Telling It Like It Is

THE ENTERPRISE--JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU'D SEEN/HEARD EVERYTHING

THE ENTERPRISE--JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU'D SEEN/HEARD EVERYTHING

"GET YOUR DAMN FEET OFF MY FURNITURE UNTIL YOU DO SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR AMERICA"

(You'll need Powerpoint to view this one--Sorry!)  Sometimes a person's body language tells you a lot about his regard and how he feels about people and his surroundings--disdain?  contempt, disrespect, or simply disregard?  Our Narcissist in Chief thinks the world revolves around him, and because he surrounds himself with people who act that way, he can't ever figure out why most of us think he is an arrogant, misguided, jerk who somehow, got elected President.

Download Obama feet on furniture 

Here's the story behind his current success:  As George Bernard Shaw once said, "A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul."

WHAT DO I THINK OF THE SUPREME COURT'S OPINIONS THIS WEEK?

I'll borrow from the email I received from a brilliant friend, who summed up the one on Obamacare pretty well.

Here's what he said:

"Here’s my take:  Despite my opposition to Obamacare, I really feared the politics of the Supreme Court overturning the ACA – both for the Court’s standing  and for Republican prospects in November.  I think today’s decision is a huge POLITICAL victory for the Rs and for Romney.[NOTE:  My emphasis added]

1.      It will mobilize not just the core of the Republican Party but also the Tea Party and the Independents who deeply oppose Obamacare…something Romney, so far, has been unable to do.  Imagine the opposite: Mobilizing the Left…not only for Obama but also against the legitimacy of the Court.

2.      It will permit Romney to continue with one of his main themes – namely that he will act on the Day 1 to repeal and replace the ACA.  Imagine the opposite: One of Romney’s main themes would be reduced to “I told you so.”

3.      It will require Obama to admit that he has raised taxes –- the power to tax (and not the power to regulate commerce) is how the Court affirmed the ACA.  Moreover, Obama’s ACA will have raised taxes on business and on the middle class.  Benefit:  Romney and the Rs will be able, credibly, to return to an old but powerful theme about the Ds’ addiction to tax and tax.

4.      It will make clear:  The only way to defeat Obamacare is to replace Obama.  Benefit: Gives a strong CAUSE to the election.

5.      It will create a mess in state-federal relations, freeing the states to decline to participate in the exchanges, thereby confirming the strategy that Chris Christie has followed in NJ.  Benefit: It will spotlight the inability of the government to manage…something everyone experiences when the visit the Department of Motor Vehicles.

6.      It lets stand a huge, new, $1.0 trillion unfunded mandate, spotlighting the irresponsible spending of the Obama administration.  Benefit: Sheds new light on an old issue – fiscal irresponsibility by the Obama administration.

7.      It creates a huge unfunded mandate on the states by the way it shifts costs to Medicaid, a program largely funded by the states.  Benefit: Get grass roots political leaders, both Rs and Ds, exercised.

8.      It will now give a focal point to the job-killing effects of federal regulation and federal over-reach.  Benefit: It will allow the business community to talk concretely about how government policies kill jobs.  Benefit:  Less abstract whining and more concrete examples of the damaging effects when government increases the costs of hiring people.

9.      Most important:  It will allow the Rs to take the lead in a new intergovernmental, public-private initiative to increase access and decrease the costs of health care in America.  Hopefully, they will rise to the occasion, including the opening on the 10^th Amendment that the Chief Justice seems to have achieved."

  That’s my first reaction.  Yours?

I think that is a pretty reasonable series of thoughts.  What do YOU think?

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER NAILS IT, TOO

===========================

NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE           www.nationalreview.com             Why Roberts Did It By Charles Krauthammer June 28, 2012 4:30 P.M.   It’s the judiciary’s Nixon-to-China: Chief Justice John Roberts joins the liberal wing of the Supreme Court and upholds the constitutionality of Obamacare. How? By pulling off one of the great constitutional finesses of all time. He managed to uphold the central conservative argument against Obamacare, while at the same time finding a narrow definitional dodge to uphold the law — and thus prevented the Court from being seen as having overturned, presumably on political grounds, the signature legislation of this administration. Why did he do it? Because he carries two identities. Jurisprudentially, he is a constitutional conservative. Institutionally, he is chief justice and sees himself as uniquely entrusted with the custodianship of the Court’s legitimacy, reputation, and stature. As a conservative, he is as appalled as his conservative colleagues by the administration’s central argument that Obamacare’s individual mandate is a proper exercise of its authority to regulate commerce. That makes congressional power effectively unlimited. Mr. Jones is not a purchaser of health insurance. Mr. Jones has therefore manifestly not entered into any commerce. Yet Congress tells him he must buy health insurance — on the grounds that it is regulating commerce. If government can do that under the Commerce Clause, what can it not do? “The Framers . . .  gave Congress the power to regulate commerce, not to compel it,” writes Roberts. Otherwise you “undermine the principle that the Federal Government is a government of limited and enumerated powers.” That’s Roberts, philosophical conservative. But he lives in uneasy coexistence with Roberts, custodian of the Court, acutely aware that the judiciary’s arrogation of power has eroded the esteem in which it was once held. Most of this arrogation occurred under the liberal Warren and Burger Courts, most egregiously withRoe v. Wade, which willfully struck down the duly passed abortion laws of 46 states. The result has been four decades of popular protest and resistance to an act of judicial arrogance that, as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “deferred stable settlement of the issue” by the normal electoral/legislative process. More recently, however, few decisions have occasioned more bitterness and rancor than Bush v. Gore, a 5–4 decision split along ideological lines. It was seen by many (principally, of course, on the left) as a political act disguised as jurisprudence and designed to alter the course of the single most consequential political act of a democracy — the election of a president. Whatever one thinks of the substance of Bush v. Gore, it did affect the reputation of the Court. Roberts seems determined that there be no recurrence with Obamacare. Hence his straining in his Obamacare ruling to avoid a similar result — a 5–4 decision split along ideological lines that might be perceived as partisan and political. National health care has been a liberal dream for a hundred years. It is clearly the most significant piece of social legislation in decades. Roberts’s concern was that the Court do everything it could to avoid being seen, rightly or wrongly, as high-handedly overturning sweeping legislation passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president. How to reconcile the two imperatives — one philosophical and the other institutional? Assign yourself the task of writing the majority opinion. Find the ultimate finesse that manages to uphold the law, but only on the most narrow of grounds — interpreting the individual mandate as merely a tax, something generally within the power of Congress. Result? The law stands, thus obviating any charge that a partisan Court overturned duly passed legislation. And yet at the same time the Commerce Clause is reined in. By denying that it could justify the imposition of an individual mandate, Roberts draws the line against the inexorable decades-old expansion of congressional power under the Commerce Clause fig leaf. Law upheld, Supreme Court’s reputation for neutrality maintained. Commerce Clause contained, constitutional principle of enumerated powers reaffirmed. That’s not how I would have ruled. I think the “mandate is merely a tax” argument is a dodge, and a flimsy one at that. (The “tax” is obviously punitive, regulatory, and intended to compel.) Perhaps that’s not how Roberts would have ruled had he been just an associate justice, and not the chief. But that’s how he did rule. Obamacare is now essentially upheld. There’s only one way it can be overturned. The same way it was passed — elect a new president and a new Congress. That’s undoubtedly what Roberts is saying: Your job, not mine. I won’t make it easy for you. — Charles Krauthammer is a nationally syndicated columnist. © 2012 the Washington Post Writers Group.  ===========================

MOST SICKENING DEVELOPMENT IS THAT BARACK OBAMA'S FLAWED AND INEFFECTIVE JOBS EFFORTS ARE GETTING THE CREDIT FOR THE SUCCESSES OF GOP GOVERNORS LIKE JOHN KASICH OF OHIO AND OTHERS...

How Ironic, Barack Obama getting credit for the improving job situation in states like OH where Gov. Kasich and GOP controlled legislature are really responsible.  Plus there are more GOP Governors at work in states where Obama will travel around claiming that he caused the improvements: Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and even Florida.  This makes it a delicate balancing act for the GOP Governors and Mitt Romney who wants to emphasize Obama's poor performance with the economy and jobs--and yet these governors have made big progress--a sign of what could be done IF the right decisions were made nationwide.

THIS IS HARD TO BELIEVE--BUT APPARENTLY TRUE!

The height of arrogance?  Or hubris?  Or something.  Somebody--how about a majority of voting Americans—needs to send this guy a message.  "Go back home to live with your crooks and radicals in Chicago."  Disgraceful!

Download Obama Campaign: Give Us Your Wedding Gifts - Advertising Age AND HOW IS THIS ONE FOR A CLOSER?

Upon hearing that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie went straight to her grandparent's house to visit her 95-year-old grandmother and comfort her.  When she asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied, "He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning."  Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that 2 people nearly 100 years old having sex would surely be asking for trouble.  "Oh no, my dear," replied granny. "Many years ago, realizing our advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the church bells would start to ring. It was just the right rhythm. Nice and slow and even. Nothing too strenuous, simply in on the Ding and out on the Dong.   She paused to wipe away a tear, and continued, "He'd still be alive if the ice cream truck hadn't come along…

OK, "THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!"

HAVE A GREAT JULY 4, INDEPENDENCE DAY--AND BE READY TO STRIKE A BLOW FOR EVEN MORE FREEDOM IN NOVEMBER, 2012

BEST, JOHN

**********************

GET HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY  IN BOOK OR KINDLE VERSION AT: 

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Not-Strategy-Leadership-Presidency/dp/1469931044/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332434418&sr=1-5  

OR OTHER  EBOOK FORMATS AT: 

Smashwords.com  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/142287

AND GO SEE THE WEB SITE to see the Chapter titles and much more information:

 http://www.hopeisnotastrategybook.com

READ MY NEW BLOG: http://hopeisnotastrategybook.wordpress.com 

Author of the Award Winner: THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS, and the exciting novel: THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY.   Come see my blog posts on Forbes.com

John L. Mariotti, President & CEO, The Enterprise Group,  http://www.mariotti.net,   http://mariotti.blogs.com/my_weblog/

 

THE ENTERPRISE--A MID-SUMMER PICNIC OF TOPICS

THIS EDITION IS GOING TO BE LIKE A PICNIC--AN ASSORTMENT OF NIBBLES, SNACKS, MEALS, AND DESSERTS--COMPLETE WITH ANTS

SO KICK BACK WITH A BEER (OR SOME OTHER BEVERAGE) AND RELAX WHILE YOU READ

EITHER NO ONE IS INTERESTED IN HOW BIG GOVERNMENT IS HARMFUL TO AMERICA--OR THEY ARE ALL ON VACATION 

Take a look--you probably have never seen all these "programs" in one place like this…and it's only a small partial list:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/prospernow/2012/06/20/government-is-crippling-business-and-the-recovery/

A BAD MONTH FOR UNIONS--ESPECIALLY PRIVATE SECTOR UNIONS & GOOD FOR AMERICANS

First Scott Walker avoided recall as Governor of WI by a much wider than expected margin

Next, the figures showed that once there was no "legal requirement" to join the Unions, membership in WI dropped by about half

Third, the Supreme Court heard a CA case in which the issue was whether Unions could impose fees (at will) and charge workers in a "union shop" to pay a fee for representation even if they didn't want to join the union.  Bottom line:  the Union (SEIU) lost…and it wasn't a 5-4 decision!  It was 7-2!

I DON'T DISLIKE UNIONS--JUST WHAT THEY HAVE TURNED INTO

When unions came into being, they were necessary, timely and effective at returning a fairer power balance between companies and their workers.  Employers used to abuse workers and take advantage of them-- because they could.  Then, a little over a half-century ago, Unions grew in power and bargaining rights and forcibly demanded better treatment.  As time went on, it became clear that Unions primary recourse wasn't just "bargaining rights"--it was the right to strike and withhold their services.  Let's skio past the story of how this too got out of hand, because strikers hurt themselves about as much as their employer--unless they get a lot--a whole lot--more in the ultimate settlement.  Then employers discovered that treating workers fairly and paying them competitive wages and benefits was a good idea…and Union membership that had peaked at 28% of the labor force in the mid-20th century started to slide….until now it is about 7% of workers--in the private sector.  

PUBLIC UNIONS ARE A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY--PART COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND PART LEGALIZED EXTORTION

Public unions have grown tremendously with the growth of government employment.  There are 24 states where public unions can require employees to join once they represent that workforce--and now 36% of government employees belong to public sector unions. Union dues get collected directly to the unions, who in turn use them to support the election campaigns of candidates that are sympathetic to their cause--an incestuous relationship at best, and organized extortion (of the taxpayers) at worst. To learn more about how this has grown, here's a more comprehensive article:

YES, EVERYTHING BEING DONE BY THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE IS NOW AIMED AT THE ELECTION--(LEGAL OR NOT)

• Immigration rulings that are probably unconstitutional, to "buy immigrant votes."
• Executive privilege on the Fast & Furious scandal to protect Attorney General Holder, and hide what really happened.
• Egregious, dangerous and illegal leaks of national security secrets to the NYTimes--secrets that could only have come from the White House briefings.
• Statements in favor of gay marriage--forced out into the open by VP Biden's big mouth.
• Attacks on Mitt Romney's lack of transparency (over years of irrelevant tax returns), while Obama's background remains murky, hidden and likely full of startling information.
• FINALLY, anyone who is over age 65, or who has loved ones or friends over age 65, should know how Barack Obama is spending $8 Billion of our tax dollars to HIDE how Obamacare can adversely impact those who use Medicare Advantage.  Here's the story in just over 2 minutes: http://my.brainshark.com/The-President-s-8-Billion-Coincidence-356086344

(Read the latest best-seller THE AMATEUR, by Edward Klein…you will be astounded…or maybe you won't!)

CHINA--REVISITED:  PROGRESS AND SOME GLOBAL ECONOMIC CONCERNS

China successfully achieved its first manned space docking this past week.  That's a really BIG deal, showing its capabilities.

BUT--China's growth is slowing, and that's worrisome--to the Chinese--and to the whole world.  With Europe on the brink of default based recession, and the US struggling with a stagnant, no growth recovery, China's two biggest customers are in bad shape economically.  It is also showing in shipments:  FedEx signaled a downturn--expecting a 9% drop in international shipments; UTi, a big air freight competitor, confirmed that weakening outlook.  The Chinese economy has been built around relentless growth in the 8-10% per year range, and now it appears that 6% is possible.  India, the other big, fast growing country, is also showing a slowdown.  What does it mean to us--and the US?  I am not sure yet, but most of the possible answers are not encouraging.  Stay Tuned.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH CONSUMERS AND THE ECONOMY?  

I just did this program Thursday, so it will be up-to-date and very timely.  Take a look at it.

 

June 2012 BIG Call On-Demand | Consumer Insights & Analysis in 20 Minutes   View NOW>> (Registration is required for first time users)   Don't have time to watch? View the slides   Nearly 9,000 consumers participated in the June Consumer Survey from BIGinsight. This month, Pam Goodfellow, Consumer Insights Director, highlights consumer confidence and how it compares to years past. She provides a consumer financial forecast as well as a savings summary and details what it all means for future spending. And in case you missed her blog post, “Fair & Square” Revisited, she has an update on how JC Penney’s pricing strategy is faring among consumers.   Special guest John Mariotti, President/CEO & Founder of The Enterprise Group, provides expert analysis on why there are few reasons for consumers to be confident and how “FUD” (fear, uncertainty and doubt) is damaging consumers’ psyches. Plus get his take on JC Penney’s struggles. You don’t want to miss this one!   June BIG Call Take-Aways: June 2012 Results Consumer Confidence Employment Outlook Practical Purchasing Financial Forecast 90 Day Outlook: Future Purchase Plans How is JC Penney’s “Fair & Square” Faring? Special Guest John Mariotti provides expert analysis on today’s consumer Few reasons to be confident FUD – Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt Do consumers have a case of “Stockholm Syndrome?” JC Penney – change is hard, transition is BRUTAL   CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE JUNE BIG CALL NOW>> Available on-demand immediately. Registration is required for first time users and is complimentary.     www.BIGinsight.com (614) 846.0146 BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development

FINALLY, HERE'S ONE WAY TO STOP IRAN'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS WITHOUT STARTING A NUCLEAR WORLD WAR

But there's no guarantee another kind of World War is still not on the horizon:  http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9228352/Iran_targeted_by_39_massive_cyberattack_39_official_claims?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2012-06-22&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+computerworld/s/feed/topic/17+(Computerworld+Security+News)

If you have not read THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY, get it NOW.  It makes great summer reading…and it is easily available on amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Conspiracy-John-Mariotti/dp/1450257895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340392369&sr=1-1&keywords=the+chinese+conspiracy

ENJOY THE START OF SUMMER

BEST, JOHN

PS:  I am offering HUGE quantity discounts on copies of THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS to readers of THE ENTERPRISE

EMAIL ME FOR PRICES "SO LOW, YOU WON'T BELIEVE THEM!"  (I made a deal with the publisher!)

**********************

GET HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY  IN BOOK OR KINDLE VERSION AT: 

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Not-Strategy-Leadership-Presidency/dp/1469931044/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332434418&sr=1-5  

OR OTHER  EBOOK FORMATS AT: 

Smashwords.com  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/142287

AND GO SEE THE WEB SITE to see the Chapter titles and much more information:

 http://www.hopeisnotastrategybook.com

READ MY NEW BLOG: http://hopeisnotastrategybook.wordpress.com 

Author of the Award Winner: THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS, and the exciting novel: THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Conspiracy-John-Mariotti/dp/1450257895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340392369&sr=1-1&keywords=the+chinese+conspiracy

.   Come see my blog posts on Forbes.com

John L. Mariotti, President & CEO, The Enterprise Group,  http://www.mariotti.net,   http://mariotti.blogs.com/my_weblog/

*

 

THE ENTERPRISE--A MID-SUMMER PICNIC OF TOPICS

THIS EDITION IS GOING TO BE LIKE A PICNIC--AN ASSORTMENT OF NIBBLES, SNACKS, MEALS, AND DESSERTS--COMPLETE WITH ANTS

SO KICK BACK WITH A BEER (OR SOME OTHER BEVERAGE) AND RELAX WHILE YOU READ

EITHER NO ONE IS INTERESTED IN HOW BIG GOVERNMENT IS HARMFUL TO AMERICA--OR THEY ARE ALL ON VACATION 

Take a look--you probably have never seen all these "programs" in one place like this…and it's only a small partial list:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/prospernow/2012/06/20/government-is-crippling-business-and-the-recovery/

A BAD MONTH FOR UNIONS--ESPECIALLY PRIVATE SECTOR UNIONS & GOOD FOR AMERICANS

First Scott Walker avoided recall as Governor of WI by a much wider than expected margin

Next, the figures showed that once there was no "legal requirement" to join the Unions, membership in WI dropped by about half

Third, the Supreme Court heard a CA case in which the issue was whether Unions could impose fees (at will) and charge workers in a "union shop" to pay a fee for representation even if they didn't want to join the union.  Bottom line:  the Union (SEIU) lost…and it wasn't a 5-4 decision!  It was 7-2!

I DON'T DISLIKE UNIONS--JUST WHAT THEY HAVE TURNED INTO

When unions came into being, they were necessary, timely and effective at returning a fairer power balance between companies and their workers.  Employers used to abuse workers and take advantage of them-- because they could.  Then, a little over a half-century ago, Unions grew in power and bargaining rights and forcibly demanded better treatment.  As time went on, it became clear that Unions primary recourse wasn't just "bargaining rights"--it was the right to strike and withhold their services.  Let's skio past the story of how this too got out of hand, because strikers hurt themselves about as much as their employer--unless they get a lot--a whole lot--more in the ultimate settlement.  Then employers discovered that treating workers fairly and paying them competitive wages and benefits was a good idea…and Union membership that had peaked at 28% of the labor force in the mid-20th century started to slide….until now it is about 7% of workers--in the private sector.  

PUBLIC UNIONS ARE A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY--PART COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND PART LEGALIZED EXTORTION

Public unions have grown tremendously with the growth of government employment.  There are 24 states where public unions can require employees to join once they represent that workforce--and now 36% of government employees belong to public sector unions. Union dues get collected directly to the unions, who in turn use them to support the election campaigns of candidates that are sympathetic to their cause--an incestuous relationship at best, and organized extortion (of the taxpayers) at worst. To learn more about how this has grown, here's a more comprehensive article:

YES, EVERYTHING BEING DONE BY THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE IS NOW AIMED AT THE ELECTION--(LEGAL OR NOT)

• Immigration rulings that are probably unconstitutional, to "buy immigrant votes."
• Executive privilege on the Fast & Furious scandal to protect Attorney General Holder, and hide what really happened.
• Egregious, dangerous and illegal leaks of national security secrets to the NYTimes--secrets that could only have come from the White House briefings.
• Statements in favor of gay marriage--forced out into the open by VP Biden's big mouth.
• Attacks on Mitt Romney's lack of transparency (over years of irrelevant tax returns), while Obama's background remains murky, hidden and likely full of startling information.
• FINALLY, anyone who is over age 65, or who has loved ones or friends over age 65, should know how Barack Obama is spending $8 Billion of our tax dollars to HIDE how Obamacare can adversely impact those who use Medicare Advantage.  Here's the story in just over 2 minutes: http://my.brainshark.com/The-President-s-8-Billion-Coincidence-356086344

(Read the latest best-seller THE AMATEUR, by Edward Klein…you will be astounded…or maybe you won't!)

CHINA--REVISITED:  PROGRESS AND SOME GLOBAL ECONOMIC CONCERNS

China successfully achieved its first manned space docking this past week.  That's a really BIG deal, showing its capabilities.

BUT--China's growth is slowing, and that's worrisome--to the Chinese--and to the whole world.  With Europe on the brink of default based recession, and the US struggling with a stagnant, no growth recovery, China's two biggest customers are in bad shape economically.  It is also showing in shipments:  FedEx signaled a downturn--expecting a 9% drop in international shipments; UTi, a big air freight competitor, confirmed that weakening outlook.  The Chinese economy has been built around relentless growth in the 8-10% per year range, and now it appears that 6% is possible.  India, the other big, fast growing country, is also showing a slowdown.  What does it mean to us--and the US?  I am not sure yet, but most of the possible answers are not encouraging.  Stay Tuned.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH CONSUMERS AND THE ECONOMY?  

I just did this program Thursday, so it will be up-to-date and very timely.  Take a look at it.

 

June 2012 BIG Call On-Demand | Consumer Insights & Analysis in 20 Minutes   View NOW>> (Registration is required for first time users)   Don't have time to watch? View the slides   Nearly 9,000 consumers participated in the June Consumer Survey from BIGinsight. This month, Pam Goodfellow, Consumer Insights Director, highlights consumer confidence and how it compares to years past. She provides a consumer financial forecast as well as a savings summary and details what it all means for future spending. And in case you missed her blog post, “Fair & Square” Revisited, she has an update on how JC Penney’s pricing strategy is faring among consumers.   Special guest John Mariotti, President/CEO & Founder of The Enterprise Group, provides expert analysis on why there are few reasons for consumers to be confident and how “FUD” (fear, uncertainty and doubt) is damaging consumers’ psyches. Plus get his take on JC Penney’s struggles. You don’t want to miss this one!   June BIG Call Take-Aways: June 2012 Results Consumer Confidence Employment Outlook Practical Purchasing Financial Forecast 90 Day Outlook: Future Purchase Plans How is JC Penney’s “Fair & Square” Faring? Special Guest John Mariotti provides expert analysis on today’s consumer Few reasons to be confident FUD – Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt Do consumers have a case of “Stockholm Syndrome?” JC Penney – change is hard, transition is BRUTAL   CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE JUNE BIG CALL NOW>> Available on-demand immediately. Registration is required for first time users and is complimentary.     www.BIGinsight.com (614) 846.0146 BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development

FINALLY, HERE'S ONE WAY TO STOP IRAN'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS WITHOUT STARTING A NUCLEAR WORLD WAR

But there's no guarantee another kind of World War is still not on the horizon:  http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9228352/Iran_targeted_by_39_massive_cyberattack_39_official_claims?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2012-06-22&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+computerworld/s/feed/topic/17+(Computerworld+Security+News)

If you have not read THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY, get it NOW.  It makes great summer reading…and it is easily available on amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Conspiracy-John-Mariotti/dp/1450257895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340392369&sr=1-1&keywords=the+chinese+conspiracy

ENJOY THE START OF SUMMER

BEST, JOHN

PS:  I am offering HUGE quantity discounts on copies of THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS to readers of THE ENTERPRISE

EMAIL ME FOR PRICES "SO LOW, YOU WON'T BELIEVE THEM!"  (I made a deal with the publisher!)

**********************

GET HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY  IN BOOK OR KINDLE VERSION AT: 

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Not-Strategy-Leadership-Presidency/dp/1469931044/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332434418&sr=1-5  

OR OTHER  EBOOK FORMATS AT: 

Smashwords.com  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/142287

AND GO SEE THE WEB SITE to see the Chapter titles and much more information:

 http://www.hopeisnotastrategybook.com

READ MY NEW BLOG: http://hopeisnotastrategybook.wordpress.com 

Author of the Award Winner: THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS, and the exciting novel: THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Conspiracy-John-Mariotti/dp/1450257895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340392369&sr=1-1&keywords=the+chinese+conspiracy

.   Come see my blog posts on Forbes.com

John L. Mariotti, President & CEO, The Enterprise Group,  http://www.mariotti.net,   http://mariotti.blogs.com/my_weblog/

*

 

THE ENTERPRISE--THE TRUTH CAN BE BITTER MEDICINE

HOW EASY FOR OBAMA AND HOW HARD FOR ROMNEY

Don't be misled by Obama's missteps lately.  He dominates so many of the big states along the east and west coasts that beating him is going to be very, very hard.  Here is how Kiplinger put it in a recent edition:

Looking for the real battlegrounds in this fall’s presidential balloting? Forget longer lists and focus just on Fla., Ohio, Va., N.H., Iowa and Colo.

Results in those six states will determine whether Obama wins another four-year term or whether former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney carries the GOP back to the White House.  Romney has a path to victory, but it’s an incredibly steep climb ahead of him. He essentially has to win the three biggest prizes: Fla., Ohio and Va.

Obama can win with a victory in one of those states and one of the other three…unless a major economic or other surprise upsets the rest of the map.

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR "BOOK BLOG"--YOU GET THIS VIA EMAIL TOO (I THINK!)--IT IS A VERY TIMELY AND INFORMATIVE MESSAGE

http://hopeisnotastrategybook.wordpress.com/

TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT:

1.  More than a billion dollars of MF Global investor's money is gone--missing--and not one person, including the one responsible, Biden & Obama's buddy Jon Corzine has neither been charged, arrested or face any kind of punishment/

2.  Not everyone should be able to go to college.  Many neither can nor should try to do so.  60% of freshmen now, never graduate, and if they do they are laden with debt and most still can't find jobs due to taking easy or dumbed down curriculum.  Trade schools, vo-tech, etc. would prepare them for a life as a productive middle class, wage earner.  

3.  Not everyone should be able to own a house.  Only those who can truly afford a house--even now.  This is how to fools (Liberal Dems (Frank, Dodd, Obama, etc), Banks, Fannie/Freddie, et. al.) created the housing crisis that is still crippling the USA now--and will for 5-10 years longer.

4.  CEOs have short careers--even thought they get paid ridiculous amounts for them.  14 percent of CEOs of large companies (2500 of the world's largest) were replaced last year.  That is scandalous bad performance by the boards and owners who selected and hired them, aided and abetted by search firms who were paid handsomely for doing so.

5.  One actor-President is enough.  Martin Sheen, formerly the President on the TV show THE WEST WING toured with OH Sen. Sherrod Brown.  That makes two bad actors on one tour and a second bad actor who had pretended to be president (which is what Barack Obama is doing now).

6.  George W. Bush DID have a big hand in the spending problems that have accelerated out of control under Barack Obama.  The GOP Congress in place for ¾ of Bush's term started it; Bush never vetoed much of anything; and the Pelosi-Reid Congress (the last two years) created the largest jump in spending as a % of GDP in modern history. Who's at fault?  ALL OF THEM!

7.  Stupid is as stupid does.  Why doesn't anyone look at what is happening in a couple of America's most prominent states:  California is bankrupt, insolvent, busted, broke and still doing stupid things like trying to find ways to keep on spending.  Illinois, our Prz. home state is a mess too.  There are others, but these states are all guilty of one stupid mistake:  they buy into Obamanomics.  Their solution, equally stupid is to raise taxes on the successful folks which will drive them out of the state, and actually lower tax revenues. STUUUPID!

8.  This recovery IS a lot different from the Reagan recovery, but actually not much different from the ones in 1991 and 2002.  The difference is the out of this world deficit spending this time around.  Does anyone understand that "when you are deep in a hole, STOP DIGGING!"?

9.  Europe is a disaster and China and India are slowing down too.  A global recession, if it spreads around the globe will hit America too.  If you think it is bad now, hope that doesn't happen, because it will get worse!

10. Jan. 2013 is when all kinds of tax increases are scheduled to hit us.  Bush tax cuts will end.  Capital gains, estate taces and dividend tax rates will climb.  New Obamacare increases will hit (4%), and the payroll tax holiday (2%) will end.  Of course the politicians won't let that all happen, because it would mean a huge recession that follows.  What they will do is anybody's guess, but a lot depends on who wins the White House and the Senate in Nov.   It will not be pretty--this transition--so be prepared.

BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DELIVER THIS NEWS--LAST WEEK I WROTE:

In coming weeks I might write about the dilemma any president will face, when cutting the massive government that's been built will lead to massive layoffs of government employees, and that the growth in private sector employment is unlikely to ramp up fast enough to absorb them.  The only way this can happen is to have government leadership that both understands and supports free enterprise

ENERGY GROWTH IS A GREAT PLACE TO START CREATING NEW JOBS

The USA can become essentially "Energy Independent" within the next decade.  It can move even faster if energy from friends and allies (Like Canada) are part of the "independence." To do that, decisions like Obama's delaying tactics on the Keystone Pipeline have to be reversed.  It is only useful to develop new energy sources if the energy can be delivered to where it is needed.

STATES WITH GOOD GOVERNANCE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS

Governors like Mitch Daniels of IN are a benchmark for how states should operate.  Governor like Jerry Brown in states like CA are the warning signs of how to make an even bigger mess of our country's economy.  Several other states "get it" and still more, like my own state OH and Gov. John Kasich are on the way to fixing the mess made by predecessors.  

I need to write about how many states must keep cutting too…and that just adds to the problem, but several states like IN, OH, WI, etc. are already slashing excessive government spending.  Some states like CA are hopeless.  Others can still rein in the runaway growth of government, but every dollar cut from government spending (even if its borrowed money) is a dollar that comes off the GDP right way.  None-the-less, the route to recovery is less government and more free enterprise growth. Getting there is the hard part.  That requires know-now and leadership--and that means Mitt Romney, not Barack Obama.

IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT AMERICANS UNDERSTAND THE COMPLETE "VALUE CHAIN" AND WHERE MONEY FLOW TO, AND HOW WEALTH (AND GROWTH) IS CREATED

I should probably write about the fact that a lot of government spending is just a conduit to private enterprise (that the DOD--all the spending on weapons systems flow through contracting into the companies that actually make the weapons, Raytheon, Lockheed-Martin and hundreds of others.  I should write that the suppliers to all of those government office buildings and people are private sector contractors and companies like office products providers, computers and communications gear providers, and on and on. Once this fact is known and accepted, the places to cut--and not cut--become much more apparent.

THERE IS ONE THING I AGREE WITH BARACK OBAMA ON:  MESSES MADE OVER TIME, TAKE TIME TO CLEAN UP--BUT THE PERSON WHO MADE THE MESS IS NOT THE ONE IDEALLY SUITED TO CLEAN IT UP!

I will write, over and over, that fixing the mess Obama is making with his policies, spending, etc., will be a Herculean task…the longer he stays in office and continues his misguided policies, the worse it gets.  The Democratically controlled Senate are willing accomplices to the crime that is being perpetrated on the American people and our economy.  Fixing the deficit spending mess will only be partially helped by the positive impact of cutting the heart out of Obamacare, canceling the over-regulation and "getting tough with China" over currency and trade.  

The real question is:  If I write all of this, would that kind of message be more interesting, more informative, or more depressing???  Sometimes the truth is "bitter medicine" but the only road to recovery is to "take the medicine" and begin the healing process.

NOW, IF YOU ARE NOT TOO DEPRESSED, REMEMBER THAT MANY THINGS YOU FEAR MOST, DON'T HAPPEN--AND SOME OF THESE WON''T HAPPEN.

  

THE ONLY WAY TO ASSURE BETTER OUTCOMES IS TO REMEMBER:  The person who made a mess of things is never the one you should choose to fix them!   

GET OBAMA OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE DEMOCRATS OUT OF SENATE CONTROL--AND THEN HOLD THE NEW LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACTING RESPONSIBLY.

Best, JOHN

**********************

GET HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY  IN BOOK OR KINDLE VERSION AT: 

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Not-Strategy-Leadership-Presidency/dp/1469931044/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332434418&sr=1-5  

OR OTHER  EBOOK FORMATS AT: 

Smashwords.com  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/142287

AND GO SEE THE WEB SITE to see the Chapter titles and much more information:

 http://www.hopeisnotastrategybook.com

READ MY NEW BLOG: http://hopeisnotastrategybook.wordpress.com 

Author of the Award Winner: THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS, and the exciting novel: THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY.   Come see my blog posts on Forbes.com

John L. Mariotti, President & CEO, The Enterprise Group,  http://www.mariotti.net,   http://mariotti.blogs.com/my_weblog/

 

A leading cyber-terrorism expert considers current exposure riskY: http://ping.fm/Zlpes
RE: THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY

THE ENTERPRISE--ACTIONS AND CONSEQUENCES

FIRST AN ALERT TO MY CONTACTS:  EFFECTIVE JUNE 8, I HAVE DEACTIVATED BY FACEBOOK ACCOUNT AND CLOSED MY LINKEDIN ACCOUNT.

Thus any contact that you had with me via those accounts will no longer be active and will not reach me.  

If you are reading this, you know how to reach me (My contact info is at the bottom of my emails).  Here is why I did this.

Four years ago, in 2008, I wrote the "Against" position on Social Media…and for those who are interested in what I said, I am posting a copy of that position.

Ten Reasons I Won’t Use Social Media Sites

May 15, 2008  By John Mariotti

Point - Counterpoint on Social Media – Against: In spite of the fact that I have always been an early adopter of new technology — or communications-based tools, social media turns me off. When I think about why, at least 10 reasons come to mind.

I have signed myself onto a couple in their early stages — at the urging of friends — and that’s when I realized why I wouldn’t have anything more to do with them, at least until they get much further down their evolutionary trip and improve measurably. Here’s why:

1. Social Media/Networking is an invitation to at best, uncontrolled and permanent overexposure, and at worst, identity theft or misuse.

2. All of us are drowning in a tidal wave of complexity already, and these social networking sites make this complexity worse by an order of magnitude.

3. Social networking is in the evolutionary stage, and as such, all of the sites that exist now will change, evolve become either more useful and secure or go away. The lessons are there in recent history: Compuserve, early versions of AOL, Prodigy and all the other now defunct or otherwise transitory Internet, email or proprietary Web systems

4. Just when a lot of people learn to use one of the social networking sites/systems, someone will come up with a newer, better, cooler or more fashionable one.

5. Security of social networking sites is as great a risk as passing business cards around in a busy bar. No matter how many times the site owner/operator promises your information will be protected, secure, etc., the lure of money will make them liars. Someone will buy the site for the contacts that come with it — period. Then they will sell those lists to as many people and companies as will pay for them, to do whatever they wish with them.

6. There are many other, more focused ways of networking and marketing instead of placing your identity, your information, photos, etc. in the public — very public — domain.

7. Real business people realize that this social networking trend is superficial. True relationships may originate in email or other similar venues, but must become personal and not electronic to be of meaningful value.

8. The hassle of meddling with your computer and the so-called “easy to use” interfaces of such social networking sites is far too great compared to the complexity it adds.

9. When I want to expand my network, I want to choose who will be involved and know that their involvement is willing and enthusiastic — not the result of an email and a few clicks of the mouse.

10. I am simply too busy to meddle with something that is at least largely populated with people who have nothing better to do with their time, or others who think is it somehow an easy way to really be connected to a lot of people.

Nothing good comes easy. If this were all it took, everyone in the world would be connected to everyone else in the world and it would all be such a wonderful place.

Perhaps in the near future someone will figure out Osama bin Laden’s email address and ask him and/or his cohorts to be our friends on Facebook or My Space, or some new, as yet unnamed network.

As I sit here today, I think about how I decided to go against my better judgement and sign onto Facebook and LinkedIn, (and Twitter) and use these incredibly powerful and incredibly risky new forms of communications.  I know many people, some who are very close to me, that have become intensive users and seem to get great satisfaction from the experience.  In that time I have "used them" I found them to be little more than interesting ways to waste a lot of time.  Some people have built business applications that seemed to work well using Social Networks.  I tried a few times, and found that nothing much came of it--again except a lot of time spent for minimal return on that time and effort.  

The risk of identity theft and cyber-crime is growing daily:  When I wrote novels about cyber-terrorims--first The Silence in 2001-2002, and then the re-write of the new version, The Chinese Conspiracy  in 2010-2011, I learned so much about ways to misuse these pervasive networks that I re-considered my position, and even attempted to use Facebook for marketing of the second book.  Not much happened--perhaps because I was not committed to how these things work, or perhaps because I was still wary about reaching out to become "friends" to hordes of "strangers," and near strangers.  

In the past year, I have encountered several attempts to hack either my email, my wife's, my web site, or my credit cards.  I have so many passwords and variations that simply keeping track of them all is a mess…  This is exactly the scenario I predicted.  And this is before Facebook is forced to sell its databases to support its inflated IPO valuation--and it will be…sooner rather than later.  Inevitably, all of the major social networking sites that are sold or go public will need to exploit their databases for marketing or other reasons (that is your personal data!) to realize the value.  Web-advertising has been and remains a difficult path to profit…and one that only a few companies (like Google) have successfully used.

However, I remain a believer in technological progress, and the effective, safe use of new and better technologies!  I will continue to test, try, explore and use effective and lower risk new technologies.  (I hope that some of those Apps I like so well on my iPhone and iPad are examples of that.  Also,  I am committed to a project of upgrading, and strengthening my numerous passwords, as more and more Social Networks and Subscription services get hacked, invaded and data stolen. To those of you who love these sites, use them, rely on them and find them rewarding and effective, I am happy for you.  However, I urge you to review all of your privacy and account settings, and try to limit your risk and exposure to the places and people you choose…and not those you would reject.

(NOTE:  In case you missed it, GM announced that it was dropping Facebook as an advertising media, since it had been unproductive.)  This is reminiscent (to me) of the things that happened more than a decade ago when Yahoo, AOL, Compuserve, Prodigy and a host of other dot-com sites emerged, grew, then faltered and consolidated.  

No matter how you cut it, FREE is a lousy business model. It is highly effective for gaining lots of "subscribers," but then what.  Some continue to grow and prosper:  Google, eBay, amazon.com, and in a different way, YouTube are the most prominent successes.  

And yet, each of them has or will face inflection points at which their COMPLEXITY becomes unmanageable.   When complexity becomes to great it falls into CHAOS, a condition in which a great deal of "energy" is wasted, but little of "value" is created.

I WILL GO OUT ON A LIMB AND PREDICT ANOTHER SHAKEOUT, MAYBE TWO--coming soon:  SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND SMARTPHONE APPS.  

WHAT WILL CAUSE THIS IS "CORRUPTION" IN EITHER A TECHNICAL OR A FINANCIAL/PRIVACY SENSE.

SOCIAL NETWORKS have almost grown out of control, and the APPS has exploded in number grown wildly--without regard to what they do and why they even exist.  Some of them are wonderful. Others are OK, and many are useless, dumb and/or unnecessary clutter. (Yes, I am already culling out the unproductive Apps that are oevrloading the memory of my iPhone and iPad.  I admit it:  Some Apps are simply wonderful; others are intriguing; to many are either useless or too arcane to be worth the effort to figure out what they are good for. Choosing them and sorting them out can easily become a task that outweighs the benefits of the effort and time spent.

AS WE SIT HERE, TEXTING IS BEGINNING TO ECLIPSE EMAIL--ESPECIALLY AMOUNG YOUTH

This portends another kind of transition, with all of its own implications.  For brief, instant messages, texting is wonderful.  For more meaningful communications it reminds me of the early days of email, when too much was said with too little thought and even less "humanity," in some messages.  (I've been as guilty as anyone of that.)  Further, the autocorrect features on many text capably phones ofter create more humorous than informative texts.  At least that happens to me a lot.  

WHERE WILL THIS ALL END?  IT WON'T--AT LEAST I HOPE NOT.

Progress demands that things are created, develop, evolve, mature and then decline, finally die.  This is the way of nature, of life and of the world.  New things replace old ones.  Some are better; some are worse; some are just different.

BOTTOM LINE:  TECHNOLOGY IS AN ENABLER, NOT THE END IN ITSELF.  CHOOSING AND USING THE RIGHT "STUFF" IS VITAL, & SO IS DECIDING WHICH "STUFF" TO NOT USE.

THE RECENT LEAKS OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION:  WHY, WHO, WHAT WILL BE DONE? (FAST & FURIOUS--SAME QUESTIONS?0

I won't copy this text--I'll post the PDF file of it and you can open that to read a very comprehensive column about the recent leaks, entitled: Leaker in Chief.

WHAT ELSE MIGHT I WRITE ABOUT?  CHRONICLING OBAMA'S INEPTNESS IS GETTING TO BE REPETITIVE!  HOW ABOUT THE COMING CHALLENGES?

In coming weeks I might write about the dilemma any president will face, when cutting the massive government that's been built will lead to massive layoffs of government employees, and that the growth in private sector employment is unlikely to ramp up fast enough to absorb them.  The only way this can happen is to have government leadership that both understands and supports free enterprise

Or, I can write about how many states must keep cutting too…and that just adds to the problem, but several states like IN, OH, WI, etc. are already slashing excessive government spending.  Some states like CA are hopeless.  Others can still rein in the runaway growth of government, but every dollar cut from government spending (even if its borrowed money) is a dollar that comes off the GDP right way.  None-the-less, the route to recovery is less government and more free enterprise growth. Getting there is the hard part.  That requires know-now and leadership--and that means Mitt Romney, not Barack Obama.

I should probably write about the fact that a lot of government spending is just a conduit to private enterprise (that the DOD--all the spending on weapons systems flow through contracting into the companies that actually make the weapons, Raytheon, Lockheed-Martin and hundreds of others.  I should write that the suppliers to all of those government office buildings and people are private sector contractors and companies like office products providers, computers and communications gear providers, and on and on. Once this fact is known and accepted, the places to cut--and not cut--become much more apparent

I will write, over and over, that fixing the mess Obama is making will be a Herculean task…the longer he stays in office and continues his misguided policies, the worse it gets.  The Democratically controlled Senate are willing accomplices to the crime that is being perpetrated on the American people and our economy.  Fixing the deficit spending mess will only be partially helped by the positive impact of cutting the heart out of Obamacare, canceling the over-regulation and "getting tough with China" over currency and trade.  

The real question is:  If I write all of this, would that kind of message be more interesting, more informative, or more depressing???  Sometimes the truth is "bitter medicine."

WHEN A STAUNCH DEMOCRATIC SUPPORTER LIKE MAUREEN DOWD STARTS DOUBTING OBAMA--YOU KNOW HE'S IN TROUBLE!

 

June 2, 2012

Dreaming of a Superhero

By MAUREEN DOWD

WASHINGTON

ON Friday night, the nation’s capital was under a tornado watch. And that was the best thing that happened to the White House all week.

As the president was being slapped by Mitt Romney for being too weak on national security, he was being rapped by a Times editorial for being too aggressive on national security.

A Times article by Jo Becker and Scott Shane revealed that the liberal law professor who campaigned against torture and the Iraq war now personally makes the final decisions on the “kill list,” targets for drone strikes. “A unilateral campaign of death is untenable,” the editorial asserted.

On Thursday, Bill Clinton once more telegraphed that he considers Obama a lightweight who should not have bested his wife. Bluntly contradicting the Obama campaign theme that Romney is a heartless corporate raider, Clinton told CNN that the Republican’s record at Bain was “sterling.”

Covering a humorous W. at the unveiling of his portrait, the White House press actually seemed nostalgic for the president who bollixed up Afghanistan, Iraq, Katrina and the economy — a sure sign that the Obama magic is flagging.

On Friday, an ugly job market report led to the stock market’s worst day of the year. As the recovery flat-lined, the president conceded to a crowd at a Honeywell factory in Golden Valley, Minn., that “our economy is still facing some serious headwinds” and getting sucked further into Europe’s sinkhole. In depressing imagery for the start of the summer campaign, cable channels carried the red Dow arrow pointing down while Obama spoke; the Dow wiped out all of its 2012 gains.

The president who started off with such dazzle now seems incapable of stimulating either the economy or the voters. His campaign is offering Obama 2012 car magnets for a donation of $10; cat collars reading “I Meow for Michelle” for $12; an Obama grill spatula for $40, and discounted hoodies and T-shirts. How the mighty have fallen.

Once glowing, his press is now burning. “To a very real degree, 2008’s candidate of hope stands poised to become 2012’s candidate of fear,” John Heilemann wrote in New York magazine, noting that because Obama feels he can’t run on his record, his campaign will resort to nuking Romney.

In his new book, “A Nation of Wusses,” the Democrat Ed Rendell, the former governor of Pennsylvania, wonders how “the best communicator in campaign history” lost his touch.

The legendary speaker who drew campaign crowds in the tens of thousands and inspired a dispirited nation ended up nonchalantly delegating to a pork-happy Congress, disdaining the bully pulpit, neglecting to do any L.B.J.-style grunt work with Congress and the American public, and ceding control of his narrative.

As president, Obama has never felt the need to explain or sell his signature pieces of legislation — the stimulus and health care bills — or stanch the flow of false information from the other side.

“The administration lost the communications war with disastrous consequences that played out on Election Day 2010,” Rendell writes, and Obama never got credit for the two pieces of legislation where he reached for greatness.

The president had lofty dreams of playing the great convener and conciliator. But at a fund-raiser in Minneapolis, he admitted he’s just another combatant in a capital full of Hatfields and McCoys. No compromises, just nihilism.

If he wins the election, “the fever may break,” he said. “My hope, my expectation, is that after the election, now that it turns out that the goal of beating Obama doesn’t make much sense because I’m not running again, that we can start getting some cooperation again.”

In his new biography, “Barack Obama: The Story,” David Maraniss writes that a roommate of the young Obama compared him to Walker Percy’s protagonist in “The Moviegoer”: an observer of his life, one step removed.

Obama’s boss at his community organizing job in Chicago, Jerry Kellman, observed: “He was not unwilling to take risks, but was just this strange combination of someone who would have to weigh everything to death, and then take a dramatic risk at the end. He was reluctant to do confrontation, to push the other side because it might blow up — and it might. But one thing Alinsky did understand was that within reason, once something blows up, to a certain degree it doesn’t hurt, it helps.”

Maraniss’s book depicts Obama on an intense odyssey of self-discovery, moving toward defining himself less as a half-white man with white girlfriends than as a black man who wanted to be part of a black community.

His New York girlfriend, Genevieve Cook, told Maraniss that Obama confessed to her that “he felt like an impostor. Because he was so white. There was hardly a black bone in his body.” When she predicted that his future might be with a black woman — “That lithe, bubbly, strong black lady is waiting somewhere!” she wrote in her journal — he told her “he doubted there were any black women he would feel truly comfortable with. I would tell him, ‘No, she is out there.’ ”

He wanted to get out of the corporate world he found so distasteful — he described himself as “a spy behind enemy lines” — and reimagine himself as a politician.

On CNBC on Friday, Romney complained that Obama has “been more focused on his perspective of his historic legislative achievements than he has been focused on getting people back to work.”

A president focused on historic achievements? Imagine that. But in his lame way, Romney got at Obama’s problem: The Moviegoer prefers to float above, at a reserve, in grandiose mists.

As Maraniss recounts, Obama said he liked reading Hemingway because of Papa’s “integrity of grasping for those times, those visions, that are ones of true magnificence and profundity.”

Cook told Maraniss that she thought Obama’s desire to “play out a superhero life” was “a very strong archetype in his personality.”

But superheroes and mythic figures must boldly lead. Obama’s caution — ingrained from a life of being deserted by his father and sometimes his mother, and of being, as he wrote to another girlfriend, “caught without a class, a structure, or tradition to support me” — has restrained him at times.

In some ways, he’s still finding himself, too absorbed to see what’s not working. But the White House is a very hard place to go on a vision quest, especially with a storm brewing.

 

 

THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ONE WEEK.  I BET THIS EDITION GENERATES SOME RESPONSES!!!

BEST, JOHN

**********************

GET HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY  IN BOOK OR KINDLE VERSION AT: 

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Not-Strategy-Leadership-Presidency/dp/1469931044/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332434418&sr=1-5  

OR OTHER  EBOOK FORMATS AT: 

Smashwords.com  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/142287

AND GO SEE THE WEB SITE to see the Chapter titles and much more information:

 http://www.hopeisnotastrategybook.com

READ MY NEW BLOG: http://hopeisnotastrategybook.wordpress.com 

Author of the Award Winner: THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS, and the exciting novel: THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY.   Come see my blog posts on Forbes.com

John L. Mariotti, President & CEO, The Enterprise Group,  http://www.mariotti.net,   http://mariotti.blogs.com/my_weblog/

 

THE ENTERPRISE--A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

BUT I WANT TO START WITH SOME WORDS THAT DO NOT PAINT A PRETTY PICTURE:

• The US economy is sinking into the summer doldrums again, after being pumped up artificially by government infusions of borrowed money in each of the past three years.
• Following the recent dismal jobs report, consumer confidence dropped 5 points; investor confidence dropped 8 points, and the stock markets dropped dramatically.
• Consumer spending is up but wages are down.  That means they are tapping into whatever small reserves they built up--or using credit/debt.
• Commodity prices are in free fall, due to fear of the imminent recession in Europe, major slowdowns in India and China, and the apparent leadership malaise in the US.
• The OECD predicts a severe recession for Europe; perhaps growth dropping by -2%, and no solution in sight. (And this is the model Obama is following?)
• Auto sales are up--probably because consumers have been putting them off, and cars are older than ever, with used car prices turning up (people trying to save money on cars?)
• Gas prices are still above $3.50 per gal, and premium flirts with $4.00/gallon in many places.  A $50 fill-up is not unusual.
• JPMorgan, the vaunted mega-bank, loses $2 billion or more because of largely just a couple of rogue traders, and inadequate management oversight.  (Regulation would NOT have stopped this.  There is no way to regulate stupid risk taking.)
• Facebook's IPO seemed too good to be true.  It was too good to be true.  Now it is being priced down toward what might have been the true value (deja vu the dot.com fiasco).
• HP is lost, and for now, laying off 27,000 people to save money while it searches for its prior heritage of innovation, and success.  Its board, over the past few years, has been a poster child for a dysfunctional board.
• Bond yields and interest rates are dragging along at record lows, making the plight of fixed income seniors and retirees tougher than ever.
• The 8.2% unemployment rate is a statisticians lie.  When people stop looking for more than 4 weeks they are no longer counted.  The true unemployment rate in the US is 14-15% IF anyone could ever count them all--and there are some that say the number of "employable people" in the US who do not have jobs (who may or may not want jobs) is closer to 75-80 million.  If that were true, it would be 1 in 4 Americans.
• US President Barack Obama is clueless... and helpless... in dealing with the USA's economic problems.  Everything he is inclined to do makes the problem worse, and will make it harder to fix, even if he doesn't get reelected.  All Obama knows how to do is tax, borrow and spend, and make campaign speeches in which he criticizes and blames everyone else and lies about how bad things really are--because if he told the truth--he'd have zero chance of reelection.

HOW ARE PRESIDENT OBAMA AND HIS DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL COLLEAGUES DOING?

ON JOBS 

DID HE SURROUND HIMSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO KNEW HOW BUSINESS AND JOBS ARE CREATED?

HOW IS HIS PRESIDENCY DOING ON UNEMPLOYMENT COMPARED TO THE PRIOR TWO PRESIDENTS?

THE CHART BELOW SHOWS THE BUDGETS PASSED BY OBAMA AND DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS LEADERS

------------

(This is Blank Page is no mistake…there has been no budget passed for 3-½ years!)

-----------

BUT HE SAYS "BUSH DID IT"--CREATED THIS MASSIVE NATIONAL DEBT (AND BUDGET DEFICIT)

BUT THERE IS STILL A LOT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT HIM--AND  MAYBE NEVER WILL KNOW!

I THINK YOU GET THE MESSAGE

Virtually everything done by the Obama presidency has been bad for business and the economy.  The recovery to date has been fueled only by natural causes that bring about recoveries--unless government meddling has inhibited them--which is often.

THERE ARE POLLS, LOTS OF THEM, BUT THEY ARE  NOT ALL CREATED EQUAL…NOT EVEN CLOSE.

I believe Rasmussen Reports is one of the best "frequent" polling organizations around.  For one thing, it polls likely voters, a much more reliable indicator than polling registered voters (many of whom do not vote), or the public at large, who may or may not be voters, or even registered.  

The Memorial Day Weekend summary by Rasmussen was particularly good, and the link to it is right here.  Check it out. Subscription to this email update is free of charge, and very, very informative.  http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/weekly_updates/what_they_told_us_reviewing_last_week_s_key_polls    I have no relationship with Rasmussen, but I like to share the best information I can in THE ENTERPRISE.  

For a great summary of all the political polls, go see this site :  http://www.realclearpolitics.com

THAT'S ENOUGH DIRTY PICTURES FOR ONE WEEK.  

SORRY, BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO HAMMER HOME THE FACTS ABOUT HOW BAD THINGS ARE--AND WHY.

BEST, JOHN

**********************

GET HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY  IN BOOK OR KINDLE VERSION AT: 

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Not-Strategy-Leadership-Presidency/dp/1469931044/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332434418&sr=1-5  

OR OTHER  EBOOK FORMATS AT: 

Smashwords.com  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/142287

AND GO SEE THE WEB SITE to see the Chapter titles and much more information:

 http://www.hopeisnotastrategybook.com

READ MY NEW BLOG: http://hopeisnotastrategybook.wordpress.com 

Author of the Award Winner: THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS, and the exciting novel: THE CHINESE CONSPIRACY.   Come see my blog posts on Forbes.com

John L. Mariotti, President & CEO, The Enterprise Group,  http://www.mariotti.net,   http://mariotti.blogs.com/my_weblog/

\