Okay readers, after perusing the news today, I have to point out a few things that I am certain you are aware of; When in charge, take charge. After googling the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana, I noticed one vital thing that is missing from their bio's: MILITARY SERVICE. Why is this vital you ask? Okay, call it my military 'programming' kicking in, but, you learn things in the military, be it Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines that you can't learn in any other profession unless you're a dedicated bounty hunter: teamwork and improvization. Being an elected official is not just a job title, it's a huge responsibility, no matter what size your territory is. People (voters) rely on you to take care of them and their concerns all the time, not just during times of natural disaster. Don't get me started on the other folks that fall into this career field or this post will take up too much of my time to write, and you to read, today. As I see it, Mayor Nagin had the resources to evacuate folks, they might not be state-of-the-art, but they were there. The same applies to Governor Blanco, however, the lack of communication and cooperation seemed all too prevalent in this case. For whatever reason, I have no idea. Communication is vital to the success of any job, mission, task, what-have-you. Modern technology is supposed to not only enable effective communication, but, enhance it. Somehow technology hasn't been able to do that; I call it O.H.S. (Operator Head Space), or inability to operate the equipment properly. You know what I mean. For you anti-military, career college-student types; Military Service is not just a job; it's a life long education in human relations that you cannot put a monetary value on. Try learning that on the street. Do I plan on running for public office when I retire? You bet. Frankly we, as military folks, do not get enough support on Capital Hill from our elected officials and the organizations in place that do support us do not pack enough of a punch, in my opinion. Politicians are poisoning America; Time for us American Patriots to take a stand, roll up our sleeves, and do the right thing by running for public office, in whatever state or province, to better the chance of making a positive difference in America. It's a hard, well-traveled road, but, if our Founding Fathers did it, so can we.
4 comments:
Pit the skills you have learned in the military against the ones these kids learn in school (assuming they pay attention). If it turns into something worsse than your average bad week, how many of those kids would last a week in a situation like Katrina, or the Tsunami? How would you fare? In the military I learned how to purify water when there were no chemicals, how to get water whgen there was none. How to get food, make shelter, mend wounds and turn a situation to my advantage at the earliest possible moment. Some of these kids have never spent a night in a tent, let alone done it in inclement weather 10 miles from the nearest shelter, or made a meal they obtained entirely with their own wits.
I don't necessarily think that military service makes for good leaders, Grant and Carter sucked as presidents, but it darn sure doesn't hurt.
I don’t think that prior military service is the answer. Military structure and experience can certainly help at some levels, I don’t think it’s the answer. In my years of service, I saw just as many dumbass officers as I did dumbass enlisted, as I did dumbass civilians.
The key to finding new and improved politicians is not to start with their military service, but by listening to them. Listen to how they talk and what they say. Find out what they’ve done and do as much research into them as possible. If they read speeches off a cue card/teleprompter that sounds like an eight-year-old reading “Fun with Dick and Jane” I want no part of them. Just one of my peeves. If a person can’t get up and talk to people naturally and talk from the heart, he’s not worth crap to me. If a person I like happens to have been in the military, more power to him. If not, and he’s a solid performer, honest, and knows how to get a job done, right on.
It’s all a matter of the person, their values, their work ethic, and their honesty. What they do or did for a living should come into play only as a factor in determining if they should have a particular job (kinda like the way it broke down with Michael Brown & FEMA).
The military says these days that leadership can be taught. It can to an extent, but if you don't have it naturally (and many don't) you're going to be an ineffective leader and it'll stand out like a sore thumb.
Anyway..blah blah blah...sorry for yapping so long. All those years on the teletype made me a fast and long-winded typist.
Cj
CJ, most of the politicians have learned how to use political terms and be ambiiguous. The voters need to look at their record when decidingwhether or not to reelect them. I always say, when in doubt, throw them out. I apply that theory to judges as well since we get to vote on keeping them here in Kansas.
Jenifer, didn't you used to have a radio show (The Voice of the Blackhorse) on Ft Irwin a few years back? I remember some of the comments you used to air, they were too funny! How's Korea treating you?
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