8/27/2008 4:52:23 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
put me down for a poppy seed bagel, and i'll take the smoked salmon spread.
8/27/2008 5:12:41 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
no capers.

I HATE FKN CAPERS.
8/27/2008 5:12:54 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
Society and the world are changing. Many of traditions that have been such a big part of our preconceptions are falling away—such as reading newspapers as an example.

The way things are shaping up in this country I don't see a way around socialism—and this is what Obama is implying when he incants the word "change".

As traumatic and "antithetical" a thing "change" may be, perhaps it is necessary that it happens in today's world. The lifestyles, needs and societal conditions facing and challenging us today are a far cry from what life like was like in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when people could live with impunity as fiercely independent frontiersman, in a land that was untamed and wide-open.

To tell you the truth, considering the complexities facing the world today—especially in terms of population—I think that it's only a matter of time before it is fully adopted and implemented in this country.
8/27/2008 5:16:47 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
Back of boogaloo,
What you think i'm gonna do?
I got a flash right from the start

I'll have the sesame seed bagel with onion and chive cream cheese....
8/27/2008 5:30:52 PM
Morganic
Morganic writes:
I'll have a sesame seed bagel too, but with regular cream cheese, a slice of Bermuda onion, and LOTS of smoked salmon! As much as will fit. (Hey, my grandmother was Norwegian, I love all kinds of fish, what can I say...)
8/27/2008 6:25:45 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
You're getting two-dozen assorted donuts, a "Box-o-Joe" and a fistfull of sugar packets and creamers.

And if I hear any complaining, you'll be breaking through the asphalt without the help of a Kango - just a mallet and a flat-bar - so I don't wanna hear it - and don't be late... 6:30 means 6-f*cking-THIRTY - NOT 6:35 or 6:40 ... you get here BEFORE 6:30 and mix your coffee on YOUR time, not mine.

I'm not gonna bust your ass all-day, but I wanna see all of you trying to be the first one to get here and the last to leave. Now, get outta here...
8/27/2008 6:36:23 PM
GOD
GOD writes:
Lee Ibuycoca
8/27/2008 6:50:34 PM
Ronin
Ronin writes:
Captain Morgan hit the nail on the head regarding newspapers. I only read the Nashua Telegraph on occassion to get local news. Anything of importance, I scour the internet for legit sources.

I love these old coots who are so out of touch...maybe more so than the kids and their IPods.
8/27/2008 7:06:15 PM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
well - try to look past the "medium" and see the point he was trying to make - in HIS time, reading was the way ... he's over 80 and I'm sure he's not surfin' the web like we do... but his POINT is still valid: Seek-out other sources of information... multiple points of view.

I don't give a rat's-ass about Iacooky either - but I understand the underlying message of what he's saying.

Both Bush and now McCain have talked openly about how computer illiterate they are - and if "print is dead"... where are THEY getting their alternate source of journalism...?

I like McCain... but he is in that same camp of being out-of-touch with technology--surfing and getting online news and stories. Not saying that Obama is Captain Technology - nor that it makes someone BETTER.... just relating it back to the idea that the internet is "the new print".
8/27/2008 7:23:39 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
In some cases this is true. I read newspapers all the time well as a lot of other things.

But obviously, we don't have to in order to get the news like you said.

But then does it really matter if we're gleaning information from an internet bulletin board instead of the Wall St. Journal?
I mean, an AP release is an AP release regardless of where it's taken from.

Referring to acquiring news from newspapers instead of internet bulletins in similar to referring to releases from bands as "records" or LPs' instead of CDs'. Perhaps it is only just a manner of speaking or dated colloquial.

8/27/2008 7:37:49 PM
Morganic
Morganic writes:
I read the Boston Globe every day.

And I thought what he said was dead on. GW Bush and his henchmen have been a total disaster for this country. Especially Cheney and his crew.
8/27/2008 7:39:32 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
Precisely.

Hey Chippa, did you see the talking goat video that I post under illegal immigrants? It's hilarious!!
8/27/2008 7:52:01 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
Ya see, Morganic reads the Boston Globe every day. I rest my case.


:-)
8/28/2008 1:20:02 AM
chippa
chippa writes:
Paul it WAS f*cking hilarious

I read a local paper out here in the sticks that doesn't have an online version because my wife advertises in it and it's local local like where the pancake breakfasts and open mikes and such are plus a lot of local history crap is in there and they do bios on the town players like teachers and cops and the like

Plus I got a chimney starter a few months ago
8/28/2008 8:15:00 AM
chippa
chippa writes:
and how's about Rick Roy dropping a f*cking grenade and taking off like a gangsta doing a drive by
8/28/2008 8:15:49 AM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
... and you're all fired. I'm not drinking all this coffee myself - and a frickin' shame to throw all these donuts away.

Swanee... you want some donuts...? How are you with a shovel...?
8/28/2008 9:05:02 AM
chippa
chippa writes:
F*ck you you can't fire me I'm union

I'm using my sick time

and Crazy and I said BAGELS not donuts, I'm calliing OSHA
8/28/2008 9:11:44 AM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
whoa - whoa... let's calm down now... no need to get all excited, I didn't mean "fired" fired... I'm just sayin'... hold on: "ERIC... ERIC! Get over here...! Eric... I need you to run out and get those bagels I asked you about this morning... go... GO!"

Heheh... no worries guys - no need to call anyone ... it's all good, right...?


RIGHT...?

C'mon guys, I need this f*cking job... goddamn ballet, soccer, braces, karate, my kids are costing me a frickin' fortune here... I am barely sneaking-by... and they don't appreciate a friggin' thing... and my wife...? Pffff... she doesn't give a crap anymore - put on 80lbs and bitches that I am not attracted to her anymore... well... sorry - but you look like Rosanne Barr after a night of binge drinking - on your GOOD days...

And the frickin' credit cards...

Guys - I need this... please get to f*cking work... otherwise, I'm driving-off the side of a bridge on the way home tonight.

I wonder if Home Depot is hiring...
8/28/2008 9:19:47 AM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
...AAAAAAaaaaaand...

"Scene!"
8/28/2008 9:20:50 AM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
Thank you - thank you... I couldn't do this without the help of so many other LowellRocks.com'ers - so many to name... uh...

[ music starts playing ]

Oh, well they want me off so let me just thank...

[ music gets louder ]

Okay... well... Thanks to my loving wif....

[ cut to commercial ]
8/28/2008 9:22:57 AM
chippa
chippa writes:
Foreman position just opened up, f*ck that I wouldn't take that job for twice my pay now

Everyone of those guys f*cking cracks

Plus I think the last one we had was gay

kept f*cking leering at me like I was a bacon double cheeseburger or something

either gay or he had a glass eye or something like that

f*cking weirdo
8/28/2008 9:27:58 AM
ThatGuy
ThatGuy writes:
"Lipozene targets the Fat and you don't have to change ANYTHING about your diet. Just try..."

*click*

"HI BILLY MAYS HERE! TELLING YOU ABOUT WONDER-PUTTY... JUST LOOK AT ALL THE USES FOR WONDE..."

*click*

"... but I'm sorry, only three of you can move-on to the next round of elimination, one of you will be saying goodb..."

*click*

" eight hundred FIVE eight, eight... two three hundred... em-PIRE... today...!"

*click*

"... some side effects are anal bleeding, loss of knuckles, dry teeth, shortness of breath, speed yawning, immobility and in some cases; death... consult your phy..."


8/28/2008 9:28:53 AM
Rick Roy
Rick Roy writes:
Yeah, that grenade is all I had time to throw. This WORKING FOR A LIVING thing sure gets in the way...
8/28/2008 1:01:00 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
I love throwing hand greneggs myself.....That's sabatoogie!!
8/28/2008 1:17:36 PM
Rick Roy
Rick Roy writes:
"People are complaining that they don't have as much money as they used to, Government says, "Okay, here's some of your money back", and you think it's a bad idea?!?!?"
The problem with the "rebate" is that we'll be givin back about 70% at tax time because of this ATA? tax that the republicans have been holding back till this year. They know they don't have a chance in hell in winning the election, so they will blame the democrats for this "new" tax. My tax person warned me about this last year.
8/28/2008 1:20:48 PM
Rick Roy
Rick Roy writes:

"Lee is hopping on the bandwagon to sell books."
I don't think he needs the money.

"If he was such a great leader to be giving lessons, why the hell did Chrysler need a bail out?!?!"

I'm pretty sure he wasn't there when it went south. He was brought in to bring it north.
8/28/2008 1:27:31 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
Aha, so you finally come out!

I was waiting for someone to mention that Lee was brought in to save Chrysler. He was. But my main point is true, how he saved it was considered by many to be corporate bail out's big bang.

He may not need the money, but when someone puts out a book, whether he's rich or not, he wants it to sell big.

When a guy in his position, switches from donating to, and supporting the Bush campaign in 2000, to totally switching gears and supporting Kerry on '04, it shows that there's more to it than the pile on complaints in that excerpt. Somewhere along the line, he thought he had some implied favor due to him by President Bush.

A 3 year year radical switch in political beliefs simply doesn't happen to elder statesman of the business world. Smells of sour grapes.
8/28/2008 1:35:31 PM
Rick Roy
Rick Roy writes:
I don't know, if he paid back the money, what's his motive? There was a lot more than just complaints on there. Read it again.
8/28/2008 1:47:46 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
I read it once, my comprehension is pretty good.

I admit it. I don't think things are as bad as everyone says they are.

I believe the problems we have are mainly caused by Democrats in the Congress.

I believe Obama, and most in the Democrat party are essentially Socialists who want Government to control everything.

They want Socialized medicine, Socialized Energy, they've got Socialized Education and they do all they can to wipe out anything but.

I'm against them and their plans.

Every four years I'm given a choice between them, the Democrats who I consider Socialists, and Republicans, who more and more are turning toward these Socialistic programs etc. but aren't nearly as far to the Left as Democrats, so I vote for the Republican.

I believe the Media has a big Left wing bias, and they've created this group think that our President has done a bad job, but I don't see evidence to that effect.

I think the War on Terror (including Iraq) is just and necessary. And if the modern day media and opposition party were given WWII to critique, they'd probably impeach Roosevelt.

I think the Energy Crisis, rising cost of gasoline etc. is mainly being caused by Democrats like Pellosi who literally own stock in misguided and ineffectual Solar Technology.

They keep saying drilling won't help for ten years, yet they've been using that excuse for 20 years!!! We would have had plenty of our own cheap oil by now if Jimmy Carter's answer to the Energy Crisis would have been drill more!!! And Congress hasn't allowed it since.

Okay I'm done.

There's my manifesto in short form.

:-)
8/28/2008 2:02:02 PM
DESMOND
DESMOND writes:
Carl, I think that the general concensus in the USA is one of hurt &/or shame. I mean, he WAS voted in (barely, I admit. Along with the help of his brother in Florida) so at one time, he was liked well enough. THEN he lied to the entire world, US specifically, and I think the entire country felt rather SHAT ON.
I believe the country in general, regrets putting the idiot into the position of "Leader of the Free World" (sorta sends a shiver up my spine EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT !!!), but, I guess my point is, I think even someone as rich & powerful as Iacocca could have "Changed their minds" after the way that Bush & his cabinet have screwed the US... Agree...?? Disagree...???
8/28/2008 2:16:26 PM
dog
dog writes:
"I think the Energy Crisis, rising cost of gasoline etc. is mainly being caused by Democrats like Pellosi who literally own stock in misguided and ineffectual Solar Technology."

CM, for a smart guy, I have a hard time understanding how you can believe this. I think Pelosi is an idiot, but we absolutely need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and actively invest in alternate sources including solar.

Drilling for more oil isn't a long term solution.

And FWIW, the reason we have the gas prices we do is due to oil market speculation. The price of a barrel of crude has flucutated wildly and has inflated due to speculation. It's not because of the Democrats, Pelosi or Congress. It's that free market we all know and love.
8/28/2008 2:18:06 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
you know what we need?

More corinthian leather.
8/28/2008 3:57:19 PM
dog
dog writes:
Ricardo Montalbon agrees.
8/28/2008 3:58:29 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
I agree that drilling is not a long term solution, but the Dem's have ruled it out as a short term solution, that's my problem with them. As for the "for a smart guy" I guess I'll take that as a compliment. :-)

I also think that there is not nearly the rush that Dems make it out to be. Well, there is now since we stopped drilling for oil, and need to buy it from hostile states, but again, whose fault is that? Surely not the so-called oil men who just plain gave up on getting permission to drill because Congress wouldn't let them.

The free market responds more favorably to countries rich with product, in this case, oil. We have it, but refuse to drill or refine.

But I don't want to go around and around with you on this Dog, I read what you said in that other thread about Obama being an empty suit, so as far as I'm concerned, your politics are okay with me! Today anyway. ;-)
8/28/2008 4:09:19 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
Desmond, I don't believe President Bush lied.

Unless everyone before him, and around him (Dems included) were lying as well. Everyone seemed to believe Sadam had WMD. And Sadam wanted everyone to believe that as well.

Honestly, there was such a long run up to the invasion of Iraq, (not the rush to war like so many say there was) remember all the damn resolutions that got nothing done? I still believe there were WMDs, and they simply were moved out, probably sold off to other countries while we tried hard to convince countries like Russia and France (who were making sweetheart illegal deals with Sadam all along) to join us. THAT, was our mistake. But without those attempts, Congress would not have allowed the President to go to war. And lets remember, they voted for it, he could not have done it alone.
8/28/2008 4:13:27 PM
dog
dog writes:
CM, nah, I'm not interested in a long drawn out conversation on the topic. I was mainly curious.

"As for the "for a smart guy" I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

Indeed as it was intended.
8/28/2008 4:17:53 PM
Carl Ayotte
Carl Ayotte writes:
Let's bash the empty suit together!!!! :-)

Nah, just kiddin
8/28/2008 4:20:48 PM
dog
dog writes:
I can't get up the energy to bash either candidate.

As I'm writing this, I have the Libertarian party web site open in another tab.
8/28/2008 4:23:36 PM
GOD
GOD writes:
How about instead of trying to get more oil we just have detroit kick the fuel efficiancy (CAFE) up to the max. We could save more oil than we will ever get out of ANWAR by just upping the efficiancy levels. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the U.S. might do better to focus on raising fuel efficiency standards rather than sinking more wells into the ground. While the government increased the efficiency standards an average of 1.1 mpg a year from 1980 to 1985 -- to 27.5 mpg for cars and 19.5 mpg for light trucks -- it did little until 2007. If, instead, the government had continued raising the standards at a rate of 0.4 mpg each year, cars would be at least 50 percent more fuel efficient. The savings adds up to approximately 3.3 million barrels per day -- quite an improvement over offshore drilling's estimated 0.2 million [source: Baker and Szembrot]. Not to mention the cost of trying to get the offshore oil reserves thousands of feet underwater and an additional thousands of feet under the seafloor takes considerable time and money. According to the EIA's report, much of the oil that's currently off limits wouldn't even be economically worth developing at current prices.
8/28/2008 4:27:42 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
Watch the movie WALL STREET.

oil prices we see to day have NOTHING to do with supply.

We aren't running out of oil in our lifetimes.

and before one of you armchair oil barrons responds, put your hand down unless you have ACTUALLY WORKED IN THE OILPATCH.

thats right.

never been to houston? hand down.
8/28/2008 5:36:11 PM
Almac77
Almac77 writes:
I think God just said if we drill the price of oil will go up!I hear wind farms are coming to Boston harbor,not a bad idea,that along with drilling in easily accessible areas should help our dependance.We should be using all alternative sources,including bio fuels,solar and hydrogen technology,all at once.

I'll be campaigning for 2112 shortly after the election.

oh yeah,and fuel efficiency standards should be increased steadily on a year by year basis on all methods of fuel powered vehicles.
8/28/2008 5:42:20 PM
Almac77
Almac77 writes:
I hear Houston has one of the highest pay rates in the country-Their gonna LOVE you yankee
8/28/2008 5:45:30 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
What did i say about people that haven't actually been in the business?

8/28/2008 5:49:08 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
thats right hands down spanky.
8/28/2008 5:49:18 PM
dog
dog writes:
"I'll be campaigning for 2112 shortly after the election."

Nuh uh. Mayans say the world ends in 2012.

8/28/2008 5:53:06 PM
Almac77
Almac77 writes:
You work in Houston?
8/28/2008 5:54:17 PM
Almac77
Almac77 writes:
"012" OOPS!
8/28/2008 5:55:48 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
I'm no socialist but I'll say this: The only think keeping this country—or that has kept this country—from sliding into a dust bowl-like depression (or worse) like that of the the 30s' is socialism, first introduced in this system via "New Deal" politics during FDR's administration.

Programs such as unemployment insurance, workman's compensation and Medicaid among other things are all essentially "socialist " in nature.

With the world becoming smaller and smaller and the populations of the world increasing and expanding; together with the deliberate and systematic removal of manufacturing centers to foreign countries via NAFTA, how else can we expect people to survive in the years ahead in an already overpopulated world?
8/28/2008 6:06:21 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
Well, the economy rebounded in Q2, growing at 3.3 %, on the strenght of manufacturing and the tax rebate stimulus program.


So, all the "you can keep the 600 bucks, and manufactring is all dried up" people can eat thier hats.
8/28/2008 6:22:47 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
i HAVE worked in houston.

8/28/2008 6:23:04 PM
GOD
GOD writes:
Houston...we have a problem.
8/28/2008 6:34:25 PM
CrazyCat
CrazyCat writes:
I hear ya Scott.

I posted the same line on the other thread because somehow the system choked and bounced me over to it while I was writing it here. Weird.
8/28/2008 6:46:46 PM
Almac77
Almac77 writes:
Yankee go homeboy,so whats causing this little price increase if we got oil spilling out our asses?
8/28/2008 6:48:43 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
commodities speculation.

You think the well went dry in 6 mon time?

china and india all of a sudden started usinig more out of no where?



watch WALL STREET.

same reason stocks are worth nothing one day, and alot the next. then back to nothing.

Gas was near 4.50 for a while. I filled up today, it was about 3:50.

think they just found some oil in the past 3 months? Chinamen get thier cars repoed?

THINK!

greed is good.
8/28/2008 6:57:10 PM
Almac77
Almac77 writes:
I watch wall street all the time-I think we still need to decrease our dependance,Come on thats a no brainer.My plans gonna get me elected in 2112.It's good for the country,meaning ALL of us.

as for the 4.50-3.50 price bullshit,I like it where it was about seven years ago
8/28/2008 7:03:19 PM
milhouse
milhouse writes:
no the MOVIE Wall Street.
8/28/2008 7:25:33 PM
DESMOND
DESMOND writes:
Carl, Not too many people are aware of it (although I'll bet you are) that the US's REAL involvment in the issues and troubles in the middle-east, began with a poorly choreographed coup by the united states in the early 50's (53?). There was issue with the Iraqui leaders wanting more control of their oil & it's profits... It's actually like a freakin' soap opera and I believe that this area of the world is nothing more than a tool that the rest of the world will be fighting over until that one final day that we blow eachother up... and then the aliens that have been studying us as a science experiment, look down and say "OK that ends THAT one.. call the 'time of death'..."

I guess what I'm saying is , in my opinion, The US gov't is THE MOST CORRUPT GOV'T IN THE WORLD... we will NEVER have ANYONE that can change that... because THE MOST CORRUPT GOV'T IN THE WORLD... will not allow that to happen... I believe that Washington (proper) decides WHO will play the game... WHO will do what they're told... WHO will take "the seat"... BUT.. that's just MY paranoid schitzophrenic opinion...
WHAT WAS THAT...??? OH I SEE... You'r ALL on the side of the man... MAYBE I"M the only one who's being studied by the Aliens and YOU are ALL part of "THE EXPERIMENT"...
DAMN IT...!!!!!!!! "SOILENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!"
8/29/2008 8:30:04 AM
JimZaroulis
JimZaroulis writes:
Hey, "Wag the Dog" is probably closer to real life than we think.

8/29/2008 8:42:45 AM
DESMOND
DESMOND writes:
OH JIMMY !!!!!!!!!!

I need a DRINK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8/29/2008 9:03:02 AM
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