Proactively “From the Sea”; an agent of change leveraging the littoral best practices for a paradigm breaking six-sigma best business case to synergize a consistent design in the global commons, rightsizing the core values supporting our mission statement via the 5-vector model through cultural diversity.
In a similar way the climate change fanatics think that little changes in what the USA does with its hyper-modern coal plants will somehow make up for the rest of the planet's dirty coal, wood, fuel oil, and animal dung burning billions - and in doing so just advertise their ignorance as to the nature and scale of the rest of the planet - so do we find such blinkered localism among the American diversity industry's cadres. Yes, as we are told over and over again; our racist, sexist, homophobic, and generally evil culture needs to be destroyed so it can be like the unicorn riding tolerance of the rest of the world ... Ummmm ... yea. How about that Latin American multi-culti glory?
Mexico coach Miguel Herrera downplayed a homophobic chant that Mexican fans hurl at opposing goalkeepers during matches, arguing that it’s just a “folksy” part of the game, and is not being used in discriminatory fashion.
Herrera told Mexico’s Radio Red on Friday that fans who chant the word “puto” during Mexico games are not attempting to offend homosexuals.
“This is something that’s used to pressure the opposing team’s goalie…it’s something that we’re not really worried about,” Herrera said from Mexico’s training camp in Brazil.
... but wait, that other evil of Amerikkka is coming ... cultural imperialism!
However some soccer commentators in Mexico have argued that the chant reflects discriminatory attitudes towards homosexuals which are prevalent in Mexican society. They have suggested that the Mexican Soccer Federation launch a campaign that would encourage fans to stop using the homophobic slur.
Mexico’s National Commission to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED) also weighed in on the debate earlier this week, issuing a scathing statement against the use of this chant, and urging FIFA to take actions to stop fans from using it.
OK, that machismo may be hard to work through - but it is good to see that nice Anglo-Saxon tradition of growing inclusiveness is getting some traction south of the border. In living memory in my glorious South, we had a few not-so-nice "folksy" ways ... we modernized and made them no longer proper in polite company. I think this Latin "folksy" habit may need to go - though the 13-yr old Sal in my brain does think it is funny. At least they don't sound racist ... wait ...
When Sanchez started viewing the games on Univision he was surprised at what he heard from the Spanish-speaking commenters.
“Most recently was a characterization related to an Afro-Costa Rican player describing him not by his last name but by the color of skin, calling him ‘moreno,’” said Sanchez.
Sanchez noticed other charged words like "greña" being used by broadcasters.
“Greña really means messy hair but some individuals think of it as referring to African American hair and also describing it as ‘nappy’ hair,” said Sanchez.
Sanchez posted his linguistic concerns on Facebook and received many, many replies from other American Latinos like himself who were offended by the language being used by sportscasters.
“When English language leaning Latinos watch Spanish language programming there’s a culture clash that occurs because the kind of social progress that we live in, in our mainstream world doesn’t always seem to be reflected in programming that is not English language programming,” said Sanchez.
Outside of the US, these cultural slurs and epithets are not necessarily seen in the same light in other parts of the Spanish-speaking says Sanchez.
Yes, some heads are exploding. This is delicious to me;
That doesn’t mean that Sanchez wants to water down the commentary or make it bland. He tuned in to Univision for the Spanish language style of calling a game, a style that is evocative and full energy.
So, if I may roughly translate the Spanish in a rough way with words-that-should-not-be-put-down, any day now we can hear a shrug from the cultural commissariat as thousands of Philadelphia Eagle fans scream, "F@GGOT!" at every extra point,as the color commenters in the booth - no pun intended - talk about the nappy-haired darkies in the secondary? No. Some in my ancestral lands in Mississippi had ways of speaking about their neighbors in, "... a style that is evocative and full energy." Would Sanchez defend them? I hope not. Wrong is wrong. It doesn't matter if you roll your r's or not; its wrong. Yea to USA - we have come a long way in the right direction. Of course, those who have travelled through the world with open ears and eyes have known for quite awhile what most of the world it like. Though we Americans still have work to do - next time some diversity bully starts to bleat about how difficult things are here - speak up for your nation. We're OK. They need to get out more.
When does schmaltz hide substance? When has good thinking become too socialized, chopped through too many stakeholders, overstaffed to the point there is nothing to grab hold of? If you put yourself out there in front of some of your best officers, there are a few things to keep in mind; 1. Don't over-promise and under-deliver, 2. Your audience has finely tuned BS meter, and 3. Don't let your talking points get out of phase with what you are actually bringing to the discussion. As most of you know, we about to see the roll out of the latest version of our maritime strategy. Rumbles and rumors are starting to come out. Today we have a guest post anon to you, but not to me. A report from the front lines. The CNO has asked for a "crowd sourced" discussion. I don't think he is using that phrase right, but I know what he means. Well, I think he is going to get it. The best thing for our nation and its navy is the creative friction only an open, critical, enthusiastic, and sharp elbowed discussion will bring out. When it hits the street, I plan to look at it as an invitation, not a solution. As our author outlines ... perhaps it is best to keep your expectations low and your powder dry. Shipmate, over to you.
It’s been thirty years since Clara Peller uttered the now well-known phrase “Where’s the beef?” Having just attended the Naval War College’s Current Strategy Forum, I’m left asking the same question. What was touted as an opportunity for the CNO to roll out his updated version of Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Sea Power (CS21) came and went with many asking another question: Did I miss something?
Admiral Greenert delivered an engaging and upbeat message addressing the importance of an “all hands on deck” effort to review and reexamine CS21. Suggesting that nobody has been seriously thinking about maritime strategy for the past few years, CNO took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and announced that now is the time to get down to work. Unfortunately, getting down to work will prove difficult, because ADM Greenert chose not to share any of his CS21 updates with the hundreds of mid-grade and senior officers in attendance. Perhaps in keeping with his statement, “if you talk about it openly, you cross the line and unnecessarily antagonize,” he instead chose to assemble a small group of hand-selected officers for a late afternoon roundtable discussion. An attendee described the focus group as a perfunctory “check in the block” where the only topic discussed was the PowerPoint outline of what the strategy brief might look like – not the actual strategy.
Admiral Greenert kicked off the symposium by stating, “Everyone – from junior, mid, and senior officers, to scholars, civilians, and retirees – owns a piece of this [strategy].” The problem is that not “everyone” was provided the requisite material to get to work. Why? Is it so heavily classified that it could not be discussed in an open forum? If that is the case, it would stand in stark contrast from previous strategies. Further, if our governing maritime strategy is too sensitive to discuss openly, is it really focused at the strategic level, or have we again mistaken tactics for strategy? Has the CNO grown self conscious of, or as he stated, overly concerned with unnecessarily antagonizing the Chinese? If that is the case, the CNO might have been wise to cancel the entire Current Strategy Forum, since while much of what was discussed during the two-day symposium was enlightening, the overwhelming theme was one of PRC/US alarmism. Does the CNO not really desire an open, “crowd-sourced” discussion (as he suggested)? If that is true, one must ask why he went to such lengths imploring the audience to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Or, is it the case that there are no appreciable changes to the Navy’s grand maritime strategy, and that this version so closely mirrors each previous edition as to be indistinguishable from them, save for new platforms (read: LC$ and J$F procurement). This seems to be the most likely answer. After all, maritime strategy (and military strategy writ large) hasn’t actually been about strategy in a long time.
This bit of the tail wagging the dog is particularly concerning as we sail towards a horizon clouded with fiscal uncertainty. Previous versions of CS21 told us what we were expected to accomplish and to what effect, but came up short of explaining how, and certainly didn’t have an eye toward sequestration. The 2014 rebranding gave the CNO an opportunity to provide an increasingly skeptical Congress (as well as the country in general) reasonably specific objectives and justifications for the funding he’s requested, without trespassing the line of “unnecessarily antagonizing” the Chinese. In choosing to punt, the CNO leaves the door open for us to wonder whether we need LCS and JSF to execute our strategy, or if we’re writing a strategy to justify LCS and JSF.
The author is a carrier aviator and student at the Naval War College. He does not believe Navy leadership fosters an environment such that junior and midgrade officers can write critically, yet respectfully of their seniors.
UPDATE: Solid additional thoughts by SteelJawScribe. Check 'em out.
OK, the Polish Foreign Minister speaks the rough truth in 2014, and only one party gains from it. Guess who?
Using vulgar language and expletives, Sikorski argued that the Polish-U.S. alliance could alienate two key neighbors of Poland, Russia and Germany.
“The Polish-American alliance isn’t worth anything. It is even harmful because it creates a false sense of security for Poland,” the person said. “(We are) suckers, total suckers. The problem in Poland is that we have shallow pride and low self-esteem.”
While the alleged Sikorski comments do not reveal any illegal actions, if confirmed, they would likely put Poland’s top diplomat on the defensive. The prime minister’s office said Tusk was likely to address the issue Monday.
Sounds like he was having a Salamanderesque moment of grumpyness where you say things that you feel in the back of your mind in private just to get them out of your system ... but would never want to be public. Well, you live in a tough neighborhood Sikorski. Why do I think Russia? First of all, they never pass up a chance to troll the Europeans, and more to the point;
Sikorski has been an outspoken critic of the Kremlin and has strongly criticized Russian actions in neighboring Ukraine this year. In the past he was a strong supporter of the United States.
But he has become more critical of Washington in recent years, especially after President Barack Obama’s attempted “reset” of ties with Russia in 2009 and the subsequent scaling-down of the U.S. missile defense plan for Poland and other parts of eastern Europe. Amid recent violence in Ukraine, Sikorski has been calling for a substantial U.S. troop presence on Polish soil.
He has also been widely mentioned as a possible successor to Catherine Ashton as the EU’s foreign policy chief. Poland officially put him forward as a candidate last month.
Have you reached scandal overload yet? Do you find yourself reading and hearing things that make you feel bad - not bad because what you hear is disturbing, disappointing, or bring you to anger - but makes you feel bad because you find yourself just shrugging and moving on? Well, I had it this weekend, and I'm still not all that pleased with myself. I quickly rose to an appropriate snit when SECNAV decided to play industrial planner with the Navy's money and time with his Great Green Foolishness, so seeing a military organization playing climate change and green industry games should at least get a rise out of me, one would think. With the latest scandal at the VA that led to General Shinseki's rather inglorious departure still fresh in the air - this seems sure to be tailor made for outrage, methinks.
VA facilities have become littered with every scheme to banish carbon dioxide short of requiring visitors to hold their breath. Calverton National Cemetery spent $742,034 on solar panels. Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery spent $787,308. Not to be out-greened, the Riverside National Cemetery spent $1.3 million on its solar system.
At the Phoenix VA Health Care System, where 20 Americans died from incompetence and cover-up, the department spent $20 million putting solar panels on the hospital roofs. That would have been more than enough money to provide the veterans with the health care they deserved.
It didn't though. Not a first. It isn't just me. The more I read, the more I realized that it isn't the 2014 parade of Executive Branch scandals that made me numb ... no ... this diversion of VA funds from veterans healthcare to pet projects whose only health benefit seems to be the inner-fuzzies bureaucrats feel spending other peoples money, is not new at all - it is just part of the all-pervading funk. From 2010;
"Solar power is a natural fit for our home state. This installation offers a tremendous opportunity for Arizona, and acts as a model for the rest of America. It is becoming more and more evident that solar addresses some of the largest challenges we currently face, and SAVAHCS is proactively addressing these issues"
- Gabrielle Giffords, Former Arizona Congresswoman
Follow that link above as well as the final link in this post, and look at all the money they have spent installing solar panels at the very locations where the Death Watch Waiting Lists were. Behold the cold crassness of it all. The unmitigated audacity of gall. We let them get away with it. We were/are numb to the opportunity cost of it all. The VA sure wasn't trying to hide it. No one ever asked the hard questions, so why should they?
The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded nearly $78 million in contracts to build solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in support of ongoing energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced. "With these investments in clean energy and other renewable energy projects for our medical centers and clinics, we are marching forward with the President's initiative to 'green' the Federal government," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said. "The benefits of using solar power are significant, from our reduced utility bills to the quality of the air we breathe. This initiative is good for Veterans and good for our environment," Shinseki said.
How many veterans have died while waiting for care since 2010? How many referrals to specialists would $78 million buy?
As many as 40 veterans had died while waiting for care and 1,715 veterans in the Phoenix VA Health Care System had waited more than 90 days for an appointment. A retired Navy serviceman died of bladder cancer after being put on a 7-month waiting list after blood was found in his urine. He finally received an appointment a week after his death.
...from 2009 to 2011, the Phoenix VA Health Care System put in solar panels. The solar panels at the Carl T. Hayden VA in Phoenix cost $20 million.
...
At some South Texas facilities vets had to wait 85 days for a primary care appointment and 55 days for a mental health appointment with “a worst-in-the-nation, 145-day average wait for new patients seeking specialist care.”
One of the vets waiting for a mental health appointment, who suffered from waiting list cheating, committed suicide.
Meanwhile the South Texas Veterans Health Care System installed a 1.7 MW solar PV system.
...
Hawaii has the longest waiting list for veterans with an average of 145 days for an appointment at the Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical Center.
Meanwhile it was spending between $1 and $2 million on a 119 KW Solar PV System.
There is more, read it all if you need to. No wait; read it all. I don't think anyone at the VA thinks this is an issue. For the love of Pete ... look at the pic at the top of the post. Packed waiting room of beaten down and exhausted people (probably being forced to watch AFN PSAs or MSNBC). Only one person being helped. Sad, and almost Soviet in its visuals, yet ... that is the pic used by the VA itself in a "good news story." You can't make this stuff up. Are leaders incapable of self-reflection? Are the watchdogs incapable of critical thought? Are those of us who served just accepting of being a lesser priority in someone else's political ambitions and financial gain? There is more than death here - there is pain. How many people suffered with exceptional pain unnecessarily while waiting? For the last month, I have been dealing with an exceptionally painful health issue that for the first few days was, well, hard to describe. For those who have been there, you know what I mean. It is the kind of pain that makes everything else but breathing of secondary importance. When my thick skull and stubborn ego decided things were only getting worse, I immediately went to a highly recommended specialist. The first thing the doctor asked me was, "You aren't Tricare Prime are you?" I replied, "No, standard." He exhaled and said, "Good. You have to ask them for permission for everything. Here's what we need to do ...." and I was off and running on a path that has made great progress. I asked him what if I had to rely on the VA. He grimaced and said, "Well, you wouldn't be here and you would be in pain for a very long time." I can't even imagine. That is me just thinking selfishly and personalizing this, but humor me for a bit.
What I can imagine is what would have happened if I were in the VA system. Call it self-referential, but right after those who died on lists, what comes to mind when I think of being in the VA system is the thought of me where I was a few weeks ago, then driving long distance to sit in a chair for hours upon hours upon hours to see anyone who could help with the pain, and perhaps days until I could see a specialist - if I were lucky. That didn't happen to me. I just drove three miles down a road to a specialists who I picked. The more I think of it, the more insane is the $78 million taken away from health care just so someone could make a PPT slide so the boss could prove to the President that the VA is,
"...marching forward with the President's initiative to 'green' the Federal government,..."
Mission Statement
To fulfill President Lincoln's promise “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans.
Core Values
VA’s five core values underscore the obligations inherent in VA’s mission: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence. The core values define “who we are,” our culture, and how we care for Veterans and eligible beneficiaries. Our values are more than just words – they affect outcomes in our daily interactions with Veterans and eligible beneficiaries and with each other. Taking the first letter of each word—Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence—creates a powerful acronym, “I CARE,” that reminds each VA employee of the importance of their role in this Department. These core values come together as five promises we make as individuals and as an organization to those we serve. Integrity: Act with high moral principle. Adhere to the highest professional standards. Maintain the trust and confidence of all with whom I engage. Commitment: Work diligently to serve Veterans and other beneficiaries. Be driven by an earnest belief in VA’s mission. Fulfill my individual responsibilities and organizational responsibilities. Advocacy: Be truly Veteran-centric by identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing the interests of Veterans and other beneficiaries. Respect: Treat all those I serve and with whom I work with dignity and respect. Show respect to earn it. Excellence: Strive for the highest quality and continuous improvement. Be thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for my actions, willing to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.
I can't speak for others, but maybe it took awhile for it to bother me simply because I expect to be disappointed with the VA. I expect anything involving the Federal Govt to be unfocused and wasteful. Maybe given my experience with the VA, I just wasn't shocked enough to be shocked. This should not stand, should it? Should I just shrug and move along when over $78 million is spent on vanity projects while those who served their nation die waiting to see a doctor, or cannot sleep for days on end from pain they cannot get help with? Well - at least we have yoga. If you have not seen enough, behold the lack of focus, and cry the beloved country. UPDATE: CNN's Drew Griffin has a great report. His advice is spot on. Additionally, I would add that action is required by Congress as well. Until they change the personnel rules are changes to allow management to hire and fire as is done in the private sector, the larger problems will not be fixed.
From the USA, Europe, Russia, to the South China Sea, nations continue to signal where their priories are by what type of fleet they are building. What capabilities are they expanding, and what capabilities are they letting drift away? To discuss this and more for the full hour this Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern will be returning guest Eric Wertheim. Eric is a defense consultant, columnist and author specializing in naval and maritime issues. He was named to the helm of the internationally acknowledged, one volume Naval Institute reference Combat Fleets of the World in 2002 - in 2013 published in its 16th Edition.
Join us live if you can with the usual suspects in the chat room and offer up your questions for our guest, but if you miss the show you can always listen to the archive at blogtalkradio.
