Comments on: What is Lean? http://leanamerica.org Transforming Government by Empowering People Thu, 15 Sep 2011 07:25:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JohnB http://leanamerica.org/#comment-18 JohnB Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:22:59 +0000 http://74.53.189.3/~fastcap/wp#comment-18 I think some education in how money actually works may be in order at this time before we can continue. Much of what we are discussing is entirely dependent upon creating new debt for our national economy 'pyramid' to continue. This short video will impartially explain the real reason behind the bank bailouts, why current & past administrations have had so many former Fed-Reserve executives working for it, and why our elected officials sold us into massive, intractable debt as their solution to keep the banking system from collapse. Please enjoy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIIAvdJvCes and the follow up - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_doYllBk5No If after understanding the simple truth about 'debt' you still feel that 'Lean America' is a viable solution I will be happy to debate / discuss those beliefs based upon exactly what public interest issue ( not business or private ) this philosophy is addressing. I think some education in how money actually works may be in order at this time before we can continue. Much of what we are discussing is entirely dependent upon creating new debt for our national economy ‘pyramid’ to continue. This short video will impartially explain the real reason behind the bank bailouts, why current & past administrations have had so many former Fed-Reserve executives working for it, and why our elected officials sold us into massive, intractable debt as their solution to keep the banking system from collapse.

Please enjoy -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIIAvdJvCes
and the follow up -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_doYllBk5No

If after understanding the simple truth about ‘debt’ you still feel that ‘Lean America’ is a viable solution I will be happy to debate / discuss those beliefs based upon exactly what public interest issue ( not business or private ) this philosophy is addressing.

]]> By: Bob L http://leanamerica.org/#comment-17 Bob L Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:32:15 +0000 http://74.53.189.3/~fastcap/wp#comment-17 John, I will interact with only a portion of your comments. You say, "So is it really about tightening our belts and working like machines or is the purpose of the government to protect and assure freedoms?" First, my personal experience with Lean is that it creates an environment for people to work less like machines and more like human beings, using ingenuity and creativity to solve problems and make improvements every day. Secondly, the purpose of government is to protect the citizenry from evil people and protect freedoms. If this was all the government did, we would be well served. You go on to say, " Is there anything wrong with our governmental system or is it really corruption & self interest that prohibits it from functioning as it should & was meant?" I would answer affirmatively. It is corruption and self interest that destroys all good things, including government. This was Paul's campaign message. We have ego-centric leaders who stay in office too long and perpetuate the corruption. What we desperately need are authentic and virtuous leaders who will put the country first and their own comforts second. You write, "We can’t keep creating new laws to stop a few but that ultimately restrict the freedoms of the many if we expect to make progress as a free country." Amen to that. Time to get back to the basics. A multitude of laws does not guarantee freedoms. The opposite is what we are getting. More intrusion into the lives of the citizens. Our Founders intended our government to be limited in size and scope. We are on a path of self destruction where our government is acting less like our protector and more like our oppressor. John,
I will interact with only a portion of your comments. You say, “So is it really about tightening our belts and working like machines or is the purpose of the government to protect and assure freedoms?”
First, my personal experience with Lean is that it creates an environment for people to work less like machines and more like human beings, using ingenuity and creativity to solve problems and make improvements every day.
Secondly, the purpose of government is to protect the citizenry from evil people and protect freedoms. If this was all the government did, we would be well served.
You go on to say, ” Is there anything wrong with our governmental system or is it really corruption & self interest that prohibits it from functioning as it should & was meant?”
I would answer affirmatively. It is corruption and self interest that destroys all good things, including government. This was Paul’s campaign message. We have ego-centric leaders who stay in office too long and perpetuate the corruption. What we desperately need are authentic and virtuous leaders who will put the country first and their own comforts second.
You write, “We can’t keep creating new laws to stop a few but that ultimately restrict the freedoms of the many if we expect to make progress as a free country.”
Amen to that. Time to get back to the basics. A multitude of laws does not guarantee freedoms. The opposite is what we are getting. More intrusion into the lives of the citizens. Our Founders intended our government to be limited in size and scope. We are on a path of self destruction where our government is acting less like our protector and more like our oppressor.

]]> By: JohnB http://leanamerica.org/#comment-16 JohnB Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:09:22 +0000 http://74.53.189.3/~fastcap/wp#comment-16 If I misunderstood I apologize - but I was under the impression, by your site allowing comments, that you were encouraging an open & *democratic discussion of your philosophies and practices. *(republican, tea party, libertarian, etc too, for anyone misunderstanding my use of the word 'democratic' in this context). However I feel uncomfortable moving a discussion that was started in public to one that would be a 'closed door' discussion. Since your topic is a 'Lean' America I will limit the scope of my curiosity to gain more insight into your views regarding the root causes & reasons as to why we are having this discussion in the first place. Corporations need to cut cost to be profitable because they serve the shareholder and no other interest i.e. not the general public. A government (ours) has to cut costs because we have borrowed money from the Saudis & Chinese that at current interest we can never pay back. A government (ours) has to cut costs because over 42% of each tax dollar goes towards the military and now even more that we continue to borrow on a daily basis. There exist hundreds of oversight comities for almost every branch of the government that are already empowered to do exactly what you propose yet we sink deeper & deeper. I do not belittle your 'can do' spirit or successes - in fact I individually welcome them and am duly impressed. But as I mentioned before - every single oversight, auditing, budget control comity ever established has been neutered and turned to the advantage of those who control the levers. Look at Wall Street vs the Securities & Exchange commission. Look at credit card companies vs the CRA/ OCC /FTC. To date we still have no official, independent accounting of all military expenses. So these principals of yours - 'working smarter - not harder' (my take- my words) are already applied in ways light years beyond the laypersons general understanding by Corporations employing Scientists, economists, strategists, sociologists, and every other 'ist' you can think of to gain an advantage & separate the public from their money & increasingly their freedoms. We used to 'own' the air waves. Public water rights & agricultural land is being sold to private interests at an alarming rate, it goes on and on. So is it really about tightening our belts and working like machines or is the purpose of the government to protect and assure freedoms? Is there anything wrong with our governmental system or is it really corruption & self interest that prohibits it from functioning as it should & was meant? We can't keep creating new laws to stop a few but that ultimately restrict the freedoms of the many if we expect to make progress as a free country. So I feel that open discussion & a vigorous, civil exchange of ideas is the way to educate & open the eyes of everyone who has been packaged & labeled into divided camps for the purpose of 'Divide & Conquer'. If I misunderstood I apologize – but I was under the impression, by your site allowing comments, that you were encouraging an open & *democratic discussion of your philosophies and practices. *(republican, tea party, libertarian, etc too, for anyone misunderstanding my use of the word ‘democratic’ in this context).
However I feel uncomfortable moving a discussion that was started in public to one that would be a ‘closed door’ discussion.

Since your topic is a ‘Lean’ America I will limit the scope of my curiosity to gain more insight into your views regarding the root causes & reasons as to why we are having this discussion in the first place.
Corporations need to cut cost to be profitable because they serve the shareholder and no other interest i.e. not the general public. A government (ours) has to cut costs because we have borrowed money from the Saudis & Chinese that at current interest we can never pay back. A government (ours) has to cut costs because over 42% of each tax dollar goes towards the military and now even more that we continue to borrow on a daily basis. There exist hundreds of oversight comities for almost every branch of the government that are already empowered to do exactly what you propose yet we sink deeper & deeper. I do not belittle your ‘can do’ spirit or successes – in fact I individually welcome them and am duly impressed. But as I mentioned before – every single oversight, auditing, budget control comity ever established has been neutered and turned to the advantage of those who control the levers. Look at Wall Street vs the Securities & Exchange commission. Look at credit card companies vs the CRA/ OCC /FTC. To date we still have no official, independent accounting of all military expenses. So these principals of yours – ‘working smarter – not harder’ (my take- my words) are already applied in ways light years beyond the laypersons general understanding by Corporations employing Scientists, economists, strategists, sociologists, and every other ‘ist’ you can think of to gain an advantage & separate the public from their money & increasingly their freedoms. We used to ‘own’ the air waves. Public water rights & agricultural land is being sold to private interests at an alarming rate, it goes on and on. So is it really about tightening our belts and working like machines or is the purpose of the government to protect and assure freedoms? Is there anything wrong with our governmental system or is it really corruption & self interest that prohibits it from functioning as it should & was meant? We can’t keep creating new laws to stop a few but that ultimately restrict the freedoms of the many if we expect to make progress as a free country.
So I feel that open discussion & a vigorous, civil exchange of ideas is the way to educate & open the eyes of everyone who has been packaged & labeled into divided camps for the purpose of ‘Divide & Conquer’.

]]> By: Paul Akers http://leanamerica.org/#comment-15 Paul Akers Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:42:53 +0000 http://74.53.189.3/~fastcap/wp#comment-15 John, I'd love to talk you. Please call me any time on my cell phone because I have a feeling we will have a lengthy conversation, and me typing a response here will not persuade you or me. I do ask you to judge me by the results that I deliver in my life. I came from nothing, I built a world-class company that's growing and has never laid anyone off. I hire people from all ethnic backgrounds and we all like each other. What more could you ask for? I'm not a magician. And I'm not perfect. John, I’d love to talk you. Please call me any time on my cell phone because I have a feeling we will have a lengthy conversation, and me typing a response here will not persuade you or me. I do ask you to judge me by the results that I deliver in my life. I came from nothing, I built a world-class company that’s growing and has never laid anyone off. I hire people from all ethnic backgrounds and we all like each other. What more could you ask for? I’m not a magician. And I’m not perfect.

]]> By: John B. http://leanamerica.org/#comment-14 John B. Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:00:17 +0000 http://74.53.189.3/~fastcap/wp#comment-14 I don't understand. Whenever you create a new department in the government, like the 'Lean' department Paul wants to create, history has shown without there EVER being an exception that the new departments main objective becomes protecting and funding its own existence. How would that help the current problem of big government ? (by creating more government). Also I read where Mr. Akers has strong doubts about Global Warming. Regardless of the many possible causes of Global Warming, man made pollution is directly linked to the very same industries & practices that those who are providing evidence of Warming. So any and all efforts to towards reductions in Greenhouse gases and other contaminants also reduces pollution (which I hope we can all agree is real & is a huge problem). A politician is NOT a leader - he or she is ONLY a representative of the people in his or her district, county, state etc. Not just those who elected him or her - so if he/she believes in things that not all of his constituents believe in thats fine but if they are not a scientist why would they responsibly say something for which they lack proof. And if only 40% of those they represent believe something and the other 60% believe something else he/she was not elected to base decisions or policies based on their own personal belief. They were not elected 'king' of some community. So why is Paul - a non-scientists expressing views contrary on a subject that the majority of scientists globally agree upon. (again I said majority and that continues to grow). On the larger issue of immigration, Akers said the U.S. should make its legal immigration process less cumbersome by setting up new Ellis Island-type facilities in places like El Paso and San Diego. Akers said people should be allowed to come into the U.S. to work temporarily, but have 25 percent of their pay confiscated, to be returned when they go back to their home countries. As for tracking immigrants, Akers suggested turning over the job to FedEx and UPS. "They track 25 million packages a day," Akers said. "They'll do an infinitely better job of solving the problem." Allow me as an American to say that I have a real problem with this sort of speech. In my opinion it's plain 'Fear Mongering'. If you deported all the illegal immigrants today our national economy would instantly collapse. These people are employed by all the agricultural & meat packaging giants here in America to name but a few of the hundreds of industries relying heavily upon this cheap, exploited labor force that we all benefit from. If you thing they are taking your jobs just walk down to your local farm or meat packing plant and ask for work. You will find that it is the American employers NOT the immigrant employees that have created this environment. But in the press & with campaign contributions they appear to wave the flag yet in 50 years the facts tell the real truth about both their efforts and fear mongering politicians real motives. Self enrichment. Without firing one shot, illegal immigrants - now citizens, simply walked across the border and are now the majority. How the majority votes is who controls America. And it is way, way, way too late to do anything about it. But fear mongering rhetoric works and the frightened & weak minded. (it wouldn't matter if you build a wall - that's just pork for construction companies to waste your tax dollars and give campaign kick backs to the politicos who saw that the contracts were selectively awarded - but illegals still get through). Ben Franklin - an actual inventor who was on the cutting edge of science back then famously said about those who believe in fear mongering speech ; "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." I don’t understand. Whenever you create a new department in the government, like the ‘Lean’ department Paul wants to create, history has shown without there EVER being an exception that the new departments main objective becomes protecting and funding its own existence.
How would that help the current problem of big government ? (by creating more government).

Also I read where Mr. Akers has strong doubts about Global Warming. Regardless of the many possible causes of Global Warming, man made pollution is directly linked to the very same industries & practices that those who are providing evidence of Warming. So any and all efforts to towards reductions in Greenhouse gases and other contaminants also reduces pollution (which I hope we can all agree is real & is a huge problem).

A politician is NOT a leader – he or she is ONLY a representative of the people in his or her district, county, state etc. Not just those who elected him or her – so if he/she believes in things that not all of his constituents believe in thats fine but if they are not a scientist why would they responsibly say something for which they lack proof. And if only 40% of those they represent believe something and the other 60% believe something else he/she was not elected to base decisions or policies based on their own personal belief. They were not elected ‘king’ of some community. So why is Paul – a non-scientists expressing views contrary on a subject that the majority of scientists globally agree upon. (again I said majority and that continues to grow).

On the larger issue of immigration, Akers said the U.S. should make its legal immigration process less cumbersome by setting up new Ellis Island-type facilities in places like El Paso and San Diego.
Akers said people should be allowed to come into the U.S. to work temporarily, but have 25 percent of their pay confiscated, to be returned when they go back to their home countries.
As for tracking immigrants, Akers suggested turning over the job to FedEx and UPS. “They track 25 million packages a day,” Akers said. “They’ll do an infinitely better job of solving the problem.” Allow me as an American to say that I have a real problem with this sort of speech. In my opinion it’s plain ‘Fear Mongering’. If you deported all the illegal immigrants today our national economy would instantly collapse. These people are employed by all the agricultural & meat packaging giants here in America to name but a few of the hundreds of industries relying heavily upon this cheap, exploited labor force that we all benefit from. If you thing they are taking your jobs just walk down to your local farm or meat packing plant and ask for work. You will find that it is the American employers NOT the immigrant employees that have created this environment. But in the press & with campaign contributions they appear to wave the flag yet in 50 years the facts tell the real truth about both their efforts and fear mongering politicians real motives. Self enrichment.
Without firing one shot, illegal immigrants – now citizens, simply walked across the border and are now the majority. How the majority votes is who controls America. And it is way, way, way too late to do anything about it. But fear mongering rhetoric works and the frightened & weak minded. (it wouldn’t matter if you build a wall – that’s just pork for construction companies to waste your tax dollars and give campaign kick backs to the politicos who saw that the contracts were selectively awarded – but illegals still get through).

Ben Franklin – an actual inventor who was on the cutting edge of science back then famously said about those who believe in fear mongering speech ;
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

]]> By: Dave Lassegues http://leanamerica.org/#comment-2 Dave Lassegues Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:43:36 +0000 http://74.53.189.3/~fastcap/wp#comment-2 Paul & family, Many thanks for the sacrifice you've made in running for the Senate. Sure wish your message could have gotten traction. Hopefully you have learned a lot about this business of politics and will once again give running a go. We need people like you in government. Politics can be a dog eat dog business. We really need people with integrity and brains and ideas. Paul & family,

Many thanks for the sacrifice you’ve made in running for the Senate. Sure wish your message could have gotten traction. Hopefully you have learned a lot about this business of politics and will once again give running a go. We need people like you in government.

Politics can be a dog eat dog business. We really need people with integrity and brains and ideas.

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