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There's something very peculiar about Newark NJ Mayor Cory Booker. It appears, at least according to his Twitter feed, that he's taking the Tony Robbins approach to politics.
Check out the following tweets:
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Althsuler
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 11, 2012
Believe in yourself / Know you can soar / Listen to what they say about you / But know you are more
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 10, 2012
Student says " I am very discouraged. What should I do?" Master says, "encourage others." Zen Proverb
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 8, 2012
“Compassion is a verb.” Thich Nhat Hanh
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 6, 2012
Tweets, like those shown above, seem to be peppered in his feed on a daily basis.
Now...is there something inherently wrong in spreading some motivational quips? Of course not.
The problem, in this case, is the source. Booker is not a private citizen (like Tony Robbins) who has to use persuasion in order to succeed and make his imprint. Booker didn't take the persuasion route. He, sadly, took the government force route.
Back in the day, people didn't kid themselves on what government was:
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force." - George WashingtonSo when Booker tweets a quote that talks about how "you're the pilot", he simultaneously has his hand in your pocket (if you live in Newark). So, in essence, "you're the pilot" to the degree that Booker allows you to be the pilot. Whatever he leaves, when he takes his hand out, is your ration. Sadly, since government is not a one-time crook, like a mugger, his hand never comes out.
The very famous Chief Justice John Marshall, who did enormous damage himself, didn't mince words:
"The power to tax is the power to destroy."In other words, while Booker's Twitter feed contains Zen Proverbs, he simultaneously destroys with the power of taxation. That's the nature of government.
The motivational quotes are equivalent to the cherry flavor added to cod liver oil that Booker jams down your throat.
As of right now, Booker is taxing and destroying on a relatively small scale. But the mainstream mouthpieces are calling him a rising star.
Perhaps someday, he will tax and destroy as a Senator of NJ. And who knows? If he's great at squeezing the iron fist, he may be a candidate for Emperor of the Earth, with the ability to pick the pockets of 300 million Americans.
Can you imagine how "compassionate" Booker can be at that point?
So the Tony Robbins routine, with motivational quotes, must be taken as just that: a routine....as entertainment.
Americans love bread and circuses, so I'm not surprised that it works.
My suggestion, if you need some motivation?
Drop this...
“By changing nothing, nothing changes.” Tony Robbins
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 7, 2012
...and follow the real thing: @TonyRobbins.
If you don't like Tony Robbins, you're free to never associate with him as long as you live....And there's no way that he could force you to do so.
I'm offended you would relate cod liver oil (tastes OK but really good for you) with a greasy NJ politician (tastes terrible, bad for your health).
ReplyDeleteExcellent as always, Chris.
ReplyDeleteThat $100 million donation from Mark Zuckerberg was flushed down the toilet a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteI live in NJ (I believe Chris does too), and as an alumnus of Rutgers, I've long watched the circus of the proposal to merge Rutgers, UMDNJ, and(now) Rowan at taxpayer expense. UMDNJ is nearly $500 million in debt.
Rutgers new president Robert Barchi claims tuition will not go up as a result of the merger, but layoffs may occur at both schools. (I'd count on both; what a tragedy that Rutgers did not remain private, but long ago accepted land grants from the federal government under the Morrill Act of 1862) Christie signed this merger into law in August. It seems to be the office of governor's wet dream. That and Hurricane Sandy.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/rutgers_boards_approve_umdnj_m.html
Here's a "surprise": Rutgers merger to cost more than expected.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/cost_estimates_of_rutgers_merg.html
Booker is going to run for the senate in 2014.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/11/booker-could-win-senate-seat.html
Slimeball that he is, he's still an upgrade over Lousenberg.