Month: June 2013

Exceptionalism was identified as too costly

A well written column by Noonan titled Privacy Isn’t All We’re Losing.

It brought to mind the concept of American Exceptionalism and how that has been attacked and ALMOST wiped out. Bear with me here – it will hopefully make sense.

A practice in the business world is bench marking. I believe the original purpose/intent of the practice was to see what other companies/organizations/leaders were doing that you weren’t and then adjust your practices/processes/principles so that you to could achieve more/grow/develop/improve. That purpose was short lived because it actually became the resource/justification for cutting costs. An example, I worked in a global giant of a company. Its history and reputation up to 80s was that of leadership, pride, ingenuity and putting people first. In fact it is one of the earliest,if not the first company, to create the mechanism of employees owning stock in the Company as well as profit-sharing. Results for the Company were typically very good including profit and it attracted some of the greatest minds in science, engineering, marketing and design. Unfortunately what transpired in the late 60s and is in practice current day is the use of bench marking as a cost saver. The employee benefits and programs have been whittled down year after year, decade after decade to be aligned to the companies it identifies itself with in their bench marking. The Company decided to forego exceptionalism and instead drive lower costs, hoping thereby to increase profits. The result? The Company’s culture is stagnant, demoralized, under performing, lacks innovation and struggles to attract the sharp minds. It has went from THE leader to “in the pack”. Sure its name is one of the globe’s most recognized names but that is because of the efforts and achievements of the years prior to the late 60s/early 70s. Exceptionalism was identified as too costly.

Here in the USA, the nation has been attacked since its inception by those who favored a more global (trying to be PC) approach. The lofty goals of doing things right and for the right reasons has been replaced by doing what is right according to the majority at that given moment of time. Despite the fact it is unpopular the truth remains that this nation was adopted and built on principles that embraced Christianity or at the very least Deism. Entwined in the founding principles of the USA was the idea of freedom, liberty and capitalism. In my opinion the wickedness of some’s hearts we watched the idea of capitalism be replaced by oligarchies, monopolies and what is now termed “too big to fail”. What replaced freedom and liberty was fear of the haves to not gain more and thereby the need to restrict the have-nots. Slowed erosion of personal freedom and liberty has provided platforms where each generation loses more but the current generation of the time is clueless to the actual loss and its cost. Our so called leaders have sought to benchmark with the countries of the world and instead of American exceptionalism we see American apathy. For example see NASA, Congress, abortions, education scores/rankings, actual innovation that IMPROVES life, etc.

Wrapping it up: In my country we are a patient that is very sick and it is a direct result to the diet that it has existed on. The diet, as diets do, has affected its abilities to think, feel and reason. This country is serious, grave shape. The thing is it is not fully aware of how bad the prognosis is because its looking around at the other nations in the world instead of its own history of greatness – exceptionalism.

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Your thoughts?

As always, I’m interested in other’s opinion/insight on current events or whatever I write about.

In reference to the leak of information initiated by Snowden, what are your thoughts? Is he a traitor to the USA? Hero? Somewhere in between?

I am on the fence about his actions.

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The other shoe

Quickie: Apparently another shoe is going to drop in reference to the NSA privacy vacuuming.

For maximum news cycle effectiveness I would think it would come on a Monday or Tuesday however if the government tries to get in front of it they will slowly spin blurbs over the/a weekend.

Right now some leadership in high places are wanting to know just how bad it will be.

 

 

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Focus domestically

The government of the USA has more than enough matters domestically that requires attention and/or funds to either create or improve so why not focus on those? Why spend dollars and other resources for a civil war in Syria, especially when your choice to back is the group that has blatantly and repeatedly pledged its allegiance to Al Qaida? Why continue funneling dollars (aka support) to nations that are hostile to either our country and/or way of life (see Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc.) Why aren’t our so-called leaders making wise and sensible decisions? This really is a no-brainer. Focus domestically! Our infrastructure is in bad shape and that is an understatement. For example:

  • the electric grid for our nation is outdated
  • many bridges and roads have not been updated/repaired/serviced
  • cellular and broadband access shouldn’t have dark spots
  • even irrigation improvements for farms and parks needs to be evaluated.

I am sure there are many more matters I am missing.

As far as political mines we have border security, making us oil-independent, alternative energy needs – surely you see the point. FOCUS DOMESTICALLY.

I am not one who supports the idea of a UN — BUT — since it is there, don’t you think the matters in Syria should fall in their lap? If they are having a civil war – it happens. In civil wars, people die and eventually one is left standing and they rule the country. This is a matter for the UN and border nations. We have no business with Syria, so why are we going to meddle? Whatever side we pick we are allies with people who are aligned with terrorist organizations.

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Sensible?

NSA is vacuuming in the millions of calls, email, internet communications DAILY all under the guise of identifying terrorists. [Wink, wink] Yet they are excluding MOSQUES! No – really! IBD Article on 6/12.

Now explain to me the sensible, wise reasoning behind such a strategy? Add to this the fact that “Since October 2011, mosques have been off-limits to FBI agents. No more surveillance or undercover sting operations without high-level approval from a special oversight body at the Justice Department dubbed the Sensitive Operations Review Committee.”

Another person involved in the Benghazi COVER-UP is getting a cushy role. CIA deputy director who played a key role in editing the administration’s controversial talking points is “retiring” to spend more time with family BUT he was immediately appointed by the Chief Empty Suit to serve on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board which is an INDEPENDENT advisory board. [See “no oversight”] Remember Rice received the top UN job which did not require vetting or approval from Congress. See a pattern?

This evening – New York Times is reporting:

“American intelligence analysts now believe that President Bashar al-Assad’s troops have used chemical weapons against rebel forces in the civil war in Syria, an assessment that will put added pressure on a deeply divided Obama administration to develop a response to a provocation that the president himself has declared a “red line.”

The belief is chemical weapons have been used several times on a small scale.

O sticker

WE NEED AN AMERICAN SPRING!

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AN AMERICAN SPRING

IRS targeting Conservatives
Benghazi – WH’s blatant lies to Congress and citizens of the USA
Government privacy and first amendment breach against AP and Fox News.
Now – PRISM – privacy breech of ALL US citizens going on since current administration

2 cents:

This from a Democratic president – the one who was to bring change. Guess what – he has – obliteration of the Bill of Rights and Constitutional protection for all US citizens.

Of course the dems are saying this is Bush’s fault but anyone with an ounce of common sense realizes that this is yet another attempt to side step responsibility and accountability. Again common sense would be that if it is Bush’s fault then you are admitting it is wrong so the solution is easy – shut it down. But instead the same dems including the WH say that this is being blown out of proportion, there is civil liberties protection built in, yadda yada, which then implies there is no fault to be found – which would then mean – following the WH and dems statements – that Bush did something good and right.

What the reality of the situation is – per the bill’s author – is that the current administration has overstepped the bill’s premise and design.

Limbaugh article – the coup in America

Trying to rein in dragnet of WH

Noonan article – IRS did it too well not to know what it was doing

Bush’s fault

Additional 2 cents:

What is needed in the USA is an AMERICAN SPRING. We need the citizens to storm the Capitol, White House and State Capitals across our nation and protest and push for the immediate withdrawal of all corrupt and unconstitutional legislatures & government officials which certainly includes the executive branch of the federal government and replace it with people who embrace the original intent of our founding documents and will guarantee in word and deed the rights and freedoms of the citizens of the USA.

WE NEED TO DO THIS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE TO ACT.

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