Remember Lee Iacocca, the VP at Ford credited with the birth of the
Mustang, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from their death throes,
and the owner of the famous quote 'Lead, follow, or get out of the way'?
Well, he's back! He has a new book, and here are some excerpts.
Lee Iacocca writes:
'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 kid off to war when you've never seen a battlefield
yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
George Bush, Dick Chaney and who it this Bozo coming up next? One of the
most Liberal Idiots in the U. S. Senate and he is talking about disarming
America . I can't believe the American people are seeing what he is about
to do to this country. May God have mercy on us all.
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 all moving offshore. We're
getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and
nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are the worst in
the world. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed
every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership and we are
getting ready to put the most Liberal Senator in the U. S. Senate in as our
next President because we
want to be fair and elect someone just because of his race. We don't
have time to be fair, we need a strong leader.
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, omnipotence, and common sense? I
may be a sucker for alliteration, but I hope 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. Well guess what people? We are
having more floods right now. What are we doing to help these people out?
Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out
what you're going to do the next time. Why are we allowing people to build
in flood plains anyway? If you build in a flood area, expect to be flooded
and deal with it. Don't expect the Government to bail you out.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can
restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. All they seem to be thinking
now-days is getting themselves bigger salaries and bonuses. 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? Likely nothing!
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 and the Senate. 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 Fox News
will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine
for a change? I honestly don't think any of you have one!
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.'
Make a 'real contribution' by sending this to everyone you know and
care about......our future is at stake!
As I said before. Vote the incumbents OUT!
According to Lee Iacocca
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