Fw: Lee Iacocca

[BEVERLY JANOWITZ-PRICE]

 

Peace,

 

Beverly

 

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world".....Anne Frank

> Definitely worth the read.  And this from the man who once said,
> "It doesn't matter what you do, it only matters what others think you do
> (and say)."
>
>           /Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from
>           its death throes? He's now 82 years old and has new book,
>           and here are some excerpts:
>           /
>
>
>
>
>
>           '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 ! (Iacocca elaborates on
>           nine C's of leadership, crisis being the first.)
>
>           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.Were 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, 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 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 debit, or solving the energy crisis, or
>           managing the health care problem.The silence is deafening.
>           But these are the crisis 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 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 1970's 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 your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know
>       and care about. It's our country, folks; and it's our future.
>       Our future is at stake!
>
>
>
>
>   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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