So I urge you as quickly as you possibly can: Get the hell out of Brussels.
Go back to your countries, and stay away from here as much as is humanly possible. Because Brussels, those of you who know the Star Wars Trilogy, this is the evil empire. The Berlaymont is the Death Star, where any hint of innovation is left at the door as you walk in to meet with bureaucrats and politicians, who you can always tell when they’re telling lies because their lips are moving.
h/t LC Bennett
….and now you know the rest of the story…..
Is the rest of that conference on video at Youtube?
That was most refreshing,to hear from a true innovator,who called the EU just what it is, the death of innovation and entrpreneurship.
When I was watching this (and laughing), I thought, hey, this guy is better than most of the comedians on CBC. Is there any possibility he could take over This Hour Has 22 minutes for a few seasons and, while there, advise the Mother Corp on how to cut costs and provide better customer service?? He even sounds like a Newfie so no-one will realize he’s Irish. Besides, Rex Murphy – the lone conservative voice, would probably enjoy some company.
I liked it when they took audience reaction shots. There was a few nodders and laughers but most were either in shock, a bit angry or possibly in a half-drunken stupor after a three martini breakfast/lunch/supper.
Brilliant!
I was most struck by his remark about Ryan Air people having had no background in airlines. BINGO.
I can say without reservation that the early success of my own business 30+ years ago was the direct result of my partner and I doing things you weren’t supposed to be able to do because we didn’t know you weren’t supposed to be able to do them! And that included certain grey regulatory requirements we felt it best not to explore, and which, when they became an issue years later, were WAIVED!
For this reason, I have little patience with people, including many commenters here, who, for example, rule out a presidential candidate like Michele Bachmann because of her lack of administrative experience. True, Obama had no administrative experience, but the unfolding disaster is due to his wholly bankrupt marxist ideology not his lack of administrative experience.
me no dhimmi – I rule out Michelle Bachmann, not merely because of her lack of administrative experience – and I believe that is an important factor – but because of her emotional impulsiveness (vaccines cause autism); her irrelevant credentials (23 foster children); and her endless self-references rather than dealing with issues.
With regard to administrative experience, the issue is one of accountability for one’s decisions – something that neither Bachmann nor Obama ever dealt with – and a capacity for constructive rather than destructive negotiation.
With regard to innovation – regulations restrict its emergence into practical results, but there’s a lot of intellectual innovation in Belgium.
O’leary epitomizes entrepreneurial spirit and exposes what is feared most by large rent-seeking organizations, a laisez-faire competitive environment lacking in regulations brought on or rationalized by uncompetitive (usually unionized) businesses.
Ryanair’s business model seems similar to that of West-jet and Southwest. Unfortunately, they do not appear to fly to North America.
“since the Wright Brothers first flew in 1912…”
Really? 1912 eh? No smarter than his wannabe masters…
ET
One of the things I like about Bachmann is that little bit of craziness. Her “self-references” are a tool for staying on message rather than getting caught up like Newt and to a lessor extent, Romney who has taken all sides on all issues over time.
You seem to prefer the big government manager type who’s background is growing an established business or melding within a leviathan government. Having been a politician, I know the easiest thing in the world to do is to spend and grow. The next POTUS’ job (assuming the republic is to survive) is to slash, sell, cut and sign-off on unpopular legislation. Bachmann takes the high road on that front.
As Mark Steyn recently put it: “To be sexist about it, President Bachmann at her best would be another Thatcher and at her worst another Merkel — and Chancellor Merkel currently presides over the least worst Western economy. What’s not to like? Go, Michele!”
john chittick – could you provide some evidence to substantiate your conclusion that I prefer the big government management type? Thanks in advance.
As I’ve said repeatedly – I like Perry, the inarticulate, but the one who insists on reducing the size and scope of government. And I’ve long supported Harper for the same reason, and for his decentralization and focus on private enterprise.
I don’t see the logic in your statement that Bachmann’s endless self-references are a ‘tool for staying on message’. Why does one need such an egoistic tool? Why not just focus on the issue rather than herself?
And what’s the function of her constant reminders to us of her ’23 foster children’? Are Americans to consider that they would be, if she were POTUS, her 330 million foster children?
I agree – it’s the easiest thing in the world, as a politician, to use other peoples’ money for whatever specious vote-buying agenda one can dream up. But Bachmann doesn’t convince me that she has the capacity to move her rhetoric of smaller govt into reality. She remains, in my view, someone confined to words.
As for sexism – I’m afraid I couldn’t care less about her gender – and I hope you didn’t add that paragraph to suggest that being against Bachmann is a form of sexism. That would be as ignoble a claim as the oft-repeated one that being against Obama is a form of racism.
Love it. One gigantic slap across the socialist EU face.
ET / Innovation / Bachmann
First off, ET, a hearty thanks for your “TV Muffins” (which you feel like throwing at Bachmann when she mentions those foster children). I find myself frequently chuckling over this innovative (see how brilliant I am at staying on topic!) phrase.
I do feel Bachmann over-emphasizes the foster children tho it speaks to her good character — her loving character. And under-emphasizes her work on edcuational reform in Minn. including her founding of a charter school (which school, for the record, I wouldn’t necessarily want to send my children to). Sarah Palin also brought her family into her campaign, which on the one hand is tacky but on the other hand speaks to her good loving character.
YES, the “vaccine causes autism” was nutty and regrettable but not that germane for me. What I really like about her is her toughness AND her URGENCY — her repeated warnings about the absolute necessity of repealing ALL of Obamacare, not just the “bad bits” as per Romney. Be clear: if it’s not repealed in the next 2-3 years it stays — FOREVER.
Staying on the topic of innovation: one of the tragic outcomes of gubment health care is the inevitable staunching of innovation.
More on innovation: Newt is innovative too but only in a wacky wonky way. As Steyn pointed out, his website has the word “solutions” in it. Solutions to imagined problems, no doubt.
Here’s an innovative idea for gubment: reduce thyself by half stay the hell out of the way.
ET
I temporarily mistook you for a Romney or Gingrich supporter. My apologies.
As for the tool of staying on message, when you don’t want to say any more on the question, you stick to a message that you want out there rather than bend to a viewpoint presupposed by the question. It may be frustrating to the audience perhaps but safer than throwing out drivel. Do you think that EGO and a run at the job of POTUS are somehow separable?
As for the foster kids, it affirms a character trait in keeping with the paradigm of altruism, appealing to her Christian base and or fecundancy in general.
As for sexism, you bet it is an issue. We all witnessed the first black POTUS as a draw for a significant number of votes. On a presidential ticket there would likely be a couple of points from that (first female POTUS) alone. I included Steyn’s quote for ammunition (he also supported Perry as a potential nominee) not an inference about ET and sexism.
Perry would be an acceptable POTUS as well. Sexism just might give Bachmann an edge?
Personally, I would prefer a Ron Paul or Gary Johnson outcome but the US isn’t quite there yet, though closer than Canada.
I’ve met Harper and I like him but he has a tough job when his conservative government is structurally out-polled unless he acts as a liberal or relies tenuously on the currently fractured majority leftist opposition. He’s thankfully given the trinkets to his base (long gun registry, Kyoto, CWB). Lets see where he goes from here.
John Chittick – thanks for your comments.
I totally reject Ron Paul, for his ignorance of foreign affairs and of the ME in particular. His utterly stupid – that’s the only word for it – assumption that the ME unrest is due to ‘US interference’ betrays..well, what can I say – it’s stupid and ignorant. He sure doesn’t know a thing about tribalism, economics and population constraints!
I’m not a fan of Romney or Gingrich but either one is better than Obama. There’s a lot of talent in the GOP – from Ryan, Cantor, Christie, Rubio, Jindal, West..etc…so, if Romney gets the nomination, and selects a VP from some of this set – I think it will be a positive step.
me no dhimmi – my view of Bachmann and her ‘urgency’ is more that it is a form of hysteria. It bothers me. I’d like firmness and clarity – which I see in Perry, Rubio, Ryan, Cantor etc…and they have the same sense of urgency, but without that overtone of borderline hysteria.
Firmness and clarity:
Absolutely, adamantly (hysterically?) against raising the debt limit. Period.
Absolutely, adamantly (hysterically?) dedicated to 100% repeal of Obama Care. Not just the “bad bits”.
Absolutely, adamantly (hysterically?) against the Caine 9-9-9 plan: about the proposed sales tax she urged that this “pipeline” not be put in place. She recognized the danger of this new pipeline into peoples’ pockets.
BTW, ET, did you know that Milton Friedman was the originator of the idea of income taxes being deducted at source from paycheques. Now there’s a pipeline that has enabled gubment’s cancerous growth.
I actually laughed out loud.
What a great speech
Are all accepted wisdoms just as f###ed up as he’s proven the conventional wisdom on airline management is?
How deep is the night of the dark ages we inhabit?
Its men with vision like this not bureaucrats or banks that could save Europe or America. The regulators covering their “contributing established Companies ” back sides which is killing industry.
The bribe givers have held back civilization in the name of corporate monopoly.
This is most cool.
Free enterprise hammering on the bureaucracy of the socialists.
“The first thing you have to remember today is to get the heell (sic) out of Brussels, as quickly as you can or any streak of innovation and intelligence will be beaten out of you….”
Ain’t that the truth.
Wonder if the eurocrats will make him disappear.
MND, just remember one thing. The US debt mountain is so large now that it will grow even if it achieves a balanced operating budget. The US is the only nation in the world without a VAT, and it’s going to have to implement one if it’s ever to get its finances under control. Under Obama, the US is heading over a fiscal cliff, and I have yet to see from any Republican a serious and realistic plan to get the US finances under control under a credible timeframe. All I’ve heard so far from all of them is generalities.
I would remind you all of Bill Clinton’s election-winning slogam, “It’s about the economy, stupid.” Talking about orphans and isolationism is just a waste of time.
What we look for in candidates is the same as in job interviews, and I’ve done a few in my time. What we’re looking for is the reason to chuck out their application. With her vaccines-cause-autism, Bachman just ran herself out of contention. You can’t have a President with this idiotic a view of science and technology. And as for Paul, you can’t have a President with this idiotic a view of world affairs and the United States’ role in it.
Two down, who’s next?