Apr 29, 2008 | 4:18 PM
Category:
News
Lee Iacocca Keep an open mind when reading this, he means this for
both Democrats and Republicans alike...
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> This makes sense no matter what political party you might be
for.........The two party system ????
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> Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from
it's death throes? He has a new book, and here are some excerpts.
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> Lee Iacocca Says:
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> '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'
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> 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!'
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> 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?
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> 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.
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> The Biggest 'C' is Crisis !
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> 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 stron g 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
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.
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> 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.
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> Name me a leader who has a better idea for homelan d 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?
>
> Na me 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 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 'Korea n
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:
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> '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!
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>
> BRAVO FOR THIS MAN'S SPEECH. WE NEED MORE LIKE THIS ONE
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