Why nobody should ever aspire to be in politics in 1000 words or less

I just finished reading “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” (Yeah, I know… I am a little behind the times) It is an insightful look at the way human relationships work. I also have found that over the last half a year or so I have used some of the habits he discusses without realizing it. This gives me hope that he is on the right track with his philosophy. In that it is inherit to natural human tendencies. I also found it interesting that some of the topics he covers have roots in other books and writings I have read. He would be discussing a topic and it would tie in neatly with a teaching out of Confucius’ “The Doctrine of the Mean” or something from “Tao Te Ching” or another thing would relate well with the content in “Bhagavad Gita.” In short, I found the book to be inspiring and insightful. I would recommend it to anybody who is trying to work on honing their plan for their life and working on being an all around better human being.

This brings me to my observation of the day. I was watching Tim Geithner get grilled by the TARP Oversight Committee today. I was also thinking about what I learned in the book. One thing really stood out in the hearing today. These people in the government have no concept of how to civilly work with each other to reach a positive outcome. Habit 5 in the book is “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.” The concept is that you need to first understand what a person is trying to deal with before you can give them advice or direction. This isn’t just parroting what they are telling you. It is taking the time to objectively hear what they have to say and to truly understand their meaning and goals.

This was the exact opposite of what I saw in the hearing today. These committee members asked Tim to come to the hill to explain what is going on at the treasury with regards to TARP. It would seem that they would want to hear what he has to say and to try to learn some things so that they can provide better oversight. Instead the 5 committee members spend the first TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES giving their opening statements. Then it is Tim’s turn to speak. About FIVE MINUTES into his presentation, Elizabeth Warren starts really pressuring him to wrap up. Huh? Excuse me? Why is he here? I found it just stunning. It also makes me really question what the role of this committee really is. If this is the method they are going to pursue to provide oversight to one of the biggest spending plans in the history of earth, I think we are all in for a really bad ride. They have no interest in first trying to understand the treasury’s position. They just want to grandstand and hold a court of public opinion. You would think that somebody who went to Harvard would have a little more insight into the inner workings of human relationships and how to achieve things.

It really did not get any better. Damon Silvers from the AFL-CIO (why in the hell is the AFL-CIO on a TARP oversight board? I could see UAW since they are the second most funded group in the TARP, but, not AFL-CIO. I guess the new administration has to pay back the people that put them there somehow.) started to question Geithner and he proceeds to call him a banker. There was a long back and forth as Damon tried to figure out just what Geithner does or has done all his life. What is really sad, the answer is: He has been in public service all his life. Why somebody on a congressional oversight committee cannot figure out what the person they brought to speak to them does is beyond me. Although it does take me back to that same hearing on the hill I spoke of in my last posting. That committee was overseeing US activity in the newly independent states that broke away from Russia. At one point a member had them turn around the map of the area so he could figure out which country was which. Ugh. If you were going to be serving on a committee for your country’s government to deal exclusively with a small area of the world, wouldn’t you take FIVE MINTUES to look at a map in your down time and try to learn where the countries are? God forbid you actually go further and learn a little bit about the people in those lands and where they came from. But, I am asking this of the same people who cannot figure out what the Treasury Secretary of the United States did or does for a living.

Oh well. I need to go do more productive things than to rant about something that is waaaaayyyy out of my sphere of influence. All I ask is that we as human beings try to take a few minutes each day to understand one another. I know I sure need to take a long sit-down and try to figure out these members of congress and these committee people. *sigh*