What's going on?! In a senate hearing exploring the role Goldman Sachs played in the financial meltdown-- specifically in playing both sides of toxic mortgage deals--senators in yesterday's session hurled expletives and foul words at the firm's executives on the hot seat.
Senator Carl Levin was the most offensive, repeating the words "sh***ty deal" numerous times, echoing words used in emails by at least one Goldman Sachs executive.
On today's New York Times' front page, that report of barnyard talk in the US Senate was not the only tale of unprofessional conduct in a reputed-to-be-august government body. In the Ukraine, yesterday's session of Parliament turning into a fist fight brawl, with people throwing smoke bombs and eggs at one another in an argument about whether or not to extend the Russian's use of a naval base on Ukraine soil.
Ukraine aside, it surprises lots of folks when our most allowed halls of government are reduced to locker room talk. A friend on his way to Hong Kong today told me of sitting next to a German on his flight into New York from Miami this morning. The German was appalled as he read reports in the paper of the US Senate hearing, saying "I thought we'd never hear this kind of talk coming from America's government."
I remember long ago my father telling me "You can tell when you're winning an argument when your opponent resorts to foul language. It means he's run out of logical things to say."
Hmmm. I'm no fan of Goldman Sachs these days and can understand why their shady activities in the sub-prime mortgage debacle infuriate people. But I like to think the people we elect to our Senate have speaking skills sufficiently good to be able to hold their own in a Senate hearing, especially when the facts seem to be on their side, without having to resort to words that used to be punished by having one's mouth washed out with soap.
Let's put basic debate skills back into our high school curricula.
Gentlemen and Ladies...puh-leeze watch your language! Otherwise you could be mistaken for the losers in the argument.
Author of I is for Intercourse: The ABC's of Conversation, Susan Bird is the visionary behind Wf360, and a sought-after speaker around the world for her views on leadership, the strategic importance of conversation, entrepreneurship, and the role of women business leaders.
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