[December 2, 2019] I’ve been sitting on a few ideas lately that haven’t developed into full articles but I wanted to put them out for feedback. I’m focusing today on leadership that falls short of commonsense and, well, some folks just call those failures by the slang term “screw-ups.”
The Girl Scouts of America remind us why they are failing young girls. About a week ago, the Girl Scouts tweeted out a “Reminder: She doesn’t owe anyone a hug. Not even at the holidays.” I’m no prude but this is the wrong lesson. What are they really saying? Frankly, I’m not sure, so I will provide a little conjecture. They are saying, I believe, that young girls own their bodies and no one should tell them how to act. This is not feminism but a radical form of anti-male ideology that has slowly crept into the Girl Scouts. Of course, this is not the way social humans act. Girl Scouts of America, you have again failed us.
https://twitter.com/girlscouts/status/1198996029368082432
U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman shows his insubordination. Anyone who has spent any amount of time in the U.S. military knows that LTC Vindman’s career is toast. The reasons are simple. First, he defied the executive branch’s delineated chain of command. Second, Vindman testified that US PresidentTrump’s actions regarding the Ukraine were unconstitutional; the fact is, however, Vindman was wrong (they teach this in the Officer Basic Course). Third, Vindman bypassed his boss and went directly to Democratic politicians and testified in uniform about his personal judgments regarding Trump. Fourth, Vindman’s boss saw him as unreliable and had questionable judgment; thus not keeping Vindman informated. My conclusion is that Vindman’s insubordination is obvious and he should be immediately punished for it.
https://nypost.com/2019/11/19/alexander-vindman-condemned-himself-in-his-impeachment-testimony/
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s concentration camps exposed. Even by the carefully crafted image of China by its leader President Xi, a huge document dump has exposed the truth about Concentration Camps in this communist nation. But it’s more than that, it is now known that China is using these camps to “reeducate” Muslims and other undesirables plus using their free labor to help bolster the Chinese economy. It is interesting what the U.S. National Basketball Association leadership has to say about this since they recently knuckled under to China over a recent dustup on comments about the Hong Kong democracy movement.
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- Clearing the Spindle: Foreign Affairs – https://www.theleadermaker.com/clearing-the-spindle-foreign-affairs/
- Clearing the Spindle: a Year of Insults – https://www.theleadermaker.com/clearing-the-spindle-a-year-of-insults/
- Clearing the Spindle: Leader Morality – https://www.theleadermaker.com/clearing-the-spindle-leader-morality/
- Clearing the Spindle: the Leaders – https://www.theleadermaker.com/clearing-spindle-leaders/
- Clearing the Spindle: Politics – https://www.theleadermaker.com/clearing-spindle-politics/
- Clearing the Spindle: Morality – https://www.theleadermaker.com/clearing-spindle-morality/
I could comment on all three of these but others have done so. I like the way this is laid out and wish you would do more as a regular feature. Like maybe, do these on a Friday or such. Thanks, Gen. Satterfield for another worthy blog post.
General Satterfield should be commended for another great article for our Monday morning start to the week. Could you make this “clearing the spindle” a regular feature? Thanks.
I hope so too but so much to do and so little time and space to do it. Like anything, I believe Gen. Satterfield will do his best for us.
It is not easy being a good leader, much less a great leader. China’s Pres Xi is going about it the easy way – suppression and enslavement. Those are the oldest methods of controlling humans and it works. The girl scouts are devolving into tribalism, partly as a consequence of their own policies that drive families away. And, those are the things that shows leadership is complex and requires audacious action to succeed.
Spot-on comment. I’ll now be following what happens in both China and Iran a little more closely now.
We should all be more aware of what happens in the world. It’s a great way to learn how NOT to do things.
Of the three items in Gen. Satterfield’s spindle list, the China story is most significant. There is a major movement in China that has now been exposed to the world and I don’t just mean the concentration camps. They have been suppressing their people for a very long time; generations. If you don’t comply, death.
China has a population of 1.38 billion people. That’s no small matter and the ranges of various ethnic groups constantly causes them problems. That is largely why so many millions died in the 20th century and why the communist ideology expanded.
Wesley, I do believe you are correct. But, as normal, Americans are oblivious to what’s happening on the world stage. They lack the basic education of foreign affairs and what does and does not work. That’s part of their deteriorating formal educ system.
Another sad fact.
Just another example of what a failing educational system has in store for us. Making kids LESS RESILIENT and LESS ABLE to THINK. That’s the result and we will not be in good shape for it.
? Good comment, Len.
Lt Colonel Vindman has thrown his oath of office in the trash.
Here is the Officer oath: https://www.army.mil/values/officers.html
I ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
Reject it at your peril. Sadly, Vindman has put a black mark on the United States Army officer corps.
What about boys that self-identify as girls. Will the Girl Scouts allow them in? That’s one way to increase their numbers.
To say that I’m disappointed in the Girl Scouts, is an understatement. They were taken over, at the highest levels, by radical feminists and its showing now. They are terrible at giving girls what they want and especially what they need. That explains, in part, why so many girls are going to the Boy Scouts (another story with BSA leadership).
I can understand why girls are going to the boy scouts and this tweet by the twits in the girl scouts is certainly just one example of egregious behavior that runs counter to our basic values in America. SHame on the girl scout leaders.
How very sad to see such a great organization that has done so much good for so many young girls, to be taken over by ideologically driven nincompoops.
I couldn’t agree more, Linux Man. Values matter. The girl scouts are rejecting basic moral values that have proven effective and substituting their own anti-man agenda in its place.
The girl scouts have been losing membership for a long time. The feminists running the show are as radical now as ever. In fact, perhaps more so. My understanding is that they also want to promote transgenderism now. How do you explain that?
Boot that Vindman out now. He should not be using his personal politics of hatred for the U.S. president to act in a way counter to his duties.
Army Lt Col Vindman is a typical radical leftist. How he got that far in the US military boggles my mind. How you can get to that rank and not know the basics of US constitutional government is simply inexplicable.
My view is that he should not just be stripped of his rank and booted out but he should first be sent to prison at Fort Leavenworth for some time and then dishonorably discharged. That will send a clear message that insubordination is unacceptable. I guess if his commander gave him an order in combat, that Vindman would first see if he agreed with it before obeying.
I agree. The US Army must make an example out of someone who flaunts their rules.
Well said, Tom. You don’t have to be politically neutral or not say what you want but you can’t let it interfere with your job or insubordinate. Col Vindman failed on both counts. How did he get there in the first place? Weak army leaders, that’s how.
So true. Thanks Tom for a refreshing view.