[August 27, 2019] One of the easiest ways to learn how to be a better leader is to study how ‘not’ to be a leader. Great leaders are those who bring people together for a good cause and unite, uplift, and focus our lives. U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts shows us how not to do this with her recent claim that white police officers “murdered” an unarmed black man named Michael Brown. This is simple moral cowardice.
I’m not sure of her reasoning, but it appears her primary motivation is pandering for votes. The technique is the disparaging of law enforcement. I bring this to the attention of readers because what she wrote about the Michael Brown incident is not just cowardice but it is also wrong. There can be no excuse for Warren’s lie. The lie is not harmless, it’s not unintentional, and it’s not simple pandering; it has an effect that could be tragic.1 The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association took notice and sent a warning to Warren.
“Your reckless tweet will only serve to create hatred towards Police Officers and place them in danger of more assaults and perhaps death.” – Hamilton Police Chief Russell Stevens, president of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association
If this act of moral cowardice were atypical of her, I would not have highlighted the incident of her behavior. Sadly, she has made several other claims that are ridiculous. For example, she spends her time on the campaign trail denigrating the United States, “white male privilege,” and anyone who does not agree with her.
Putting aside her ancestry – she has no American Indian blood despite earlier claims – she has used whatever victim status has suited her best for any particular job. These are not the traits of a great leader or one of particular inspiration. True leaders tell the truth, even when it is inconvenient. I wrote about this in an earlier article (see link here).
I also label her behavior moral cowardice because she has no desire to understand and explain to the public what happened in the Michael Brown incident. She also has no concern about the consequences of her “fact-free” and inflammatory rhetoric. Her reasoning is to obtain votes but does so at the cost of social divisiveness and increasing risks to the lives of police officers.
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This whole ‘dust-up’ about politicians lying is perhaps overblown. We all know they do it. We all know that is not what we base our decision to vote on. We should, however (and in my opinion), make decisions about our leaders on those characteristics/traits that best define us.
I don’t think lying is acceptable. Just my thinking but when you lie, you consciously break the socially-agreed upon bonds that tie us together. E. Warren is showing us that lying is acceptable. That in itself is a huge problem.
One of the more crucial points of leadership is to never lie, cheat, or steal. Any one who believes the end justifies the ends, will never be a great leader.
I certainly would never vote for a person who cannot tell reality from fiction.
Me too. I cannot believe that she would represent the ‘best’ in women; a lying, pompous, self-centered, nincompoop.
I will never forget what she wrote on Twitter. It is immortalized in stone at this point. Pres Trump will hammer her mercilessly because of her blunder.
Unbelievable. Does she think we will forget her lies and great distortions of reality? Does she think we are stupid and will overlook such debasement? I find it incredible that a person like this could be so close to being elected as a US President. Good comment, Dennis.
I am most interested to see what NEW things Warren can come up with to please her far far leftists in her party. Every day is a new outlandish remark.
Well written and to the point. This is an article that I will be passing along to my family. You see, it is important to call out cowardice when you see it. Do not lie to yourself because if you do, this is the kind of thing that will be seen for what it is …. moral cowardice. How do you later take it back when proven wrong. E. Warren will have some hard times in the future when she says things like this.
How can Warren recover from such a stupid comment?
Not her first stupid comment that is easily checked for accuracy. And, she claims that us pres trump is a liar. What a load of crock!
She cannot recover from it. That is why she must be more and more extreme every day. That is why people only focus on what she is doing now.
I agree that the first step for people like her is to stop lying to yourself. Eventually you begin to believe your own propaganda. It is so easy and yet so deadly to believe the garbage you spoke for the low-level uneducated voter. Elizabeth Warren believes her own lies. That is what is so sad.
Excellent comments on a nasty, morally blind person.
This is the kind of hard-hitting article that I like to read. To the point and pulls out those things that destroy leadership. I hope you continue to do an analysis (via a leadership perspective) of the USA presidential campaign. Take on pres. Donald Trump too so as to show what things he does that also destroys his leadership.
Exactly what I was going to write. Much appreciated Tomas. I too would wish to read more articles like this one form Gen. Satterfield.
Well said Tomas. I liked the blog posting also. Too many leaders ignore what cowardice will do to themselves but more important, they ignore what it will do to others.
Elizabeth Warren worries me that she might actually implement some of the things she says on the campaign trail. The US will become a totally different place where your gender and race determine the job you get. Hard work and staying out of trouble with the law will be meaningless. It’s all about identity (in born) and nothing about achievement. This is really scary. The result will be the downfall of the United States.
Scary prediction, Lynn.
Gen. Satterfield, I know you usually avoid political topics and I do appreciate you jumping onto this topic due to its obvious import. Keep delivering on these type of leader issues. We enjoy the facts, the entertainment, and the poking of leaders who step outside the realm of real leadership.
Jelly, great to hear from you again. Where did you disappear to?
Yes, Mr. Bryce, we all are looking to reading your next article. Please get in contact with Gen. Satterfield and give us another view of the inside of your ‘3-letter’ organization.
Jelly, thank you for the comment and welcome back to the fold. I look forward to your next article. Call me any time.
I’m one of your biggest fans. I hope to see another blog post by you soonest.
Thanks Mr. Bryce. Great comment.
I was a registered, regular voting Democrat until about a year ago. I actually started to look into what they had to say and what their action showed me. Their stance on abortion makes no sense whatsoever – other than it being based on selfishness and a progressive ideology (grounded in neo-Marxist thinking). What would I want to support an ideology that killed over 100 million people in the 20th century? I don’t and I won’t.
Elizabeth Warren (EW) will deny she is a Marxist (because the label will cause her grief in her presidential campaign). But she is a Marxist; once you boil off all the extra rhetoric that she spouts. She’s a true Marxist in her heart and she has made this clear to me. She will never get my vote.
EW, the panderer-in-chief. Ha Ha !
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Most women will vote for her simply because she is a woman. That is the pure definition of sexism but it’s okay if it is one-sided for women. /sarc off
I’m afraid she will deny what she is. The first thing a person like this does is to learn to lie to themselves. That is why you can never have an argument based on logic with them.
For a very long time, I liked E. Warren but as of late she is turning me off with all her pandering for votes. It’s like she will say anything that will get her votes without a hint of what the long-term impact will be.
Good point, Walter. I too liked what she had to say and then she went nuts. Running to any extreme political position, like she has done, is bad for society. It is the meaning of ‘divisiveness.’
Bernie Sanders too. And now he wants to “save journalism.” From what?
https://www.cjr.org/opinion/bernie-sanders-media-silicon-valley.php
They are all crazy except for sleepy Joe and he is just senile.
This is so sad. But what is more sad is that so many people love her for what she says. It shows how far we have fallen as a society.
I don’t find it sad at all. I find it encouraging that those who would destroy the values of our great society would be so ignorant of the real world and stupidly go down the path of pandering, self-importance, and say anything to any body.
No sad, stupid!
Just tell us what you think of her. I do believe you will find most “real leaders” don’t appreciate her because she is divisive and dismissive. Her lying only adds to her list of bad character traits. The fact that she has gotten so far with it, amazes me.