“The world is a dangerous place. Not because of those who are evil,

but because of those who do nothing about it.”  Albert Einstein

Subject: Lee Iacocca's new book - an excerpt worth the read  
 
> The two party system????
> 
> Remember Lee Iacocca, the VP at Ford credited  with the
> birth of the Mustang,
> the man who rescued Chrysler, Corporation from  their death
> throes, and the
> owner of the famous quote 'Lead, follow, or get  out of
> the way'? Well, he's
> back!  He has a new book, and here are some  excerpts.
> 
> Lee Iacocca writes: '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
> r ocker, 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! 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.  George Bush,
> Dick Chaney and who is this Bozo coming up  next? One of
> the most Liberal
> Idiots in the U. S. Senate and he is talking  about
> disarming America.  I can't
> believe the American people are seeing  what he is about to
> do to this country.
> May God have mercy on us all. 
>
> 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 A sia, while
> our once-great companies are all moving  offshore. Gas
> prices are
> skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent  energy
> policy.  Our schools are the
> worst in the world. Our borders are  like sieves. The
> middle class is being
> squeezed every which way. These are  times that cry out for
> leadership and we are
> getting ready to put the most  Liberal Senator in the U.S.
> Senate in as our
> next President because we want to  be fair and elect
> someone just because of his
> race.  We don't have time  to be fair, we need a strong
> leader.
> 
> 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 hope  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 an industry leader who is thinking  creatively
> about how we can
> restore our competitive edge in  manufacturing.  All they
> seem to be thinking
> now-days is getting  themselves bigger salaries and
> bonuses. 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?  Likely nothing! Name me a government leader
> who can articulate a
>  plan for paying down the debt, 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 and the  Senate. 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?  I honestly
> don't think any of you have  one! 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 a 'real contribution' by sending this to
> everyone you know and care
> about...our future is at  stake