Volume 58 - Are you kidding me!

In my previous blog, Volume 57, I described our (Door and Hardware) industry as the ultimate arena for 'Business Double Speak,' and I went on to give real examples of such 'speak.'



I now have to recant the words "greatest examples of double speak in the universe." Our Federal Government (again) takes the podium with four examples of why you can never underestimate how 'screwed up' a government can become within such a few days of assuming power.



A few days ago our illustrious Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, apologized to Mexico on behalf of these United States for the string of assassinations, beheadings and bombings that have taken place in Mexican border towns, blaming this on "our insatiable demand for illegal drugs." She went on to say, "How could anyone conclude differently?" ARE YOU KIDDING ME! No wonder there is a Jones, Flowers, and Lewinsky.



What is our fault is that 'We' allow illegal immigrants to cross our borders. What is our fault is that 'We' don't prosecute nor 'load-up' and send back the twenty (20) million illegals who drain our local and state funds. What is our fault is that we still haven't learned to fight the Drug wars. What is our fault is that we don't hold Mexico accountable and demand the use of their Army with US Intelligence assets to fight the drug cartels. What is our fault is that we haven't stop the flow of drugs and guns at the border. What is our fault is that we are getting politically weaker by the day with regards to Mexico, the border, illegals, and the costs associated with all of this crap. What is our fault is that we didn't hold any of the Presidential candidates accountable for 'border' security or the drug trade, and ended up with the one who changes terminology to combat the problems.


And as equally insane as the remarks of our Secretary of State goes to another new administrator, our new Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. She said rather than referring to the word "terrorism" she preferred to call it "man-caused disasters." ARE YOU KIDDING ME! "Terror" is "Terror" is "Terror." The purpose of a language is to express meaning, not to 'color' or 'hide' meaning. "Language lunacy" on the rampage in D.C.! If a 800 pound Gorilla is running rampant in town, destroying store fronts, casting innocent people head over heels, and laying waste to everything in sight, would it simply be a primate that is misunderstood, and 'our fault' for it's very existence in town?!%#&* What is our fault is accepting this distorted picture of reality. What is our fault is accepting the media bias, which is way out of control, glossing over comments/statements that if were made during the previous administration would have made headlines.


Thirdly, not to be outdone by the female hierarchy within his administration, President Obama has simply ended the War on Terror. Simple, we should have done this years ago. Just in case you haven't heard, and, by the way, he 'ended it' by renaming the 'War on Terror' to "Overseas Contingency Operation." "In a memo sent this week from the Defense Department's office of security to Pentagon staffers, members were told, 'this administration prefers to avoid using the term 'Long War' or "Global War on Terror (GWOT).' 'Please use 'Overseas Contingency Operation.' I'm almost speechless. A war on semantics. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Just keep dancing around the real issues, just be prepared for a real problem in the very near future; our reward for the departure from reality. Remember Mr. President your obligation is to protect Americans, and the protection of the American soil, as we've been protected over the past eight years. I will give the President "kudos" for the handling of the Somali Pirates; nice start and as always a Great Job by the Navy and the SEALS.


And finally, it has come to my attention that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac plan to pay more than $210 million in bonuses through next year to give workers the incentive to stay in their jobs at the government-controlled companies. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! The companies paid out nearly $51 million last year, and are scheduled to make $146 million in bonuses this year and $13 million in 2010. And, you thought GM was screwed up! How is it that when one's organization lost more than 100 BILLION in a year that people get bonuses? And, as we all know, historically Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been watched over by the Government. Maybe Barnie Frank should also be given a little something for his watchful effort!


As Jay Leno stated, " According to the government, Rick Wagoner was forced to resign because of poor performance. That's embarrassing -- run an organization that loses billions of dollars and then get fired by a guy who heads up an organization that loses trillions of dollars."



I would advise that we all go to the library and start re-reading Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" and George Orwell's "Animal Farm" - The time is rapidly approaching!