Clipmarks | kankamuso's 'iraq' clips

Lyndon B. Johnson vs. George W. Bush

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:48:27 GMT

clipped by: kankamuso
clipper's remarks: [excerpt]

This comes with a huge hat tip to a good Friend of Attytood who was born 40 years ago on this date -- Happy Birthday, dude! -- and as a result is more up to speed on what happened on January 10, 1967, than the rest of us.

The big news story that night? President Lyndon B. Johnson's State of the Union address.

The topic that dominated all others: Vietnam.

I'm going to guide you to some excerpts of that address -- exactly 40 years ago tonight. See how it compares to some of the excerpts from President Bush's speech that were just released minutes ago:

LBJ, Jan. 10, 1967: We have chosen to fight a limited war in Vietnam in an attempt to prevent a larger war--a war almost certain to follow, I believe, if the Communists succeed in overrunning and taking over South Vietnam by aggression and by force. I believe, and I am supported by some authority, that if they are not checked now the world can expect to pay a greater price to check them later.

GWB, Jan. 10, 2007: Tonight in Iraq, the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged in a struggle that will determine the direction of the global war on terror – and our safety here at home. The new strategy I outline tonight will change America's course in Iraq, and help us succeed in the fight against terror.

LBJ, Jan. 10, 1967: I wish I could report to you that the conflict is almost over. This I cannot do. We face more cost, more loss, and more agony. For the end is not yet. I cannot promise you that it will come this year--or come next year. Our adversary still believes, I think, tonight, that he can go on fighting longer than we can, and longer than we and our allies will be prepared to stand up and resist.

GWB, Jan. 10, 2007: Our past efforts to secure Baghdad failed for two principal reasons: There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighborhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have.

Tags: politics, bush, iraq, war

Iraq and the 7 Habits of Highly Defective Presidents

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:46:38 GMT

clipped by: kankamuso
clipper's remarks: [excerpt]

Clip Source: www.perrspectives.com

Since he first stepped into the Oval Office, much has been made about George W. Bush as America's CEO, our first MBA President. In the wake of the Iraq Study Group report, the nation has been eagerly awaiting President Bush's now-delayed new strategy with the baited breath surrounding a major new product announcement. But as is becoming increasingly clear, when it comes to Iraq, George W. Bush the MBA President is managing the war like a failed business.

As a 20 year technology marketing executive in firms large and small, I've seen the all the telltale signs of strategic bankruptcy before. Facing declining sales, aging products, sagging market share and growing competitive disadvantage, some business leaders reach a strategic impasse. They stop talking about their products, customers and their vision for the future. Instead, these failed managers speak of "the process," point to key dates and upcoming events, deflect blame towards other people and external factors, all while looking to others to provide strategic salvation.

The same George W. Bush who so proudly declared himself a "war president" is leading the United States to strategic bankruptcy and geopolitical disaster. As Commander-in-Chief, President Bush displays all the hallmarks of the failed executive. With a nod to Stephen Covey, call them the "Seven Habits of Highly Defective Presidents."

Name Names and Outsource Responsibility
Focus on the Process, Not the Plan
Set Dates to Turn Corners
Use New Slogans for An Old, Failed Product
Find New Uses for An Old, Failed Product
Announce Your New Product Before It's Ready
Don't Do The Market Research

Name

Tags: bush, politics, iraq

Debunking the Happiness Myth

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 02:46:23 GMT

clipped by: kankamuso

Clip Source: avanoo.wordpress.com

About a year ago, a friend returned from a harrowing stint in Iraq and wanted to treat himself to something special. So he bought a big truck. Not one of the sissy trucks that most of his army buddies drove… No, he bought a Ford F-250 with monster wheels, suspension, and all the accessories!

Sure, he could barely afford the monthly payments… but he had always wanted a big truck and, he realized while in Iraq, that happiness sometimes takes precedence, even if it comes with big monthly payments.

The first night with the truck was great. He parked it in his driveway, put some couches in the flatbed, as well as a barbeque and an ice box… and we partied out there until late. Most of his friends were envious (“Dude, this is dope!” they echoed), his girlfriend was impressed (“We already broke it in this afternoon,” she admitted), and he wondered aloud whether he’d ever been so happy (“This… is true happiness!” he said).

A week later, I saw him and asked whether the truck was still giving him the ‘true happiness’ that he had expressed the week before. “I dunno man, it’s just a truck. It’s fucking cool… but, you know, it’s just a truck.”

Each of us – young or old, fat or skinny, black or white, rich or poor – wants happiness! Some of us prioritize our own happiness, some of us prioritize the happiness of others (family, friends, countrymen, etc.), and some of us prioritize the happiness of our Gods… but we all prioritize happiness in some form over everything else!

Tags: happiness, myths