I was sent a video link on my email from a friend the other day and it was imensley inspiring to me. The link is http://www.mywarvideo.com/play.php?vid=132 I recommend watching it prior to reading the rest of my blog. WARNING, there is lots of harsh language in the video. It was an awesome 5:35 that I have watched six times in two days. When sharing this video to others I got some mixed reviews which honestly surprised me. Now I expected the anti war crowd to think it was harsh and disrespectful but one comment I received was interesting it went like this: "Well, that guy was boldly talking a good game and had some good/funny lines, but I don't think insults work as motivation."
My first point is "boldly talking a good game" does it really look like a game? Putting your life on the line every minute of every day to help secure a foreign country is no game. This speech was bred from frustration for people who didn't care enough to free their own country and protect it from those within that are killing their families and friends. This was the speech to light a fire under apathetic participants. Guys who would rather follow then lead and follow at a great distance. What I saw was an American soldier giving those Iraqi police a wake up call letting them know it was their turn to carry the ball. A speech like that however "insulting" it may be just might cause one or more of those men to step up to the task their country so desperately needs them to and lead them to true victory; Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I think this rings true to Americans because we know that all things stem from freedom and that freedom is not free. There obviously is a huge cultural difference between Iraq and the USA. Iraq has never known true freedom. But don't think they will not know what to do with it when given the chance. Both man and beast know what to make of freedom.
The problem I see with people who have a dislike for this soldier and his speech are those who have a problem with true leadership. They themselves perhaps have never led anything let alone a combat situation. A situation where your decisions can cost lives in a heartbeat. those lives are in your hands as that leader. You are not trying to motivate some corporate salesmen to get their numbers up for the next quarter. This is the get it done attitude that is waining in our country today. The societal beat down of the Alpha Dog. Discouraging young boys from being competitive, aggressive leaders for our countries future. They need to get in touch with their feminine side. They need to cry. Lets not keep score. They need to understand that women are equal in all ways to men. Well they are not! (this is where I'm supposed to say the "No disrespect to women" line) but I'm not going to! That simple line is part of the problem. It's not disrespect pointing out the obvious truth. As a male I can't have a baby, do women say "no disrespect to men" but they can't have a baby. It's not disrespectful it's the truth. Therefore true leaders must speak the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts but mostly it sets you free.
I commend this soldier for his approach and I would be honored to have him on my staff anytime, anywhere.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tea Parties
April 15th was not only tax day but over 700 "tea parties" were held throughout the country in protest of over taxation. I attended the tea party in Chicago which is actually rare for me since I usually will prioritize work over such things. It was entertaining though I must say. Probably 1000 - 1500 people there. The signs were great. Every thing from "Don't tread on me" to my favorite this young kid had, a large reproduction portrait of George Washington standing by a desk with a large bubble next to him with WTF ! in it. The speakers were good. Mostly emphasising the need for individuality, liberty and freedom.
This rings so true but the dissapointing thing is so many have forgetten what those words really mean. In a recent poll it was announced that 53% of Americans are ok with big government for now. "For now"? This is where the uninformed and just plain ignorant come in to play. When have you ever seen government reduced? It is like a tempory tax, there is no such thing. How many times does it have to be demonstrated that government spending does not stimulate the economy? The level of frustration on this topic is immense. The whole point is about rugged individualism. We can generate our own stimulis by working hard. Another great sign at the tea party read "Don't spread my wealth around spread my work ethic". I just can't for the life of me understand why anyone would want to be under the yoke of the government for their existance. Have these people never experienced the joy of self accomplishment? Do they really not know what it is like to work hard at a difficult task and complete it successfully? Have they been so coddled that this experience has escaped them? Look at the banks that were "forced" to take TARP money who didn't need or want it. They are trying to give it back but the government will no take it. Other banks figured the system out quickly. They did all the paper work for TARP funds but when it came time to get it they said no thanks. As long as they went though the hoops to apply they were left alone. That is buerocracy at work for you. The government should not be running business, period. They can't balance their own books!
People need to be aware of this slow, deliberate action to undermine capitlism by the government. The more they control the more they dictate your way of living. The government machine has a voracious appetite, the more it eats the more it grows, it's an endless upward cycle. I have never heard of one government institution that has eliminated a benefits package for their work force. They complain they are all in record deficits but they don't work very hard at job and benefit reduction for their work force like a normal business would. They lay off 1,000 workers on occasion, which is like a flea on an elephant, only to rehire them as soon as no one is paying attention. Which in this day in age is about a week. They make the big announcement about government layoffs for the press to get sympathy and out rage but you never hear a big announcement about the rehiring of this same dead weight they cut loose. I know as for me when they loose these "workers" my life is not affected one bit. So lets try an experiment, Keep cutting government jobs until it actually affects 60% of the population. I'm pretty sure we'll have a rather small government when it hits that point. I implore you to look at yourself and ask "what can't I do for myself?" If you give it hard thought I believe you will realize, as any true American would, it is very little.
This rings so true but the dissapointing thing is so many have forgetten what those words really mean. In a recent poll it was announced that 53% of Americans are ok with big government for now. "For now"? This is where the uninformed and just plain ignorant come in to play. When have you ever seen government reduced? It is like a tempory tax, there is no such thing. How many times does it have to be demonstrated that government spending does not stimulate the economy? The level of frustration on this topic is immense. The whole point is about rugged individualism. We can generate our own stimulis by working hard. Another great sign at the tea party read "Don't spread my wealth around spread my work ethic". I just can't for the life of me understand why anyone would want to be under the yoke of the government for their existance. Have these people never experienced the joy of self accomplishment? Do they really not know what it is like to work hard at a difficult task and complete it successfully? Have they been so coddled that this experience has escaped them? Look at the banks that were "forced" to take TARP money who didn't need or want it. They are trying to give it back but the government will no take it. Other banks figured the system out quickly. They did all the paper work for TARP funds but when it came time to get it they said no thanks. As long as they went though the hoops to apply they were left alone. That is buerocracy at work for you. The government should not be running business, period. They can't balance their own books!
People need to be aware of this slow, deliberate action to undermine capitlism by the government. The more they control the more they dictate your way of living. The government machine has a voracious appetite, the more it eats the more it grows, it's an endless upward cycle. I have never heard of one government institution that has eliminated a benefits package for their work force. They complain they are all in record deficits but they don't work very hard at job and benefit reduction for their work force like a normal business would. They lay off 1,000 workers on occasion, which is like a flea on an elephant, only to rehire them as soon as no one is paying attention. Which in this day in age is about a week. They make the big announcement about government layoffs for the press to get sympathy and out rage but you never hear a big announcement about the rehiring of this same dead weight they cut loose. I know as for me when they loose these "workers" my life is not affected one bit. So lets try an experiment, Keep cutting government jobs until it actually affects 60% of the population. I'm pretty sure we'll have a rather small government when it hits that point. I implore you to look at yourself and ask "what can't I do for myself?" If you give it hard thought I believe you will realize, as any true American would, it is very little.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Do you go to "work" or to your "job"?
In a discussion with a friend on the topic that words have meaning a great example was brought up. In the morning when I get up I think to myself "Ive got to get going I have to get to work" Others will say " I've got to go to my job." Sounds innocent on the surface but when you look a little deeper you see something else. I use the word "work" as a verb, something I'm going to do or perform almost in a motivational sense. The person going to their "job" is implying a forced commitment.
When unemployed are you looking for work or for a job? The one looking for work is who I am searching for to hire. The one looking for a job is looking for a paycheck for doing minimal work, health benefits, Time off, etc. Now I'm not knocking these things, well maybe the minimal work part, my point is the earning of these things. I have had employees that do just an awful job at their prescribed tasks (it's a "job" to them) but when confronted about their poor performance they insist that if I payed them more they would do a better job. The funny thing about that is they honestly believe that I should reward them for doing a poor job. I try to explain to them "if you can't do the job at $12.00 an hour why would I pay you $14.00 an hour to not do your work properly?" It still doesn't sink in.
This is the entitlement mentality at work. This is the result of political correctness. When kids soccer teams play and the parents think they shouldn't keep score because someones self esteem may get bruised, that is entitlement and PC wrapped up in one. This is why these younger generations want everything for nothing. They want a "job" they don't want to go to "work". Work is a verb, job is a noun.
I would be curious in unions if say a UAW member gets a pay raise is it because they have improved in their work or because they show up to their "job" every day? The same goes for school teachers, are they graduating more kids with the ability to actually read, write and do math? Or are they just "graduating" kids for numbers sake so they can get federal funding to keep "rewarding" themselves for poor performance? So I ask you, are you "work" or are you "job"? Are you a verb or a noun?
When unemployed are you looking for work or for a job? The one looking for work is who I am searching for to hire. The one looking for a job is looking for a paycheck for doing minimal work, health benefits, Time off, etc. Now I'm not knocking these things, well maybe the minimal work part, my point is the earning of these things. I have had employees that do just an awful job at their prescribed tasks (it's a "job" to them) but when confronted about their poor performance they insist that if I payed them more they would do a better job. The funny thing about that is they honestly believe that I should reward them for doing a poor job. I try to explain to them "if you can't do the job at $12.00 an hour why would I pay you $14.00 an hour to not do your work properly?" It still doesn't sink in.
This is the entitlement mentality at work. This is the result of political correctness. When kids soccer teams play and the parents think they shouldn't keep score because someones self esteem may get bruised, that is entitlement and PC wrapped up in one. This is why these younger generations want everything for nothing. They want a "job" they don't want to go to "work". Work is a verb, job is a noun.
I would be curious in unions if say a UAW member gets a pay raise is it because they have improved in their work or because they show up to their "job" every day? The same goes for school teachers, are they graduating more kids with the ability to actually read, write and do math? Or are they just "graduating" kids for numbers sake so they can get federal funding to keep "rewarding" themselves for poor performance? So I ask you, are you "work" or are you "job"? Are you a verb or a noun?
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