How About Some of That Good Old American Ingenuity?
Ford and GM are on the ropes. They are fighting each other while their Asian competitors are lapping up the marketshare. And the profits. As this story in the WPost details, the US AutoGiants seem content (relative term, depends on who you ask, I'd guess) to lay off or coerce quitting in order to reduce workforce in order to reduce costs in order to increase the bottom line.
As this article states, Ford's biggest competitor is GM and vice versa. They are determined to Pepsi v Coke each other in every market.
Couldn't we all just be friends (preparing my tie dyeing kit, as I type..Kum-bay-yah...)? Wouldn't it be just too clever and too easy for these two US bigs to huddle, secret hand shake and attack separate markets and plan to NOT overlap? Or are we just so used to eating our young?
How about we show some solidarity and INVENT, INNOVATE or IMPROVE like we know how? Like we must. Like we have for Claudia Mitchell in building her a BIONIC arm. Now THAT is good old American Ingenuity.
sf,
Boom out.
Win on the Battlefield of Business
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Reverse Stockholm Syndrome
It's all over the news, we are changing our entire military prison infrastructure and detainee intelligence gathering practice to accommodate the sensitivities and the comfort of terrorists in captivity.
There exists a phenomenon termed: The "Stockholm Syndrome" where captives sympathize with their captors, prisoners connect with their bee-keepers. Here in the US where we have a great big bark and a pretty impressive "first swat," we seem to lack the stomach to finish what we started. If it means discomfort.
In the case of the war on terrorism, macro discomfort takes our eye off the ball.
In the case of terrorist detainees, in Guantanamo or CIA holding facilities, if our public sniffs any off color (tickling, pink-bellies, name-calling, noogies, spitballs, blanket parties, "Muhammed was a sissy" chants) detainee treatment, a thunderous cry is heard 'round the world.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for NOT brutally torturing prisoners of any flavor...but I AM for collecting information that will help us save American or allied lives. And should we be in support of the having the cart drive the horse or perpetuating this "Mlohkcots Syndrome" that we seem to have going on. Backwards, it seems.
sf,
comments?
Boom out.
www.businessbattlefield.com
It's all over the news, we are changing our entire military prison infrastructure and detainee intelligence gathering practice to accommodate the sensitivities and the comfort of terrorists in captivity.
There exists a phenomenon termed: The "Stockholm Syndrome" where captives sympathize with their captors, prisoners connect with their bee-keepers. Here in the US where we have a great big bark and a pretty impressive "first swat," we seem to lack the stomach to finish what we started. If it means discomfort.
In the case of the war on terrorism, macro discomfort takes our eye off the ball.
In the case of terrorist detainees, in Guantanamo or CIA holding facilities, if our public sniffs any off color (tickling, pink-bellies, name-calling, noogies, spitballs, blanket parties, "Muhammed was a sissy" chants) detainee treatment, a thunderous cry is heard 'round the world.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for NOT brutally torturing prisoners of any flavor...but I AM for collecting information that will help us save American or allied lives. And should we be in support of the having the cart drive the horse or perpetuating this "Mlohkcots Syndrome" that we seem to have going on. Backwards, it seems.
sf,
comments?
Boom out.
www.businessbattlefield.com
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Ex-Governor, New Inmate
Ex-Illinois Governor is Sentenced: George Ryan has been sentenced to 6 years for Integrity violations while at the helm. Not to get too preachy, but those who have earned or been granted that special trust and confidence that leaders enjoy must play the part...or pay the price. Here is a case where this old gent may pay with his life, being effectively too sick to survive his sentence, some say.
VOICE=Vision, Organization, Integrity, Communication, Execution= VOICE, simple little Boy Scout-like acronym to keep us squared away.
Laminate it, use it, put it in your ALICE pack (Marine for "back-pack") and take it to the field. Good piece of gear. Could have helped the Governor.
Good luck, Governor, lying in the bed that you made.
sf,
Boom out
www.businessbattlefield.com
Ex-Illinois Governor is Sentenced: George Ryan has been sentenced to 6 years for Integrity violations while at the helm. Not to get too preachy, but those who have earned or been granted that special trust and confidence that leaders enjoy must play the part...or pay the price. Here is a case where this old gent may pay with his life, being effectively too sick to survive his sentence, some say.
VOICE=Vision, Organization, Integrity, Communication, Execution= VOICE, simple little Boy Scout-like acronym to keep us squared away.
Laminate it, use it, put it in your ALICE pack (Marine for "back-pack") and take it to the field. Good piece of gear. Could have helped the Governor.
Good luck, Governor, lying in the bed that you made.
sf,
Boom out
www.businessbattlefield.com
Recruiters in Civilian Clothes
Army recruiters wearing civilian clothes?
Why not? If it works, if we get a quality candidate, why not?
Purists argue that this is going too far, how can these civilians possibly know what the Army wants, needs?
Renae Merle reports in the Washington Post today that these recruiters seem to be doing a fine job in figuring it out.
In the end, isn't what we want enough soldiers to fill the Army's needs to protect and defend? Sure it is.
If this is "going too far," perhaps we could have some of these professional civilian recruiters consult, advise and help our servicemembers do their recruiting jobs more effectively, efficiently, productively. And then reward our military recruiters (the ones who wear green) for doing the job...just like we reward salespeople in any other line of industry.
After all, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines did not join the service to RECRUIT. They joined to FIGHT, if necessary. It seems like a good idea to me to get help from selected and successful pro's when it is warranted.
sf,
Boom out.
Boom out.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Can I Scrap My Wind Mill?
What about my SOLAR PANELS? How about my CORN STOVE? (great piece of gear, I'll tell ya') My HYBRID CAR? MO-PED?
Seriously, this is great news (Washington Post 6 October 2006, Steve Mufson), about the new oil find(s) in the Gulf of Mexico, but my vote is to continue the effort to develop a viable, safe, renewable alternative fuel source. What's the latest progress on alternative fuel sources? Anyone? Pitch in to the fight with a comment.
sf,
Boom out.
www.businessbattlefield.com
Seriously, this is great news (Washington Post 6 October 2006, Steve Mufson), about the new oil find(s) in the Gulf of Mexico, but my vote is to continue the effort to develop a viable, safe, renewable alternative fuel source. What's the latest progress on alternative fuel sources? Anyone? Pitch in to the fight with a comment.
sf,
Boom out.
www.businessbattlefield.com
Monday, September 04, 2006
Free Market Society
We live in a free market society, for the most part. Business is re-inventing itself, keeping everyone honest and working hard. Ain't it great?
What a great example here.
sf,
Boom out.
www.businessbattlefield.com
What a great example here.
sf,
Boom out.
www.businessbattlefield.com
G'Day Steve: You Will Be Missed
Even though he may have been a bit of a caricature of the manly man Aussie guy, Steve Irwin was a boatload of fun and he will be missed. At least he passed on while doing what he loved.
Thanks for the yuks, Crocodile Hunter. See Washington Post story: Crocodile Hunter Stalked Danger
sf,
Boom out.
www.businessbattlefield.com
Thanks for the yuks, Crocodile Hunter. See Washington Post story: Crocodile Hunter Stalked Danger
sf,
Boom out.
www.businessbattlefield.com
Saturday, September 02, 2006
The FBI, they are DAMNED either way
This is a disturbing Post article about the FBI, questioning their value in squelching terrorism. OpSec keeps the Feds from spilling all of their beans, but when they do, our media gives a reaction like this.?!
Hey, how many successful terror plots have been carried out on US soil since Sept 11, 2001? And if you were a wild-eyed fundamentalist jihadist terrorist who wanted to meet up with 72 virgins in the great beyond, wouldn't the fatcat US be a juicy target for you? Or would you settle for a little IED (road side bomb disguised as a rock or a discarded bit of shrapnel or maybe even a soda can...) 'splosion to get upstairs?
Nah- my money would be on a big one..but...wait...there is someone who is diligent in the way: the US Military and the FEDS.
Let's give them a break, for crying out loud!
sf,
Boom out.
This is a disturbing Post article about the FBI, questioning their value in squelching terrorism. OpSec keeps the Feds from spilling all of their beans, but when they do, our media gives a reaction like this.?!
Hey, how many successful terror plots have been carried out on US soil since Sept 11, 2001? And if you were a wild-eyed fundamentalist jihadist terrorist who wanted to meet up with 72 virgins in the great beyond, wouldn't the fatcat US be a juicy target for you? Or would you settle for a little IED (road side bomb disguised as a rock or a discarded bit of shrapnel or maybe even a soda can...) 'splosion to get upstairs?
Nah- my money would be on a big one..but...wait...there is someone who is diligent in the way: the US Military and the FEDS.
Let's give them a break, for crying out loud!
sf,
Boom out.
Friday, September 01, 2006
We Cannot Seem to Shut Up
There are some things that the North Koreans and the Chinese and the Iranians (and most everybody else for that matter) just don't need to know. Take for example, all the information (all over the news, this one just happens to be a Washington Post article) about our missile interceptor tests. Their successes and their relative failures and limitations.
How about we just zip it up and play coy.
What those guys don't know might just hurt them!
sf,
Boom out.
There are some things that the North Koreans and the Chinese and the Iranians (and most everybody else for that matter) just don't need to know. Take for example, all the information (all over the news, this one just happens to be a Washington Post article) about our missile interceptor tests. Their successes and their relative failures and limitations.
How about we just zip it up and play coy.
What those guys don't know might just hurt them!
sf,
Boom out.
Officer Training Numbers Down
With ROTC numbers down (See this article in April of 2005 in the Washington Post) the Iran issue looks even more ominous (see today's Post article, linked). This is a manpower tragedy in the making and will affect our readiness for years to come. The old saw: "Freedom is Not Free" jumps out when reading articles like these. What can we do to reverse the trend? How will this affect our ability to satisfy responsibilities across the world?
Comments?
Concerned,
Boom out.
Concerned,
Boom out.
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