National Unity is required for national survival
These words were spoken by a US Supreme Court justice during WWII, and those words ring just as true now as they did in those dark days.
More than any President since FDR, President Bush had that unity but let it slip away, by ignoring a fundamental principle that every successful business leader knows - communication is the lifeblood of any team.
My friend, Rex, had an insightful observation in discussing President Bush's "report card" since 9/11. He said that the President had a cohesive, motivated audience in the American people - united in the aftermath of 9/11 more than at any time since World War II - and while he has done a good job of taking the fight to the enemy, he really fumbled the ball in regularly/constantly communicating to the American people where we are, where we need to go, and why we need to go there. Any organization or group needs inclusive, frequent discussions/communications with its leader(s) to keep the goals - and necessity for those goals, and the methods to achieve those goals, and the rewards for achieving those goals - clearly fixed in the peoples' minds, so that they will be continually reassured that the future rewards are worth the current sacrifices being made.
President Bush was very distant in this regard, and in that communication void came all the dissenting opinions and voices, gaining traction with every day that the Bush Administration chose to 'hover above the harping'. He allowed momentum to be lost, and it has exacted a very real price in terms of hampering our ability as a nation to act decisely and cohesively in our best interests.
More than any President since FDR, President Bush had that unity but let it slip away, by ignoring a fundamental principle that every successful business leader knows - communication is the lifeblood of any team.
My friend, Rex, had an insightful observation in discussing President Bush's "report card" since 9/11. He said that the President had a cohesive, motivated audience in the American people - united in the aftermath of 9/11 more than at any time since World War II - and while he has done a good job of taking the fight to the enemy, he really fumbled the ball in regularly/constantly communicating to the American people where we are, where we need to go, and why we need to go there. Any organization or group needs inclusive, frequent discussions/communications with its leader(s) to keep the goals - and necessity for those goals, and the methods to achieve those goals, and the rewards for achieving those goals - clearly fixed in the peoples' minds, so that they will be continually reassured that the future rewards are worth the current sacrifices being made.
President Bush was very distant in this regard, and in that communication void came all the dissenting opinions and voices, gaining traction with every day that the Bush Administration chose to 'hover above the harping'. He allowed momentum to be lost, and it has exacted a very real price in terms of hampering our ability as a nation to act decisely and cohesively in our best interests.
posted by Lawrence 3X at 9:16 AM
1 Comments:
Too many cooks in the kitchen spell chaos, don't they? I believe that President Bush has a 'true' and solid internal gyroscope (and an innate grasp of the pivotal point of History that is his Presidency). But I also think that he ccasionally has been given 'not great' advice by aids and advisors,including his father, who was never a true believer in the Reagan revolution. President Kennedy ultimately told his advisors during the Cuban Missile Crisis (when he was getting pulled in all directions by conflicting advice within his team over what specific steps to take with the Russians), that "there is something ultimately immoral about not following one's own gut instinct." He ultimately listened to his inner voice and made the right move to an aggressive stance wtih Russia. President Bush has the same instinct, and must continue to have the courage to listen and act on his inner voice.
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