Presidential Debate: We Expect Lies
In the lead up to the US elections, many of us are eagerly watching the presidential debates.
What’s fascinating is, after the debates, the fact checkers have to tells us whether the speaker was dominantly telling the truth or lying.
Is it just me, or isn’t there something wrong when we don’t even flinch when they lie, and we have come to expect it?
Authentic Leadership requires that we have transparency….even about national history! Maybe most especially on Columbus day
Of course when we are in it, it’s not history because we have no objectivity. But when it has past and all the evidence is in, we must at least then face the truth.
The second weekend of October every year American’s celebrate Columbus day… However, don’t you think it’s about time we took a an honest look at what we were celebrating?
Just for a moment, come with me as we time travel two hundred years into the future…
Isn't Columbus day the day we celebrate genocide?
Imagine that we arrive in the country of Germany, it’s a national holiday, a day of celebration. It’s “Hitler day” holiday weekend. A national celebration of the man Adolf Hitler.
The people of the future are celebrating that this man was the forefather of their great nation and of course, no one mentions the genocide that was directed by him and carried out in his name.
Just take a breath, and you can imagine your own outrage?
So tell me, how is that different than celebrating Columbus day?
Christopher Columbus, and the men under his command pillaged, and murdered. Columbus was himself was not only a slave trader, he was one of the forefathers of child sex slavery. (Before you get upset with me, thinking that I am pissing on an American holiday I would suggest that you check your history folks)
That being said; human beings are masterful at justifying absolutely anything. Everyone of us can think back with at least a little shame about something we have participated in (or just supported) that we now recognize as wrong, unjust or even cruel.
I have spoken of this before, but when I was a kid, one of the things I loved about American’s was that they spoke out.
They stood up against injustice. I saw the American people as truth tellers. I realize that may have been my own personal illusion. However, I still believe that if a country and it’s people are going to be great we must be just that: Truth tellers.
So here’s my question to you: Why do so many American’s (and particularly American leaders) feel that it’s un-American to speak the truth, particularly about American history?
Below I am sharing a video with you from a great historian Howard Zinn who passed away in 2010.
Please watch this short video and tell me: Do you think it’s un-American to speak the truth about American history?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuLLUFXQKEY&feature=share[/youtube]
I trust that you found this valuable, if so feel free to send this to your friends. I eagerly anticipate your feedback and comments. Please “like,” “share”, and comment below!
With gratitude,
Dõv Baron Speaks internationally on leadership in the new economy. He is the Leading expert on Authentic Leadership and is the world’s Only Corporate Cultural Strategist.
He is also a bestselling author, and Executive producer and host of The wildly popular internationally broadcast Accidental Guru Show featuring those at the cutting edge of leadership.
As an Elite Mind Strategist he specializes in the Psychology of High Performance Leadership and can move you and your organization from where you are to where you want to be at hyper speed.
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American leaders generally don’t want to be wrong or change the system too drastically!!Who wants to be wrong? They have great interest in maintenance! Dov I am glad for your critical opinions. And hope you may continue to voice them in social, public settings. If there is enough attention given to issues over time, the criticisms can be seen for what they are and be apart of how culture is viewed. Also, the criticisms cannot be utalized to the extent by anti West supporters to the degree they are used when they are not being recognized!!
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