A man comes out of the woods….
If you have lived in the woods your whole life and someone gives you ice cream - Wow! you say. But if you eat ice cream every night, it's not so surprising. What if you came out of the woods and someone gives you a beer? Whoa! A cigarette? Seriously? …
What do you think?
This is a very important question. Most of our thinking is stimulus-driven. In other words we think about subjects brought to us by others - email, social media, "news", etc. and our opinions about the subjects others are talking about are the opinions expressed by others. If you shut off…
What growth feels like
You aren't sure how this is going to go. You feel nervous. Anxiety. You're asking questions (a little frantically) to save your own skin. You're a little (or a lot) scared. You might second guess and want to go back or quit. Butterflies. This is what growth feels like. Stick…
Self-limiting beliefs
If we have beliefs that are untrue, (and I believe we all do), they can hold us back for a lifetime. It's like having your foot on the brake of your progress. What do you think is true, that if you really looked at it, is not?
Dysfunctional parts of our economy
Yesterday we talked about two things that must be present to have a dynamic marketplace that puts out great products and services for us; we consumers. In doing so we get to live an ever greater standard of living for less work on our part, as enterprises get better and…
Is working harder the secret? (Answer)
Last week I asked this question and asked for your comments on the subject. Many of you did comment. I said I'd give my thoughts the next day, but I never did! So here goes. The best system for raising people up is one where people are free to pursue…
Where are you going? What's the next step?
What is your big goal? What is the next step - the one you should prioritize and take today?
Buying American – Patriotic?
I didn't realize there would be so much to say on this subject when I began writing. But sound bites that you can fit on a bumper sticker fuel ignorance. "Buy American - save our jobs". "Support the union and support jobs". Sounds ok. But it's not in our interest…
Buying American – Patriotic? Part 4
I drive a Chevy pickup truck. I think they make the best pick up trucks in the US. I am a bit ignorant because I have never driven many of the foreign brands, but I like my brand and it WORKS for me, so I stick with it. I drive…
A man comes out of the woods….
If you have lived in the woods your whole life and someone gives you ice cream – Wow! you say.
But if you eat ice cream every night, it’s not so surprising.
What if you came out of the woods and someone gives you a beer? Whoa!
A cigarette? Seriously? People like this?
I don’t watch the news. Recently I was exposed to a little. Whoa! I am convinced that modern news is poison to people. It’s designed to divide us and is grossly irresponsible to the mental health of the people. It’s designed to create fear and keep you coming back. It’s doesn’t just report events, and it doesn’t just give opinions on them, it actually CAUSES events by dividing people.
This is my opinion. I have decided that if I am to live a healthy high-performance life, I must stay away from what is bad for me. News is at the top of the list.
How about you?
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What do you think?
This is a very important question. Most of our thinking is stimulus-driven. In other words we think about subjects brought to us by others – email, social media, “news”, etc. and our opinions about the subjects others are talking about are the opinions expressed by others.
If you shut off all outside stimulus long enough, what would YOU think?
What ideas and desires would YOU generate on your own.
This is the real you. Find yourself.
Best “Think Daily” in a while! So simple, yet so true. Good reminder.
I recently had to rediscover myself. I was so caught up in the things that have taken place lately that I could not get MY thoughts out or My actions put into place. Basically, I had forgotten to do what I do best because I was skewed by thoughts that weren’t mine. Disappointed that I lost focus for a bit, but really happy that I remembered who I am!
Shutting down outside stimulus-driven thoughts by others is an ART that I am still perfecting. I am a roller coaster right now but still a good
6 out of 10 and working on becoming that steady train. Good song “Cheapest Flight”
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What growth feels like
You aren’t sure how this is going to go. You feel nervous. Anxiety. You’re asking questions (a little frantically) to save your own skin. You’re a little (or a lot) scared. You might second guess and want to go back or quit. Butterflies.
This is what growth feels like. Stick with it. You’ll be proud of yourself soon.
We’re all happy for Katherine
Yes, it is that gut feeling of “what if” that eats away at you.
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Self-limiting beliefs
If we have beliefs that are untrue, (and I believe we all do), they can hold us back for a lifetime.
It’s like having your foot on the brake of your progress.
What do you think is true, that if you really looked at it, is not?
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What to do if you make a mistake.
1) Admit it quickly.
2) Apologize sincerely.
3) Fix it.
Do all three
And by fix it make it so that it is difficult, if not impossible, to do again.
I am grateful for you too, Larry!
Last week I made a stupid and very insensitive comment about China that I regretted as soon as i posted it. It was unprofessional and lowered the standards of this blog, I am sorry.
Well said. This is very important.
That is how we grow to be better people.
And, don’t hold yourself captive in quilt.
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Dysfunctional parts of our economy
Yesterday we talked about two things that must be present to have a dynamic marketplace that puts out great products and services for us; we consumers. In doing so we get to live an ever greater standard of living for less work on our part, as enterprises get better and better. Those two elements are COMPETITION among providers such as companies and workers, and DISCRETION among consumers.
Let’s clarify.
Competition – Company – “We have to do as well or better than the other company’s at serving people or providing our product, or we’re goners”. Workers – “I have to work hard and educate my self so I can be a person of value to a company who will pay me well for doing so. I must find a company that will recognize the value I bring and where I can be happy working. I am also free to start my own business if I think I can do it better.”
Discretion on the part of the consumer – “Do I need this (product or service)?” “Do I want it?” “Am I willing to pay the price they are asking?” “Do I have a choice?”
Now, let me ask YOU. Is there competition and discretion in these parts of the economy that many of us consider less than optimal in some places?
The Motor Vehicle Department. Is there competition? Discretion?
Public Schools? Is there discretion for all, or only those who can afford it? Is there true competition, or a monopoly?
A provider who’s workers are protected by a union, such a government agency. Remember John? He had to do well or he may get fired. Remember Mary? She could let John go if he misbehaved OR she could pay John more than other workers if he was a star.
Health care. If I have insurance and using health care is “FREE”, do I exercise much discretion? Does the price go up or down depending on how much I use it, or is it the same price so I don’t care?
I don’t want to get everyone excited here. I simply want to make a simple point – Competition and Discretion are vital to getting it right. If we have them, and people pursue their own self-interest knowing they are there, good things will happen. If we have a system that protects providers (company’s, agencies, workers) from competition, they lose their incentive to do well. If we have a system where consumers lose their discretion, such as no-cost, no choice, then they lose their ability to make things better with their choices.
Please comment (intelligently).
Freedom of choice is essential!
If we are not willing to get better then we have not earned the opportunity to receive the reward. Free market reveals & rewards excellence & reveals & subtracts from complacency.
Larry, I love your insight into things and I feel very strongly the same way on so many levels. People think that more and more government is good, but is our government a good fiscal example? Most operate in the red. What about unions aren’t they great for wages and benefits? Yes and being non productive for a higher price? Don’t get me wrong there are good and needed programs that we have access to but the more we can get people to want to do better, to have goals and ambitions, to strive to achieve, the better we as a nation will be. We live in the greatest country in the world with the most opportunity for changing the narrative in one generation or less. WOW! Thanks for all you have done for me and my family and my families family!
Agreed. I think people want the government “cushion” due to fear that a program , like the postal service, will disappear if run improperly. ” What will I do if the ability to mail something just stops some day” they might think.
To me it sounds like an opportunity.
Makes perfect sense. Thanks for breaking down a good thought!
Nicely done. That was well said.
You are right on. This is what our county was founded on. Fair and open Competition is what drives innovation and improvement
As the nature of economics changes, so does the functionality of Adam Smith’s invisible hand. As the cost of living continues to approach zero, supply and demand become less functional. to illustrate my point look at the iPhone. Millions of dollars of functionality for a few hundred dollars. its why the government is getting away with printing money without runaway inflation. it is being offset with the deflative pressures of technological improvements.
Your example of healthcare is interesting. Americans who want to cling to a supply/demand model pay many more times for comparatively substandard healthcare, than other industrialized nations. As time goes on supply and demand will be less forceful. What will? Hard to say. It will be interesting to see.
Thanks for the shout out Larry, It made my day!
Love your line of reasoning! For the reasons you described I believe as many government services as possible should be privatized. People should have a choice as to how they spend their money and who with. So many government agencies are very inefficiently run because they have no incentive to run any better. Thanks again for taking the time to write these thoughtful posts every day!
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Is working harder the secret? (Answer)
Last week I asked this question and asked for your comments on the subject. Many of you did comment. I said I’d give my thoughts the next day, but I never did! So here goes.
The best system for raising people up is one where people are free to pursue their own self-interest within a system of laws. Consumers are in charge. That means you. You are in charge of you. You make decisions based on what you think is best for you, both as a consumer, and as a supplier.
So if Mary has a company, and John works his tail off for Mary, should John get paid more than Mary because he works harder than she does, even though she is the owner of the company?
There are three stories at work in this question. Mary’s, John’s and the company’s customers.
Mary is trying to win over and please customers. She knows that if her company serves their interest well, they will come back and refer others. Mary wants to be successful herself, so she knows that to do so, she has to make her customers (successful) happy. Mary hired John to do work that customers value. If John is doing work customers love, Mary will value John and pay him more. If Mary does not pay John fairly, she knows she may lose him to another company because she has COMPETITION. It’s a free market and Mary has to compete for both customers and employees. If she cannot mix labor, materials and outside services together to produce a result customers want at a price they like, then the enterprise will perish. Competition for customers and employees keeps Mary honest.
Now for John’s story. John is a hard worker. He has decided to work for Mary’s company. He may feel if Mary notices his work he will get a raise or promoted – so it is in John’s interest to work hard. John knows if he does not work hard or messes up, that Mary can let him go. The labor market is a COMPETITION. If John doesn’t value his job, he knows that Mary can get someone else. This keeps John honest.
What the job pays is based on whether there are others who can do the job for a given pay. It doesn’t make sense for Mary to pay John far more to do a job that someone else will do for less. Afterall, she has to keep cost down so she can keep prices down. If she doesn’t, then one of her competitors will and she will lose customers. If she loses enough customers, she loses her business. Mary is willing to pay the most money to people who get the most results that her customers are looking for, and for people who can take responsibility and solve problems.
If John feels mistreated by Mary due to low pay, bad working conditions or any reason, he can go find another job. It’s an open market – there is COMPETITION.
Now for the consumer. The Consumer doesn’t care about John or Mary. The consumer only cares about what is in it for them and at what price. If the consumer loves what (the company) John does for them, then they may be willing to pay more, come back, etc.
This is the answer. People pursuing their own self-interest in an open market where there is COMPETITION on the part of company’s and workers and DISCRETION on the part of the consumer.
COMPETITION AND DISCRETION – the magic formula.
This had lead me to tomorrow’s post where I will ask you about dysfunctional parts of the economy and ask what is wrong.
I agree with paragraphs 2,3, and 4.
I disagree with paragraph 1. We the employees should not be worried about pleasing our customers rather bringing in leads converting them to buying your product or service because they can’t live without your product and the value the product or service gives them which in turn builds trust with the company and loyalty to both thus keeping customer satisfied which brings referrals to business and increased revenue and profitability to company and to the number of closing the deals the sales person brought in determines whether or not YOU are a valuable employee that deserves a raise right? Tie salary based on goal results makes employee work harder to make it. Just because we value someone that we will pay them more. I disagree here too we can value people and if they don’t produce the results we are aiming for and fall short of their goal then they don’t get a merit raise just cost of living raise right?
You spoke about what keeps Mary and John honest, but what about the honesty of the customer? The insurance industry sales products that are often abused by customers in the form of litigation, costing the industry billions of dollars per year. How does Mary or John keep themselves honest in the wake of this type of consumer activity?
Atlas shrugged, great principles described in this book!
There is also competition between individual employees that results in increased productivity and customer satisfaction. I always try to reward those who are most efficient, courteous, and work as part of the team. Fulfilling the customers expectations is the key to referrals and repeat business. We don’t try to burn any bridges!
We use a regular daily, weekly, monthly priority management system here at Spectrum — there are daily and weekly themes to meet bigger goals. Last week’s theme was:
“The Clients do not care about OUR problems”, i.e., “the consumer doesn’t care about John or Mary”.
This doesn’t mean we don’t build relationships, it just means the conversation needs to be about the client and the value of the deliverable — which is being paid for at a premium to be seamless.
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Where are you going? What's the next step?
What is your big goal?
What is the next step – the one you should prioritize and take today?
You’ve taught me over the years there’s nothing better than preparation and perseverance – good luck on this next new race Larry!
Larry, I live just over the hill from the Vegas to Reno finish line. I will be at the finish line and will see you there! If you get a chance while you are at the northern end of Nevada, be sure to go to Virginia City, home of the Virginia City Grand Prix. Virginia City is the largest historical landmark in the US, with great history as a silver mining town. The VCGP starts on main street in town and then heads out into the surrounding hills.
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Buying American – Patriotic?
I didn’t realize there would be so much to say on this subject when I began writing. But sound bites that you can fit on a bumper sticker fuel ignorance. “Buy American – save our jobs”. “Support the union and support jobs”. Sounds ok. But it’s not in our interest to support America or a union IF it doesn’t work well or produce what we would choose if we had a choice. Consumers must rule in free markets.
There’s an idea that if we lose manufacturing jobs we lose it all. But is that true? Yes, manufacturing jobs have been declining for decades. But consider this – we make more than ever -the production of goods in America is up, it’s just that we need fewer people to do it because we have become better at it. Machines and automation have replaced more jobs than China. Are they the enemy?
If either were an enemy, why then was unemployment the lowest in decades (just before the government forced so many out of work this spring)? The answer is that things are changing. There are far more service jobs, distribution jobs, high tech jobs, and other kinds of jobs. We have plenty of jobs. Manufacturing does not equal jobs as a whole. If you were a manufacturer and did not change, you are toast. But when you were born they did not stamp your forehead “thou shalt be a manufacturer the rest of your life”. Change. People can change.
And these days, who wants the manufacturing jobs of yesteryear? Doing repetitive work all day standing by a workbench or loud machine, day in and day out? Do you?
Yes, we should make sure other countries are fair to us. We don’t want them ripping off our patents or cheating, but selling something cheaper is not cheating – it’s what consumers want.
I live in a house that is made in America. My HVAC guy gives me service made in America. My grocery store sells me food largely made in America. My bank has tellers that give me service made in America. My mechanic, my lawn guy, my gas station attendant, my dry cleaners, and all the restaurants I go to give me services made in America. The goods my businesses make and sell are mostly made in America. The truckers and accountants and lawyers and roofers and the gas company and hundreds if not thousands of Americans give me products and services, made in America. Some distribute and service goods made in other countries. And in my Chevy pickup truck, there are foreign parts. Heck, it may have been assembled in Mexico.
We have come a long way, and we have all benefitted. America has adapted. Americans live far better today and have far more choices than they did in 1964 when I was born or in 1982 when I graduated high school.
To say we must buy American because it’s American, or not buy something made elsewhere because it is made elsewhere, is ignorant, and goes against what works. People that say this have houses filled with foreign goods when they may not know it or want to admit it.
Buy what you think is best. Let’s have an open marketplace so we have a choice. Let’s protect competition with anyone.
The most patriotic thing you can do is to contribute to a highly competitive organization. Be a high-value provider to others, likely through a company with others you collaborate with to produce an excellent product or service that others love and want. Don’t ask to be protected – compete.
That’s very American and very patriotic.
Your points are proven by the auto industry in the 80’s and 90’s when the Japanese cars were miles ahead of us in quality and sales were showing it. Then American car builders stepped it up to compete with them and it worked because we get a better product for a competitive price.
Competition is the backbone of a competitive marketplace. Couple that with the “invisible hand” and it is a fascinating model.
I have read all of the Buying American posts. I understand what you are saying and even agree with it. However, you have not so far said anything about products that are made in sweat shops with non existent labor laws using women and children who are basically slaves. While we are enjoying our freedoms and living our better than ever lives here in America, we need to make sure we are not doing it on the backs of slaves and children that will never know anything at all about having even their basic needs met. Buy foreign made products. Use all the American made things that have parts that were manufactured in other countries. Promote free trade and the idea of competition so that we have choices. Do it all day long. But remember that a person made those things. Let’s not forget the human equation in this discussion. I am not sure I want to be considered patriotic if it means that I ignore humanity.
Some of us are producers, but every last one of us is a consumer. When consumers win with free trade, we all win.
Competition is king. The medical field is a good indicator of that. When the insurance companies took over deciding who would get paid to care for you competition went out the window. The best thing that would happen would be to get rid of insurance – completely. Therefore you only pay for a service when you need it. And choose who is the best practitioner to spend your money with.
Thank you Larry, for the very simple and excellent lesson on free market capitalism!! It needs to be told to more people through more outlets.
Great article!
100% agree with your post. I have four sons ages 30-35. They were made in America. None of them want factory jobs but they do want lower prices. We all do. Furthermore, I’m a wholesaler of plumbing supplies and I sell to plumbers. Some very large and other very small. The larger players buy cheap and have most of the bargaining power. Several suppliers fight and lower pricing, extend terms etc…. just to get the large players business. My point is, America holds the power here when we are the largest player in the market. Let’s use our buying power to buy better and stop these nonsensical trade wars. We are only taxing ourselves. No disrespect to those who feel differently but my suggestion would be to sign up for an economics course to gain a better understanding of free markets and how important it is to the US economy. More markets equal more competition and more competition is good for the consumer.
Amen Larry,
I agree with everything you have said!
Don’t forget to talk about the so called trade deficit. If we send money to another country to get goods that is not a deficit that is a win win.
Just like Americans do every day every time they buy something.
Keep up the great work and I hope to be able to ride off road motorcycles with you someday!
Tim Slamans
Well said Larry!
Buy American Smart!
I agree with Larry and Nancy. Buy American but at what cost…..Supporting the unions?
Buy Chinese but at what cost….Supporting genocide?
I do my research and vote with my dollars.
I am a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing company in Shelton CT, we make parts for all kinds of companies especially automotive. The machines are loud and the work is repetitive and we have machine operators that have been there for forty years or more, is that any worse than crawling into a crawl space or attic day in and day out? Not everyone is going to college. There have been a lot of american companies that just sold out. I am all for competition, but how do you deal with a country like China when the only good idea they came up with was to steal everyone else`s idea`s and become a super power.
Loved this, my friends and I fight about this all the time…especially about cars. I’m a dodge man myself 😉
I have read and reread your recent blog posts regarding capitalism, the advantages of free markets, and the problems with slogans like buy American, etc. You have some legitimate points but like the slogans you rightly suggest over simplify an issue your analysis of why free market capitalism is a better system makes much the same mistake just in a lot more words. For one thing the free market capitalism you describe does not exist for the most part except in theory and for another our loyalty to an ideal or principle is of equal or greater importance than the one sided view you have articulated in your posts. To illustrate the point I will share a personal life altering story with you:
In 2003 I was working for a professional liability insurance company that had been acquired by General Electric a few year earlier. Also in that year the US and allies invaded Iraq and my son was among the first to be sent off to war in what would become the longest year of my life living in constant fear that someone in dress uniform would knock on our door to report his death. (in fact his best friend was killed by a suicide bomber that year). Shortly after his deployment I was asked to attend a presentation in Overland Park, Kansas at out parent company, ERC (Employers Reinsurance Corporation) to listen to Jack Welch, Chairman/CEO of GE expound on his views of business. I was dumbfounded to listen to his opinions that loyalty was dead, employees should be prepared to be terminated at any time (always be in fear of losing your job), the only thing that really mattered was getting the numbers and if your company or division couldn’t produce a net in excess of 28% be prepared to be sold or liquidated. In short the only thing that mattered were the numbers. I thought about those remarks for a long time particularly in the context that my son’s life depended on reciprocal loyalty to his country and to his unit and it was his willingness and those around him to adhere to that code that made it possible for Mr. Welch to have the freedom to express his opinions and pursue GE’s corporate goals.. That presentation altered my life because much to the dismay of my superiors I resigned three months later after 18 years and went into business for myself. I was offered more money, a promotion all to no avail as I explained I would not work for anyone whose view of the world was constrained to “getting the numbers”, whatever the cost.
So how did GE’s pursuit of getting the numbers work out. Well, “free market capitalism” didn’t exist for GE, one of the most criminally and civilly fined companies in the US in 2003. The way GE and many companies work is by stifling competition, bribing officials, buying out competitors and shutting them down, and by controlling expenses the biggest of which (for most companies) is labor. In an ideal “free market” world all companies would compete on a level playing field, with workers in a particular industry given similar wages and benefits. But that’s not the way it works. In fact you could probably say slavery is the ultimate expression of capitalism – nothing better than free labor. So why do you think we have had to pass so many laws to protect workers? That comes at a cost so if labor costs are a problem and you can’t get around that through mechanization then you either find a way to cheat or move offshore, where the laws are less restrictive, which brings me back to GE and its move to send work to China and India. {And by the way these weren’t just manufacturing jobs, it was service and clerical jobs as well, I know because I was there when the “process mappers” from India showed up to figure out how many clerical and service jobs could be “mapped” to Bangalore, India ). So what’s been the net result of this competition to reduce costs and deliver a cheaper product to the consumer? Well in the case of China we are certainly waking up to Jack’s and many other CEO’s mistake – the largest transfer of wealth and technology (the FBI’s characterization not mine) in world history.
What’s my point? What was the cost? To quote you:
“We have come a long way, and we have all benefitted. America has adapted. Americans live far better today and have far more choices than they did in 1964 when I was born or in 1982 when I graduated high school”
It might interest you to know that in 1985 the US became the world’’s largest debtor nation, thanks to decisions by Jack Welch, other likeminded CEOs and our elected representatives – a debt my children and grandchildren will bear as a burden in the form of higher interest rates and taxation. Was my son’s loyalty misplaced? Is that how “we have all benefited? Jack had no loyalty to anything other than shareholder value. It’s equally disturbing that in 1964 we produced almost all our own clothes, pharmaceuticals, etc. and now we find ourselves vulnerable to foreign interests in many vital areas. Is that how “we have all benefited”? The outcome for GE as a direct result of Jack’s and his hand picked and trained successor Jeff Immelt’s policies is a company saddled with debt and worth about 10% of what it was valued at in 2000. My personal observation as to one reason why GE is in its current sorry state is that lack of loyalty – the thing that helped my son through his experience in Iraq. GE drove out all the people that cared about getting it right, getting it done, caring about the customer, making things, etc. and replaced them with people that did whatever it took to “get the numbers”. They drove out everybody else – the people that actually cared. Sure labor costs came down and the share price went up but the underlying motivation ignored what really made the company great and that was the loyalty of it’s employees to the company and its ideals. So when you say slogans like “Buy American” are “ignorant” I would urge you to check your prejudice and look at the issue a little deeper. First it is pure fantasy that free market capitalism exists in most parts of the world to any great degree when the driving forces of capitalism are maximizing gain by driving down costs. Likewise it a fantasy that loyalty to an ideal whether it be company or a country and its principles don’t matter. At the end of the day for most capitalists “greed is good” to quote a movie character, to which I would reply, yes but principles and loyalty matter.
(Note: You may be wondering why GE took an interest in insurance companies like the one I worked for, when they were noted for many other things. They didn’t care about delivering a quality service or product to insurance consumers in spite of all their promotional double talk. What they really were interested in was the large amount of cash reserves many of these companies held to pay future losses. In the insurance world companies are required by law to set aside a certain amount of money to cover future claims. This dollar amount is referred to as a loss reserve and represents liquid assets that can be converted to cash to pay claims. The first act of GE’s “process managers” was to have the reserve amounts on pending cases reduced so they could strip the excess cash for other purposes, acts that now are still being litigated and investigated.)
Signed:
Vic Bennett
Arizona Foundation Solutions
Vic,
If GE’s value is far less than what it was, this shows their behavior is not appreciated by people like you who left. Their competitors have done better. But, you are a beneficiary of capitalism as a consumer – you can’t not be. Just because Jack Welch had a given approach, doesn’t mean he represents all of the actors in the system. Personally, I am no GE fan, that is for sure. I appreciate your son’s service. Thank you.
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Buying American – Patriotic? Part 4
I drive a Chevy pickup truck. I think they make the best pick up trucks in the US. I am a bit ignorant because I have never driven many of the foreign brands, but I like my brand and it WORKS for me, so I stick with it.
I drive a Chevy Corvette. This car is the best sports car in the world for the money. It performs like a Ferrari or Lamborghini which costs 3 or 4 times the price. It’s cheap to fix and parts are readily available – though I never need any. Made in America. My choice.
I ride a Harley Davidson. I first owned a 1976 Sportster. It was junk. I got stuck on the side of the road so often, it leaked, wouldn’t start, handled like crap. I went around saying Harleys suck for many years, while I drove a Yamaha street bike. Then the company was sold and the new guys got their act together. Years later I drove my friends Harley on one of our annual riding trips. I was hooked. I bought that bike from him and still own it. It rides like a Cadillac and I don’t have any problems with it. America earned me back.
I ride a Japanese motocross bike and desert racing bike. They make the best and they are not made in America. I am going to switch to motocross bikes made in Austria this year and I will pay 20% more. Why? I think they are even better. My choice. America does not make dirt bikes. Just as they don’t make compressors or fans or coils for the dehumidifiers my company makes. ALL manufacturers of dehumidifiers get them and other parts from overseas. They could not be successful otherwise.
When an American citizen goes to WalMart and fills their cart of $150, they are making their lives better. And that would not be possible without foreign trade.
When there are free markets and free trade, we get to chose, and in so doing, we win; our lives get better.
More tomorrow…
Wouldn’t trade my GMC pickup for the world. 17 years still going strong only regular maintenance. (needs a little body work)
KTM…..nice. You will love it.
Made that switch from Yamaha 5 years ago. You won’t regret it, I bought two.
Thank you for posting those posts – they are invaluable in the basic understanding of the meaning of freedom in a social and business environments
Had a 71 Superglide was junk Have a 09 Ford 150 260,000 miles on only regular maintenance. I keep waiting for something to happen, but not yet.
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I agree Larry.
#cancel cable
AMEN!!
Totally agree! It’s mostly garbage now. So are newspapers! Left wing biased crap written by disgruntled 3rd graders edited and published by old marxists that could never get a real job. Sad!
Completely agree
I couldn’t agree more! The news is just toxic these days.
Absolutely correct.
I agree 100%. The news fills the mind with negativity and fear. What we need to fill our minds with is positivity and faith! Negativity feeds fear, Positivity feeds faith. Faith and fear are on the same spectrum moving in opposite directions.
Agreed 100%!
I agree and I needed to hear this. I’ve allowed myself to get sucked in and it’s no place to be.
I couldn’t agree more I’ve believed this for over 20 years now! My family has had first-hand experience unhealthy till the non-truths.
Again, I completely agree. I wish the media was ONLY allowed to report facts. Opinions are nice, but there is no place for that in the news, especially when people are taking these opinions and views as facts. My heart goes out to the people who have mental health issues. They need stability in most cases and if you watch the tv or social media, there is nothing stable in our country right now except for the turmoil. Prayers for those who are hurting and need peace.
I have enjoyed a news blackout for nearly 4 years. I get a sighting or a snippet from time to time and must agree that the news is toxic and harmful.
I agree!
several days ago a producer at MSNBC quit. In a scathing public letter, she decried the outlet’s determination for what was put on the air: ratings. only. nothing else matters. Not truth. not news. ratings. Senior management’s creed: People don’t come here for news. They come here for entertainment. Scary.
Larry, I couldn`t agree more on this subject. Yes the news is poison. Most of it has NO journalism anymore, just agenda drivin like you had commented. Its terrible.
Yes, turn off the radio and choose what you listen to, choose what you hear.
I actually went to school for journalism – I wanted to be Walter Cronkite. Then in classes and other such involvement, I saw it was more opinions and politics than truth/facts. I changed majors because I wanted truth and facts to rely on, to be able to do my own research and not be censored in one form or another due to what I’d found. Best choice I’ve made! I can’t even watch the news now.
I agree 100%..
Yes your thoughts are in alignment with mine I do tune in occasionally to understand how our potential customers may be reacting to it
I feel the same way, I refuse to watch it.
Couldn’t agree more. To me it’s like a bad sitcom.
Thank you! I like reading your thoughts and opinions daily. Keep up the the good fight
I’m not sure why most people are so drawn into the news. I find myself catching some it every now and then, because my wife seems to be one of those drawn to it. I have flaws and admit that, but certainly don’t want to be exposed to some else garbage and outside of the weather forecast, the news is nonstop negative crap that I don’t need. We were just talking about the media last night and how it has adversely affected our country. Just maybe they should try broadcasting just happy news for a few months and see what happens!
I could not agree more with this perspective. I am watching the news in the AM only for the weather report.
Thanks Larry- Couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve been saying foR some time that the news is mind poison and to stay away for your own mental health.
Amen! I couldn’t agree more!
There’s an excellent book on the subject. “The Science of Fear” by Daniel Gardner. The media is trash playing your emotions, not truth.
I couldn’t agree more. This nation is lead around by the nose by the people that control the information. It’s disgusting how easy it is to manipulate people and that it is so big in our culture.
I’m with you Larry. News is poison and when I do have it in my face (like when we go to a restaurant), it’s ridiculous how biased reporters and stations are. I also choose to remove it from my day; but have been told by doing that I’m an ostrich with my head in the sand. Most of what I see or hear, I can’t fix or do anything about…so I’m happy to be an ostrich.
“Trust Me, I’m Lying” by Ryan Holiday is a great book that outlines the current state of online journalism and its influence on people.
A man comes out of the woods…….
Love what you posted, I agree
I was working in my yard the other day when a lady was going by walking her dog, i said hello and she stopped to chat. Within thirty seconds she said I hope i don`t offend you but the country is in big trouble and so and so has to go because what i read in the paper and see on TV. I said okay well I am kind of busy, then she said she hopes the southern part of the united states falls into the ocean because the are a bunch of inbred racist. When I informed her that I was born in fort Lee Virginia she oh that`s okay because Virginia is not part of the south. I told her i have work to do and walked away. I felt bad that this person has so much hatred in her heart and it is all programmed in from the media.
Same…..sometimes I tell someone that and they scorn me because “im not aware what’s going on around me, Its my duty to keep up on current events”….then I look at them and they look like crap, just haggard and stressed…No thanks, im going to keep skipping the news. I love your comments and insights on here, Please keep up the good work.
Yes, waste of time. Read a book or write your own instead.
True, so how do we fix it? The news is now a tool to corrupt the minds of the future generations to further the leftist agenda. Ignoring its there wont right the wrong.
Completely agree. Amazing things happen when you focus on things that are good for your well being.
I agree and try to avoid the national evening news programs, that usually start at 6:30 pm on major television networks. I feel awful about humanity and my country if I watch that program. Funny how they depress you with the news for 29 minutes, and in the final minute they say “finally we have a good story to share….” and they end the program on a good note. How about starting the program on a good note? I will pass thanks.
I quit watching the news a long time ago. It’s driven by money which means the more “clicks” they can generate the more money they make. Again the emphasis is on money and that’s the agenda that drives it, so the truth is first casualty of this system.
You might enjoy a 1951 Kirk Douglas movie “Ace in the Hole” about a cynical reporter exploiting another man’s misery for profit. There is a good quote where Kirk gives a young reporter his view of what makes for news. It goes something like this: Good news is always bad news and “Bad” news is good news. Meaning bad news makes money and good news doesn’t.
i don’t remember the last time i watched the news, it’s all SHIT FOR THE BRAIN
I totally agree. I talk to my neighbors who come out of their house talking about all the violence and racial issues on tv. I then ask, “do you experience this in your life?” They say no. So I then say, “why do you watch tv?”
I couldn’t agree more. It’s impossible to leave with a positive experience when everything that is made “news” is portrayed through a negative perspective against someone else. It’s unhealthy for a persons mental state.
Copy that Mang! …. Get Ready, prepare, and be aware of this new reality that evolves at this very moment ……… it may very well be time to seriously get set. NO?
I agree the news is skewed, I avoid when I can, not seeking it out, scanning a
headline or tuning in to 1010 WINS is OK. I lived in North Georgetown for almost 10 years on Wisconsin Avenue, The CATO think tank was around the corner from me on Massachusetts Avenue, funny, I flew to Laguna Beach from Reagan National and Dana Point for a little R & R ahead of a business trip once, and CATO Institute had a little junket themselves, they were booked into my hotel on the Pacific Ocean.
Larry, I just marked 1 year in the employ of your company August 5, happy to be a contributing member of the team.