Remember this guy Lee Iacocca

Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from it's
death throes? He's now 82 years old and has a new book, and here are some
excerpts.

Lee Iacocca Says:

'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 Cs 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. 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.

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 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 '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 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!

acocca

Yea he's quite the windbag after saving Chrysler
of course backed up by the Taxpayers $$$$$ so he wouldn't have been out anything if it didn't work.The ultimate 'Golden Parachute'.Probably would have been better if chrysler had failed and been split up by GM and Ford.

Yep pretty easy to write a book and reap the profits. The trouble isn't the fact that we aren't fed up with whats going on, its the fact that its pretty hopeless to do anything other than save your own hind end. The best option would be to swipe the slate clean and start all over but no one wants the job! I've often wondered why we as individuals cant fire our respective reps. ( i think i shouldn't have to pay taxes since the end result isn't what i want). Heck have you even tried to get ahold of your reps. lately? it seems like they are never there!

When you write your rep a auto email comes back saying "thanks for your concerns" Blah, Blah.
A representive is too busy looking important to deal with "the people"

From the start of the responses below it looks like the consensus may be to "shoot the messenger". where is Iacocca wrong in his thinking? As far as Chrysler costing taxpayers, as I understand, it didn't. The loan, guaranteed (or cosigned) by the government, was repaid in advance and at a high interest rate, as I recall over 20% interest.

No, i don't think the message is "shoot the messenger" its more like "quit telling us what we already know and kelp lead the revolution" Joe blow won't get it started but maybe Lee can!!

For all his wackiness, isn't this the same stuff Perot always said? Where is he now?

His take on the Iraq war proves that he is out of touch with reality. But I guess at his age he figures he can still sell a few books by repeating some media cliches and repeating what he hears on the evening news.

I guess he forgot that his fifteen minutes of fame are over.

See there actually is a very good energy policy out there, its called drill for our own oil. But for some reason half or more than half of the country doesn't want to do it, but they definately want to complain about energy prices. That is what is not coherent about energy policy in this country. I heard on the radio the other day that the USA actually has more oil than Saudi Arabia but the EPA run by extremists liberals won't let us drill for it. I personally think that is insane.

And there is a plan for winning the war in Iraq, there has been a plan for a long time, it is a long range plan to weed out and kill the terrorists while instilling democracy in countries run in the past by terrorist dictators. Problem is the president has had to fight the terrorists AND had his own government AND the media, so it has been a tough fight. At least our president has the courage to fight for what is right and not just what is politically popular!

I remember Lee Iacocca as the guy who started the whole SUV craze when Chrysler bought American Motors and marketed Jeeps to the masses.

The current administration inherited the problem, they didn't cause it. The hole we're in now was dug about 40 years ago when the tree huggers blocked construction of nuclear power plants and hydroelectric dams. Now we're paying the price.

"When you write your rep a auto email comes back saying "thanks for your concerns" Blah, Blah.
A representive is too busy looking important to deal with "the people" "

but yet we will re-elect them again and again.

While this question will start a whole different argument, I'm gonna voice it anyway. Once the war in Iraq is over, and the United States has left,how many actually think they will remain a peaceful, democratic country? Remember, this is a country that has been gripped in religious war for YEARS.

We will always have a presence in Iraq, just as we do in Germany and Japan. To leave them completely unattended would be foolish. It will also keep neighboring countries in check.

Name me one thing that he said you could do, other that vote in different crooks. Hold who accountable, how?

"See there actually is a very good energy policy out there, its called drill for our own oil."

The plan is to sell out all the oil leases to the oil companies with no guarantee of ever drilling while Bush is still in office.

If Perot Would had made PRESIDENT , WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE HE()we got NOW .And the crappy state of affairs that have gone on since clintooons came to power . Iaccocca for President !

Iacocca is the biggest hypocrite of all

Tree huggers are paid by big oil.

Lots of oil has been found,but its not being drilled for.For every "problem"you come up with,big money is the answer.They could drill,but they just want to control it all.Yeah there is not as much oil around as there was,yes we need alternative energy,but the other excuses,are just a smoke screen.Ill get tired of telling you before you wake up and understand,you are being lied to.The country has always been about 50% for issues and 50% against issues,especially when the issues are propaganda.There is a lot of propaganda being spread to excuse the stealing thats going on.

Mr. trucker 40, I am a psychologist. I will offer my services to you pro bono. You do need some help. Please get help while you still can.

You sound like you are fine with whats going on?Iacocca,like it or not is right.He is the only sane voice that Ive heard on all this.Its sort of like somebody hollering in a stampede to turn the front ones before they all go off a cliff.You should get some backbone and stand up for whats right,whether or not you like Iacocca.So far he sounds lots better than you.

I agree with you. People forgot what he said about that giant sucking sound in reference to losing jobs due to NAFTA. We now see he was right.

We're fixing to back the mortgage business with taxpayer money for making stupid business decisions.

There are medications that could help you. The medications you are taking now are not only illegal but very bad for your mental health.


Have you had any evaluations recently?

Would you be receptive to the idea of an intervention?

Rush Limbaugh made fun of Ross Perot. Like you said, who was right? Rush still won't admit it like he won't admit there's a problem with the economy. It doesn't make sense to me why he got a new $400 million contract for his know-it-all rubbish.

Started the SUV craze? Hardly.
Emasculated a whole generation of men with the mini-van?
definitely

Well Tlak,years ago there were people elected that werent the chosen party,and all there was to communicate was newspapers.Sure propaganda was used,but it was justified by changing things.We now have the internet,telephones,much better guns,lots of people thats been in the service.Why dont we do some stuff like that?I dont see why we already didnt?You wouldnt do a lot by yourself,but if everybody got the idea in thier head that this stuff has gone on too long and its going to change,it will change.I dont think it would be too smart to have a Civil War over it,but we could throw the bums out,and we dont even need to wait for an election to do it.Dont consider that you are lonely in thinking that this has gone on too long.You might get discouraged by some that write this stuff thats pure propaganda,but they are only a few big mouths,you dont have to look far to find others that are fed up.The news is a bunch of lies too.People are fed up,just dont know what to do.We need a Ross Perot.

You are wasting your time.I dont care what you say.

Our energy policy is built on the premise of " potential power"- he who has ALL the oil has ALL the power...so, we use THEIRS until its all gone, then WE DRILL FOR OURS and have all that's left! Potentially, 50 years from now, we'll have all the oil- so we'll have all the power!
Why use all ours now, when we can buy theirs at today's prices and save ours for the future?

Sound ridiculous, right?

Roberto T,what are you supposed to be?A know it all or something?This is the most stupid thing a governments ever done in recent history,and you think its like Germany?Add stability?You need to see a doctor immediately!When you are on the computer are there lots of people with white coats on trying to break down the door?I think you should let them in.

Call him.Dont take anything off of him either.

Iacocca got the biggest handout when the Chrysler group went under. That would make him one of the biggest corporate gangsters.....

While I can agree with what he says, what of it? We have 2 choices - a left leaning set of bozos, and a right leaning set of bozos. None of them has a plan to make life better. Sometimes it's gotta hurt a little first to make it better - no one will promise me that.

The corporations are big enough they can't fail any more - like Chrysler for example, or the lending institutions.

So - what can we do about it?

So much for all that.

--->Paul

I was not going to get in on this but after reading some of the comments on here I would say about 75% are like ostriches got there head in the sand or somewhere else!
judginig from the one line comments that add nothing constructive read the last 2 paragraphs... restated below



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

Bush lifted the executive order banning drilling, but Congress won't follow suit.

He says things that sound good, and he did invent the Mustang, but he has an ego ten feet tall, and was really not much different than any other big CEO that lined up at the government trough and fattened himself wjhile his workers starved. He is widely credited with saving Crysler, but Chrysler was balanced on the backs of the workers and taxpayers not multi millionaire CEO's.

Trucker 40 - I see you are back with more of your "BABBLE". Bob f.