Archive for October, 2008
There’s something happenin’ here:
What it is, is becoming clear
Now entering my 7th decade of life turning 61 this summer and I am witnessing something profoundly different in US elections: an entire cadre of great leaders regardless of party. McCain’s selection of a woman Governor and Obama’s selection of a deeply experienced, capable Washington insider with strong roots among the common folk of America neutralizes the spurious arguments from both sides on personalities and shifts the focus to issues:
Americans are being challenged to select their leaders based more on policy than politics. What’s most intriguing is whoever wins is NOT very important. Sure there are massive differences among the Democrats and Republicans on many issues.
Democrats want to help people directly while Republicans prefer to help people INdirectly. Democrats want to retain a woman’s right to chose while Republicans want to secure the life of any potential child.
Republicans want to secure the right of any individual to possess weapons of all kinds perhaps NOT those of mass destruction but giving up even these is disappointing to some Republicans while Democrats want to increase the safety of people by limiting the types of weapons available. Which side wins will have tremendous effect upon individuals of course and impact their rights and freedoms. These issues are all relatively inconsequential to a far more significant and profound transformation that ALL Americans are just starting to experience.
The important happening is both parties have a slate of candidates who are extremely capable leaders with vision and are capable of working with their opposition. Thus Americans are energized. This election has brought out millions and millions of normally lethargic and disinterested potential voters who are now eager to vote, to get involved, Regardless of which party wins the winning party will work with the other in a new way that we have never seen.
We are embarking on a new era of collaboration. We will be finding common ground. We will be creating new perspectives and we will reach new solutions to old problems as we also encounter new problems and new challenges we will recognize and tackle them rather than ignore or overlook them.
The result will be a newly energized America powered by its people much less encumbered from the usual negativity overlaid by their government and enthralled by a new group of leaders who actually know how and have committed to work together to build a better America. They will be helped by Americans who are becoming better themselves. Americans are being challenged, are being motivated to get beyond themselves to work together to build a better America for others first and then experience the resulting improvement in a better America for themselves.
America has often led the world by showing things are possible, by proving even some things thought to be impossible can be accomplished. Perhaps we are all going to witness in our lifetimes a transformation beyond our countries across the globe. We all know we live and operate in a global community we also know all communities are more focused on themselves and on their own issues and concerns. Perhaps this will change as well as the world becomes as giddy as we Americans are becoming today in what can be done when we embrace rather than fight each other, when we challenge rather than threaten each other, when we help and work together for a common good.
It is a most exciting time in America today and this excitement is growing into enchantment. One implication is for investors. Now is the time to explore making investments in the US. Many assets are at or nearing their lowest levels. The upturn is a year hence. Get ready. Get involved. Almost any well researched investment in the US today will do extremely well in the coming years. Of course you need to wait unit after the election and things settle down both the political and the economic turmoil is just too high right now. For Allan’s Take on Investments & Timing Click.
I used a Buffalo Springfield song to open this missive. The point they were making is we need to stop what we are doing and find a new way forward. It is looking like today’s leadership actually is stopping politics as usual and we Americans are responding. We will be finding new ways forward led by the best leadership talent I have ever seen again regardless of which party you favor, and regardless of which party wins the world will be experiencing new fired up and enthralled hard working and collaborative Americans.
China. “watch out.” you have been on a roll we in America will be giving you a run for your success.
L. Allan Austin
+1 407 682-3887
When will our economy change?
Over several decades of facilitating strategic discussion around the globe, 104 countries at last count, the number one question was how can you know when the economy, yours or global is going to change either upward or downward. Today in the US the question is paramount and again economists and others line up on all sides of the same question pointing in ALL directions.
Allan’s take: Follow the corrugated box industry globally and in your country or region. Almost everything gets packed and shipped in a corrugated box. The companies making corrugated boxes know the earliest when an economic cycle is going to change.
Today I talked to the head of global sales of one of the leading corrugated box making equipment companies in Phillips, Wisconsin. He told me things are going strong everywhere around the planet and especially in the usual suspects — China, India, Brazil.
Things have been going poorly in the US and are likely to GET WORSE. This means regardless of what the economists forecast the US is going to take at least another year and half to pull out of its current nose dive.
Evidence International Paper is GOING to announce later this month that it is closing a large number of corrugated box plants. Also Smurfit another large box manufacturer recently announced the closing of 9 plants. While some of this is due to consolidation, cost savings and increasing in output from new technologies the overall trend is corrugated boxes are going DOWN for at least one and half years. International Paper has stopped all capital expenditures for the next 18 months.
If this is not enough for you to accept my position read below. When illegal immigrants go home to find a better economy you can be certain yours is not doing very well!!
Send me your email and we will send you My Take on the coming Upturn.
Illegal immigrants going home
According to Mexican consulate officials in Dallas, some 400 immigrant families have told them so far this year that they’re going back to Mexico and asked for transfer documents to enroll their children in Mexican schools. Enrique Hubbard Urrea, Mexican consul general in Dallas, said it is impossible to track every Mexican who leaves the area. But he said the number asking for transfer documents at the consulate is on the rise.
In 2005, the consulate issued 162 such documents; in 2006 it was 199; and last year it was 270. At the current rate, more than twice as many people will leave this year as last, he said. “There is no doubt the trend indicates that the number is growing,” Mr. Hubbard said. And it isn’t happening only in Dallas. At the Mexican consulates in Chicago and Phoenix, too, the number of Mexican families applying for transfer documents for their children has increased.
L. Allan Austin
+1 407 682-3887
Era of Collaboration
The US election is just two weeks away. While the largest percentage of Americans is impassioned over this election with deep feelings for their preferred set of leaders I think it largely does not matter which set wins! Why? Read on…
We are entering an era of collaboration leaving the era of competition behind us and both sets of leaders are exceeding good at collaboration. This may surprise you as you think of all the fighting going on, of all the lipstick being slathered on the lips of pit bulls, and on and on it goes. Well we must stand back from campaign rhetoric and reflect on the actual track records and skills of the four leaders themselves.
Barack Obama is ridiculed for his role as a community organizer as if it is a job of little importance yet ask what does a community organizer really do and really accomplish. The answer is he brings very desperate groups together, people from all walks of life, people who have deep emotional and often conflicting views of each other, people who have not and cannot work together. A community organizer must have the facilitation skills and the leadership skills to cook this tumultuous brew into a fine bouillabaisse. One in which everyone can live and enjoy the resulting taste. Barack Obama has shown himself as gifted in these bringing people together skills which he brought into his legislative experiences both at the State and at the National level.
John McCain is depicted as a rant and rave political right wingnut who will take drastic and inappropriate action. A leader who will force feed the nation. His record in Congress shows the opposite he has brought divergent groups together and formed coalitions to make things work for everyone. He is seen often with his close friend and colleague Joe Lieberman one of the most liberal and most religious conservative members of Congress. His Vietnam experience is heralded and admired by all Americans and non Americans as well. He is a true national hero. Again we must look more deeply at his experience. In prison as a war criminal he learned dimensions of the collaboration process that most people rarely are challenged by and he came through five grueling years having not collaborated with the enemy but having learned how to ingeniously collaborate with his colleagues in prison.
The two presidents in waiting Joe Biden and Sarah Palin are both well experienced and accomplished collaborators. Just look at how well they are collaborating with their bosses. Binden’s Senate experience shows his strong and well exercised collaboration skills. Palin’s major and governor roles show she has brought people to the table and to resolution many many times.
My conclusion: What the country needs most in the coming years is collaboration to bring all Americans together to work together to collaborate together to create a new economic and political construct for our conjoint success. Also America needs to extend its collaboration platform globally. We have exported so much good and so much bad across this planet on our own with relatively little collaboration we should and I believe this to be true regardless of either set of leaders winning. We Americans collaboratively led will foster a world collaboration launching us into the Era of Collaboration.
NOTE: For a look at the dark side of each candidate
and for a view from far away see below.
Obama the Darkside
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZVw3no2A4]
McCain the darkside
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain
Election in Philippines
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/01/1464066.aspx
L. Allan Austin
+1 407 682-3887
US Elections
Now entering my 7th decade of life turning 61 this summer and I am witnessing something profoundly different in US elections: an entire cadre of great leaders regardless of party. McCain’s selection of a woman Governor and Obama’s selection of a deeply experienced, capable Washington insider with strong roots among the common folk of America neutralizes the spurious arguments from both sides on personalities and shifts the focus to issues:
Americans are being challenged to select their leaders based more on policy than politics. What’s most intriguing is whoever wins is NOT very important. Sure there are massive differences among the Democrats and Republicans on many issues.
Democrats want to help people directly while Republicans prefer to help people INdirectly.
Democrats want to retain a woman’s right to chose while Republicans want to secure the life of any potential child.
Republicans want to secure the right of any individual to possess weapons of all kinds perhaps NOT those of mass destruction but giving up even these is disappointing to some Republicans while Democrats want to increase the safety of people by limiting the types of weapons available.
Which side wins will have tremendous effect upon individuals of course and impact their rights and freedoms. These issues are all relatively inconsequential to a far more significant and profound transformation that ALL Americans are just starting to experience.
The important happening is both parties have a slate of candidates who are extremely capable leaders with vision and are capable of working with their opposition. Thus Americans are energized. This election has brought out millions and millions of normally lethargic and disinterested potential voters who are now eager to vote, to get involved, Regardless of which party wins the winning party will work with the other in a new way that we have never seen.
We are embarking on a new era of collaboration. We will be finding common ground. We will be creating new perspectives and we will reach new solutions to old problems as we also encounter new problems and new challenges we will recognize and tackle them rather than ignore or overlook them.
The result will be a newly energized America powered by its people much less encumbered from the usual negativity overlaid by their government and enthralled by a new group of leaders who actually know how and have committed to work together to build a better America. They will be helped by Americans who are becoming better themselves. Americans are being challenged, are being motivated to get beyond themselves to work together to build a better America for others first and then experience the resulting improvement in a better America for themselves.
America has often led the world by showing things are possible, by proving even some things thought to be impossible can be accomplished. Perhaps we are all going to witness in our lifetimes a transformation beyond our countries across the globe. We all know we live and operate in a global community we also know all communities are more focused on themselves and on their own issues and concerns. Perhaps this will change as well as the world becomes as giddy as we Americans are becoming today in what can be done when we embrace rather than fight each other, when we challenge rather than threaten each other, when we help and work together for a common good.
It is a most exciting time in America today and this excitement is growing into enchantment. One implication is for investors. Now is the time to explore making investments in the US. Many assets are at or nearing their lowest levels. The upturn is a year hence. Get ready. Get involved. Almost any well researched investment in the US today will do extremely well in the coming years. Of course you need to wait unit after the election and things settle down both the political and the economic turmoil is just too high right now.
I used a Buffalo Springfield song to open this missive. The point they were making is we need to stop what we are doing and find a new way forward. It is looking like today’s leadership actually is stopping politics as usual and we Americans are responding. We will be finding new ways forward led by the best leadership talent I have ever seen again regardless of which party you favor, and regardless of which party wins the world will be experiencing new fired up and enthralled hard working and collaborative Americans.
China. “watch out.” you have been on a roll we in America will be giving you a run for your success.
About Me
Allan Austin is a business and strategic development executive consultant. His latest challenge is making social media mainstream. The physicist, Neils Bohr said, “A mind stretched to new dimensions never snaps back.” Allan stretches minds. Read more...
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