Okay, the truth is that I am way beyond mad or angry.  I am totally pissed off.  You should be too.  They sold us a bill of goods.  They screwed us.  I knew it would happen.  I said on television that they could have me back on the anniversary of the bail out and I could say, “I told you so.”  They said that the  market would fall apart if we didn’t pass the bill.  The market is crap anyway.  It will get worse.  Yes, it will go back up but it’s still crap right now.  Now Bush is saying, “Give it some time.”  No kidding.  How convenient to say “give it time”  when we were told that it HAD to happen or the economy would collapse – remember, George?  Speed was the issue and now we are told to give it some time.  We were also told that this would help the regular guy.  That is a lie.  It will eventually help the regular guy . . . maybe . . . possibly . . . probably not.  They are saying that it has to “trickle down” first.  The regular guy doesn’t have time for it to trickle down.  The regular guy is hurting big time NOW.  Add to all of this crap, the $150B of pork – wooden arrows, American Samoa, the woolen industry, Hollywood, rum exporters, etc.  and one more time, they saddled us with PORK that was not needed or wanted.  Both sides did this one to us.  Not just Republicans or Democrats – they ALL screwed us.  Thanks guys, we appreciate it! Â
Next.  I’m mad about the dirty politics.  Low blows – cheap shots.  Let’s talk about anything rather than what’s wrong with our country.   Facts?  Who needs them!  Questions in a debate where you agreed in advance to answer the questions?  Why answer them?  I’ll tell  you what I want you to know whether it’s what you asked or not.  April 8: “I promise I won’t involve myself in dirty campaigning because the American people don’t want to hear it.”  Oh well, I’m losing now so that doesn’t count any longer: here is my bucket of mud.  “The fundamentals of the economy are strong.”  Oops, maybe not.  No problem, I’ll play the hero and solve this problem – in fact, I’ll take credit for getting the bailout passed.  Oops again – because it didn’t pass.  I’ll still vote for it with all the pork I say I won’t vote for and then I’ll say Bush ought to veto it.  Wait, tho I voted for it, the people don’t like it so I’ll say, “It’s time to turn the page on the economy and move on.”  Oops, that ain’t working for me either because people actually care about the economy, oh well, back to the mud-slinging.  “Paling around with terrorists:”  And we all know you can’t spell PALING without Palin.  I find that insulting to the American people. We’re not THAT stupid.  Obama was eight years old.  They aren’t “pals.”  The Keating 5 – get the hell over it Democrats – it was twenty years ago and McCain was found innocent of any wrong doing.  The American people want answers to their issues.  Can you imagine that?  People are losing their jobs.  They either don’t have healthcare or can’t afford it.  Gasoline?  Holy crap! Cut the subsidies and tell the friggin’ oil companies to kiss our collective asses and lower the price so people can pay their mortgages!  I am all for free enterprise but billions in quarterly profits when our tax dollars help subsidize you is rape!  The oil companies should be ashamed of themselves!  Foreclosures are at 9% and still rising.  Yes, it’s primarily their own fault but something has to be done somewhere.  Lock down interest rates at a fixed rate for thirty years like they should have been to begin with.  Stop the ARMs from happening to give people some breathing room.  Put a moratorium on foreclosures for 90 days to help people have a chance to gather up some money and try to fix their situation.  Is this a cure?  No, one more time, none of what I am talking about here is anyting but a band-aid  but it’s a band-aid that directly effects the American people.  And it is the American people who need to get pissed off about the crap that is going on.  Where are the protests?  Where is the indignation?  Joe Six-Pack can’t even afford a damn six pack any more and yet few are being as vocal as they should be.  And typically, only about 40 % of Americans are even going to vote! Â
The problem with Americans from Wall Street to Main Street, from the break room to the board room, from bad loans, to bad customer service, to bad politics to bad business is a lack of integrity. Â People either have forgotten or don’t care any longer about what’s right and what’s wrong.
Americans arrogantly say they want honesty and integrity from their government officials, yet 20% of them cheat on their taxes. Hypocritical? You think? People lie.  Politicians lie and we re-elect them.  Millions of Americans lied about how much money they made so they could qualify for a house they knew they couldn’t afford. Now they don’t have the money to make the payments. What is the REAL problem? It’s not the money, or the predatory lenders or the economy, it’s the lie that got them in trouble.  They are now paying the price for their LIE.  Clinton got impeached. Why? Was it because he had sex in the Oval Office? No, it’s because he lied about the sex. Bush’s approval rating is the lowest of any president in history? Why? A lack of trust. People don’t believe him. But why should we? He lied to us.
When a guy says he will be there at noon and at 3PM you haven’t heard from him, he is a liar. When your daughter says she will be home from her date at 10PM and she isn’t, sorry, but your little princess just lied to you. When people say one thing and do another, they are lying.   In each instance, it is a lack of integrity.
I watched a woman on The Today Show this morning talking about her latest book about telling the truth in various situations and when asked about why people lie, she said, “Lying is such an ugly word, let’s call it editing the truth.”  What a load of happy horseshit.  Editing the truth?  Are you kidding me?  Let’s not call it what it is and then we won’t hurt anyone’s feelings.  Let’s put the lipstick on the pig one more time!  Let’s dress it up and make it look pretty instead of calling it what it really is.  And that’s the problem. When you don’t confront people with their lies, the result is they don’t think they have done anything wrong.  Unless, you call them a liar for lying, they might not think they have actually lied – they might just think they edited the truth.  Bottom line:   We have a nation of people who either don’t know they are doing wrong or they don’t care.  Either way, they lack integrity. I am going to save the rest of this rant for The Truth Be Told site because I am really getting fired up on this one and there isn’t room here. Thanks for reading…………………
Larry,
I could not agree with you more!
You know, I remember this line from your TV show….”it’s your own damn fault”. What I’m doing is dumping cash into Canadian bank stock. Solid and has a nice dividend to boot.
Would of been good to see you in the debates last night Larry. First, I wouldn’t of fallen asleep to 1 1/2 hours of talking points and second, you would have been speaking to what is really happening right now. Larry for Prez 2012?
What’s the risk of being stupid when someone will always be there to bail you out? I make my mortgage payment every month, but I’d like some relief also. Shouldn’t I be rewarded for getting a mortgage I can afford. Oh – and compare the oil company CEO salaries to those of the finance instutions and I think you’ll see that the Finance and Bank CEO have been ripping us off more than oil companies. Many industries besides oil make huge profits, but they don’t pay as much tax as oil does. Stop oil subsidies, but stop bashing them because we want more oil than they can afford to produce!
Larry,
Trust is the main issue. We don’t trust anyone. The hero’s are all gone. We don’t trust the white house to look out for our best interests, we don’t trust congress because they have lobbist money sticking out of their pockets and we don’t trust the media because they spin everything the way they are told.
The American public doesn’t know how to respond. So we do nothing.
We all know that the bail out was a load of crap but what is the truth?
I think the truth is we are all being systematically manipulated by a select group of very powerful people that control the financial centers of the world.
They create chaos so that they win.
Who can we trust?
I’m pissed off too. I’m tired of hearing all the crap on the ads about the candidates. I want some straight answers about the issues. And I want Sarah Palin to stop winking and flirting during her debates. A woman of substance would act like a professional.
And why do all of these people lack integrity? Were they brought up that badly? Maybe. I’m not proud of how I’ve seen my generation and the one after raise children, but it is especially evident in many senior citizens, of all people.
“ME, me, me, me, me, me, me. I come first. Damn you all. I don’t care about what’s best for you or the group or the company. I want mine.” That’s what I see and hear everyday. That’s your overpaid CEO, and if you throw in a big dose of “lazy”, that’s your check out clerk who would rather talk to the good looking boy at the next register over than to give you any service. (And he’s not providing good service, either.)
When a person is completely self-centered and focused only on what benefits themselves, then anything goes to support that goal. Lie, cheat, steal – anything goes – because “I” benefit. The end justifies the means. And whether it’s that CEO who lies to the stock holders or the check out clerk who gives bad service, the only way that they will EVER change is if they find out that their actions have consequences that strongly differ from what they wanted or expected. Fire the clerk. Put the CEO in jail (Enron, anyone?). Vote the jerks out of office.
Add that we have become a nation of extremes – liberal left to conservative right – and there’s no room left for “middle” Americans. And they’re all “me, me, me” organizations. Sorry, I don’t want either the NRA or the Christian Coalition running my life. Maybe it gets down to keeping God in our hearts and out of our politics.
Rock on Larry – You need to be on the ballet – 2012 run?? Keep it up – hopefully Americans are listening to REALITY! 🙂
I agree, let’s focus on the solutions. It is true that you are either working on the problem or working on the solution. I would much rather have a former jet pilot that shot rockets than a guy that shot staples into a telephone pole though! I believe you have to earn your positions in life through selfless service, not through selfish promotion!
I too was disgruntled with the debate the other night… I didnt get how both candidates could speak about their discust for earmarks, when the first opportunity they have to vote on a bill (bailout) they both vote for it! Knowing full well that it was full of earmarks- Who do they think their kidding – not this fed us voter! Larry your right on. Integrity is a lost art in DC. I am trying to buy into this whole “Change” theme of Barack; but other than his “communication glamour” its the same stuff. The Bailout is case in point.. He should of taken a stand and said No!- not I prewarned against this. As if that is supposed to make me buy into his change….I am desperate for Honesty and Integrity in Washington. Its time for a revolution!
I am sick of the CRAP also. Why do we keep electing liars? Seems to be alot of lawyers and liars who run for offices and win. Granted, there may be some nice lawyers who are excellent at interpreing the law, but I never met a lawyer who didn’t lie or bend the truth in order to win a case! Is that really who we want to be running things. Also, where is the “average Joe” like your “Joe Six-Pack” when it comes to running for state or federal offices? You know the kind that has actually worked for a living! Seems to be only the “rich” or famous get elected. Then these people have rich and famous friends who get jobs along-side them and ta-da! You have only the rich and famous running the country! Makes it easy for companies like AIG- (American Industry of GREED!!) to get away with things when your friends are running the show or have their own investments and interests to think about. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Why do you think lobbying and networking is so important!! Same with the oil companies, they are pretty much a main gear-shift of the stock market and we see what happens that!! So for now, I am so disgusted that I think I will spend $440,000 at the nearest resort-spa to settle my nerves. Oh, wait a minute I’m an average Joe (Joette) so guess I’ll have to settle for getting a $20.00 manicure at the local salon. Must be nice to have all our tax-payer money at the tips of their fingertips!!!!!!!!
I’m more pissed about the fact that the current situation isn’t a surprise. You’re right….lying is so common place in today’s society…not just by politicians that anyone using their common sense knew this would catch up to us and eventually give us the wake up call we truly need!
One reason I admire and respect you, Larry, is that I believe you embody personal integrity, and in the world of internet marketing, I believe that’s a rather rare trait. I will be sharing this blog post with others – I think what you have said here needs as wide an audience as possible.
LARRY FOR PRESIDENT!!!
I’ve often wondered if just a simple guy like Larry, (Larry this is compliment) could ever make it as President?
To me all these guys with Harvard, and Yale degrees seem to be the one’s that lie and cheat the most.
How about guy like Larry or someone like him that only had three qualifications for president? Morals, Ethics and the Truth. That’s all they know. The rest of it they depend on advisors to council them on. The funny thing is that people that have morals ethics and tell the truth 9 out of 10 times know when they are dealing with someone who is not. At least that is the case for me.
Anyway, I”m just curious if America would stand behind a guy such as this. I beilive I would. I’m sick to death of all the BS. Yes I am going to vote! My choices are tough as I’m not crazy about either side, but I am going to vote and so should the rest of you.
Thanks for everything Larry. And consider getting on the ballot in the next 4 years.
Frankly, I think the writers of South Park hit the nail on the head in an episode a few years back, stating that ALL elections are a choice between a “Giant Douche and Turd Sandwich” and that the only thing we’re ever doing is TRYING to choose the lesser of two evils. (say what you want about me referencing a cartoon – Parker and Stone are underappreciated as masters of satire).
More info:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/808/
Lately I always feel that the choices presented to us are terrible. This will be the third presidential election that I have the privaledge of voting in, and I have yet to be presented with any candidate that I truly “want” to do the job.
One thing that would be very refreshing would be to see some of these people take a page from Larry’s books when they DO lie or screw up or make a mistake: “admit it, fix it, and move on” – don’t feed us all the excuses and spin and other BS. I will have a LOT more respect for someone that just admits they’re human and made a mistake!
There’s no real logical explanation for it, but MANNERS make an enormous difference in how we perceive people and all of their shortcomings. If someone bumps into you in a crowded room, I believe there are 3 possible outcomes:
1) They pretend as if nothing happened, either simply ignoring you or moving away quickly.
The general reaction: “What a jerk!”
2) They acknowledge what happened, but makeup some stupid excuse as to why. (or worse, somehow twist it around to try to blame you for daring to stand where they were trying to walk!)
The general reaction: “This jerk is completely full of sh*t!”
3) They acknowledge what happened, immediately apologize for the error, and ask if you are okay.
The general reaction: “Oh, that’s okay. No harm done.”
Now then, number 1 doesn’t concern most of us very much. They are jerks, but they are not really trying to hide that fact. Moreover, some of them might even be PROUD of it. We know what to expect from them. They are jerks, but relatively honest about being jerks.
Number 2 is where I believe most if not all of the big-time politicians would fall. Generally speaking, most of us are more offended by this. Not only have they done us physical harm (however insignificant), but they then proceed to insult our intelligence and disrespect us by boldly LYING about the incident. The lie is always more offensive, I believe, because while the mistake itself might have been unintentional, the lie most certainly is not. It’s cold and calculated. Our legal system even recognizes such differences in severity of offenses. Think of the differences in the definitions of Manslaughter and First Degree Murder. It’s always about premeditation and intent.
Number 3 is where we all should be in every aspect of all of our lives, both personal and professional. Are you going to “mess up” from time to time? Of course you are. What should you do about it? Take responsibility, apologize, and work on a solution if needed. The crazy thing is that it really doesn’t matter how sincere the act is. No one cares if you really FEEL sorry about what happened – it’s the fact that you went through the motions. Remarks like “Excuse me” and “Please” and “Thank you” don’t always have huge emotional feelings behind them. They are just a matter of having respect for one another. Keep in mind as well that this approach usually represents the fastest resolution, and the victim of the situation is much, much less likely to hold any sort of grudge toward the offending person. It is part of human nature that we can’t necessarily explain, but it is much much easier to forgive someone who admits their mistakes.
In closing this dissertation, I’d like to say that I’m a big fan of your work, Larry. I’ve read each of your books several times, and they have really helped me to change my thinking and outlook in positive ways. People are suggesting that you run in 2012. I think I have a better idea: I want you to personally interview both tickets for this year’s election. I want to see them answer your questions, and I want you to be able to respond to their answers with comments and more questions. I would happily tune in to that on Pay Per View!
Keep up the good work!
Tuesday night, after the debate, hubby and I got in a heated argument over this very topic.
Long story short – he was leaning towards the economic crisis being the fault of predatory lendors … me – I was blaming EVERYONE, especially the consumers purchasing homes, goods, services, they knew they couldn’t afford.
I was pissed off at the lying, cheating, and greed that has become the norm for practically everyone in this country.
I didn’t think of the “integrity” word … which is exactly what I meant.
My generation sucks … hopefully my kids generation will walk this life with integrity!
P.S. Thanks for the terrific post – it’s nice to see I’m not the only one feeling this way!
What is it that you think Bush lied about? You should specify, if you are going to make allegations.
And Obama was much older than 8 when he launched his campaign from the terrorist’s living room.
“Why do we keep electing liars?” I think that liars are the only people running.
Oh, please, #17. Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Don’t you read? There weren’t any.
Sure, they had a rotten, evil dictator there who was a troublemaker. So we got rid of him, at the cost of our reputation among other nations, the blood of our sons and daughters and our allies, and chaos for a long time to come in a country that we have helped to destroy. Nice work, and all of it based on lies.
It’s the best recruiting ad the terrorists could have hoped for.
As for Obama, you are wrong and it has been proven.
I think McCain is a decent man and a patriot. He deserved to be honored for all that he gave for his country in a stupid, stinking war that we shouldn’t have fought in the first place. That does not necessarily mean he is the right man to be president today.
Yes, we should be mad about all the lying, cheating, politics, and crap you describe. However, it is really easy to know who is at fault – just pull out a damn mirror. I hear so much complaining about Bush, but guess what? He was elected by the American people. Twice!! We didn’t want the smart guy who was warning us about global warming even before it was popular to do so. He was too boring and late night television teaches us that boring people are to be despised. No, Americans rather vote for the guy they want to go out and have a beer with. Let’s face it; most Americans base their decision on who they’re going to vote for the same way they did when they voted for class president in high school.
American’s like liars – they don’t want the truth no matter how much they say that they do. They like hearing “Everything’s going to be ok.” or “Don’t think about it, we’ll take care of it.” or “Don’t worry, you’ll find a way to pay for it later.” or “God will provide.” People who tell the truth are usually considered pessimists and Americans don’t like pessimists because they say things people don’t like to hear. If Americans liked honesty there won’t be all of this massive credit card debt because they would have been honest with themselves and asked questions such as “Can I really afford this?” or “Do I really need another pair of $125 jeans or a new SUV?” or “Do I really have to buy a (fill in the blank) just because my snotty cousin has one?” or “Do I really need to eat out again this week even though my butt is already 5 sizes larger than it should be?”
People talk about honestly and integrity and maybe the next generation will do better. How is that going to happen? Doesn’t someone need to set an example NOW?!! That “someone” means “everyone”. Instead of looking for a “hero” try to be one and if you expect to be rewarded for it then you’re acting like a lying politician.
American society has gotten to a point where people don’t want to be accountable for anything. It’s always someone else’s fault. Even when it’s my fault I’m going to find a way to “spin” it so that it doesn’t sound like it’s my fault. “Editing the truth” for example. Society is getting good at spinning things that we’re believing our own BS. I’m really not lying.
That is what frustrates so many of us that do have some integrity to us. (I still haven’t met the perfect person, I’m certainly far from it…) We know that if you wrap a bow around a POS, it’s still just a POS.
This is one reason I think many of us are drawn to Larry and his style. You get tired of people holding your hand and telling you everything is alright after awhile.
Thanks, Lynn. I couldn’t have said it better! I for one am very proud of the fact that I didn’t vote for Bush either time. And I won’t be voting for McCain, either.
And for those who think that Obama doesn’t have enough experience, just remember that the only national political experience Abraham Lincoln had before becoming president was two years as a representative.
Remember, we the people did NOT vote Bush into office. He lost the popular [i.e., the population’s] vote eight years ago. It was the corrupt bureaucrats in Washington that gave him the presidency in the first place – against the voters wishes. But not a single American did a damn thing about it except whine and complain.
The almighty Bush administration used the deaths of 3000+ Americans as the major excuse to invade Iraq. Except not a single 9-11 hijacker was Iraqi. They just added the WMD as a bonus – albeit a fake bonus. They also made a big thing about how Saddam was our enemy – except for the FACT that we helped him come into power in Iraq in the first place and supported him for decades. This means he was one of our allies. That’s three lies and a backstab to boot. Aren’t we sweethearts?!
As for the candidates and the bailout. I did notice that Obama was 100% for it all along. McCain only said he’d go along with it if they got a majority consensus. They got that consensus but they did it through political “bribery” – by adding a few good yet totally unrelated tidbits to get most of the original naysayers to go along with the promoters’ agenda. I never did trust Biden – and for me, I feel that Obama was the nastier backstabber of the two candidates since he was all for this bailout from the getgo. I prefer to find out who not to trust before I vote for them. I guess in this case I should say – who I trust the least. Probably a good habit to get into for a lot of folks.
Liar, Liar…….just like the movie we laugh and giggle when we see someone compromise their human dignity and lie to disguise the truth (no it certainly is not editing the truth). Politicians, corporate executives, lenders, borrowers, and citizens far and wide. The fundamental reason our founding fathers created this great nation on religious principals is avoid such behavior. They knew then and we should all know now the teachings from the religions of the world detest behavior of moral corruption, lying, cheating, and pandering ones sole and character.
As a nation built on the immigration of multiple nationalities with multiple religions (don’t even start in on the immigration argument as we all had to come from somewhere) we can individually define the meaning or source of our god, after all this is afforded to us through the constitution, and in so doing live by the instruction and commandments of this god. If you are an atheist well then I guess you will need to live by the judo Christian mandates the constitution was founded upon while still enjoying the freedom of choosing not to believe in a god. If not then move!
The children of generations past and present learn how to conduct their affairs from historians and leaders in the present. If we can not see to conduct our affairs with dignity and character then how can we expect our future generations to do any different. We do not live in a polyana world where no one will ever do wrong, but when they do they need to be held accountable for their actions.
Larry is right, we have been lied to by our leaders in this bank bailout. This bailout is not about a Wall Street bailout, or a main street bailout, this is a bailout for the indiscretions of a nation. There are so many puppets to this play that blaming one for the good of all only masks the root of the real problem. And the real problem is America, not one sector but all, rich poor and middle class. We all need to be held accountable for our actions.
The truth is always what is right and doing the right thing will allow you to show your character, greed in situations is not always wrong but lying to get your way is, do what is right will prevent you selling your soul to greed.