Can you imagine Hillary Clinton in her car heading to the airport having left the Presidential debate with Donald Trump. This was one of the biggest moments in her whole life as it was his.
Many of the reviewers of the debate criticised her as she failed to land the killer blow over the comments he was caught making on his famous bus ride.
The truth was she couldn’t land the killer blow because of what her husband Bill got caught doing when he was President, which Donald correctly stated was one of the worst incidents ever for a US President!
Sitting in her car she knew it and of course Bill also sitting in the car knew it. What was she thinking, what did she say?
“Love you dear”
“Love you too”
Both Donald and Hillary are both caught in a horrible loop because of their past but at least in her case it wasn’t her who did the particular deed.
While it’s easy for all of us to stand in our glass houses we are being reminded of the valuable lesson that crazy stuff we might do today could easily bite us in the ass just when it matters most.
P.S. We don’t all talk like that in the locker room.
At the beginning of this year I was voted onto the Dublin Chamber of Commerce Council – it’s like a big management team for the organisation, which plays a role in setting the direction for it and overseeing how it is run.
The Council is made up of 30 elected members and each year 10 must resign to be replaced by another 10, which can include the members who have resigned.
To get voted onto the Council you must put yourself forward for election and gather enough votes from members to make the grade.
It’s a tough and humbling thing putting yourself in the firing line, out there to be judged but that’s what you do to become a member!
If you don’t put in the work you won’t be elected and this means punching in sufficient effort so that members will recognise you and put their faith in you.
To rise to the pinnacle of the organisation and become President is another ballgame altogether and is testament to the very clever and robust set of rules that have been put in place to ultimately protect the Chamber.
Presidential Process
If you wish to become President you must first become Deputy Vice President (Number 3) and to achieve this you must first be a Council member and you must be voted in by the other members.
The very clever organisation rules only allow council members who are on their 3rd year to be eligible – quite simply you must be around council for over two years ensuring that you serve your time learning the ropes.
The Deputy Vice President normally becomes Vice President the next year and then President.
By the time this person takes on the role they will have at least 5 years under their belt and they will be fully immersed in the workings of the Chamber – this is a superb system for protecting the running of the organisation that plays such a significant role in the business of our capital city.
Now compare this to the role of President of the United States, possibly the most powerful and influential position in the world!!
Up steps Donald Trump. a loudmouth. brash, uncouth, moneybags who has enough balls and bravado to run and convince a lot of people that he is actually a valid candidate.
Would Donald be prepared to first punch in three years of meetings and learning the ropes with his peers before being able to run?
Would he put himself forward to be judged by his peers who have witnessed him in action close up for at least 2 years?
Would he then hang around for another two years of valuable learning, soaking up the ways of the organisation and the skills required to identify and tackle the real issues?
Of course it is an acronym for “Make America Great Again” used for hashtag purposes by Donald Trump with his social media posts.
This phrase is that one thing, that tag line if you will, which his whole campaign is built around – it is that one message that he keeps pumping out over and over, in every speech and now in every social media post.
Functionally when he uses #MAGA or any hashtag it pops out at you as it appears in a different colour and when you click on it you will see a listing of all of the social media posts where that was used. This makes it easy to track all of the posts.
People are bewildered about the success of this brash, uncouth, abrasive and insulting man who is now dangerously within touching distance of being the “Leader of the Free World“.
How is this possible?
While it is unbelievable I have a simple theory that I think partly explains the Trump pheonomena.
Here goes …
In this fast paced internet age where we are being assaulted 24/7 by messages and news via many media platforms it is very difficult to focus one’s attention properly.
As a result our attention spans are tiny and if you have a message that you want people to grasp then you must have one simple, clear message that is memorable and used consistently over and over.
This can be really effective because most people do not have the time or the inclination to dig deeper, to do their own research and properly inform themselves of all the facts about issues that are important such as who becomes the next President of the United States.
This key message should become your tagline and if possible it should be capable of being used as a hashtag in your social media posts.
For example in the recent BREXIT campaign the ‘leave’ campaigners put out a consistent campaign about “getting our country back“.
This simple message was pumped out over and over resulting in a majority of voters opting for ‘leave‘. What was clear afterwards was that many of these voters admitted that they had no idea about the consequences of their vote.
The ‘stay’ campaign had no clarity about their message so they made it easy for the opposition.
A key learning for all of us in this ‘short attention span era‘ is that a simple clear message that connects with your audience used consistently will win.
The EU want to charge Apple for back taxes to the tune of €13 billion – Ireland are supposed to get this money and we are all in a flap because this is an unlawful challenge to our tax system so we are appealing!!
Of course the giant have made colossal money and their tax gurus have used every possible loophole and structure to avoid paying the taxes that we get clobbered with.
Is this right and moral? – this is a great question but Ireland has had this fantastic “anchor tenant” in our country, which has no doubt helped us to attract other high profile foreign tenants.
Pierre Moscovici, the EU commissioner for economic and financial affairs, has said the commission is “certain” its decision to charge Apple €13 billion in back taxes is legally valid and he went on to say “There will be no particular targets, and no particular indulgence. No one will escape. Nothing will stop this revolution of transparency.”
Pierre wants to start his own revolution!!
It’s all very strange timing from the EU coming on the heels of the Brexit vote – are they now walloping us for being so adamant and vocal about the importance of our relationship with the U.K.?
In the meantime our government aren’t taking this “attack” lying down as Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Finance Minister Michael Noonan have launched their own blistering attack on Europe over its ruling, accusing Brussels of using the scandal to create a “bridgehead” to target Ireland’s 12.5% corporation tax.
Our language got even stronger as they claimed the European Commission was “bullying” Ireland in the same way it did during the bailout.
The boxing gloves are well and truly on with the EU.
The Cabinet made a “unanimous” decision to appeal against the ruling but then the politicians started playing their usual games and two ministers undermined this stance when they said they still believe multinationals are not paying enough to the State. Doh!
It’s all very odd and confusing and it makes you wonder about the world we live in where the story of a genius company led by the true revolutionary, Steve Jobs comes crashing into the story of world politics and taxes or should we just say money.
These are very strange first world problems that other parts of the world would love to have right now..
This is the recent photograph of five-year-old Omran Daqneesha who was sitting dazed and bloodied in the back of an ambulance after surviving a regime airstrike in Aleppo, highlighting the desperation of the Syrian civil war.
We watched as the ‘leave‘ campaigners for Brexit celebrated their unexpected “win” – there was cockiness, arrogance and a big dose of “F##k You Europe” that was delivered with a huge lack of finesse and zero respect.
We heard the speeches in Europe and we listened to the laughing by the Brexiteers and we then heard European officials reacting to this with their own dose of bitterness and recrimination.
“If you want out, get out now”
On the ground non-UK residents working and living in the UK feel unwelcome in a place that many considered was their home and this hasn’t been helped by yobs who claim they “want them out“. Of course, not everyone is like this.
Stopping immigration was a big emotive message by the ‘leave‘ campaign and this effectively was directed at anyone living and working in the UK who is not from there and those who might consider living there in the future – a big penny dropped with young people from the UK that their ‘explore the world‘ ambitions have now been shackled by the consequences of the referendum.
Scotland are regretting their lack of independence and are passionately making noises about staying in Europe. Northern Ireland wants the same and it is clear that London certainly wants the same. Those from the UK living across Europe are wondering what their position is as they walk along their sandy beaches every day in Spain and beyond and contemplating how much further their income will drop due to currency changes.
When the results were analysed and the exit polls were conducted it was clear that the working class and the poor communities in the UK felt left behind and abandoned by politicians and big business and a way of registering this anger was by voting for a change and against the establishment.
Companies were dictating to their employees how they wanted them to vote (Nissan in Sunderland was a prime example) and once again this was an opportunity to deliver a big “F##k You” …I work for you but don’t you dare tell me what to do!! (the same happened in Ireland during the recent General Elections – is there a big trend?)
It now seems that many were quite unclear about what they were voting for and many of the ‘selling points‘ that were presented by the leave campaign were proven false and this has left a very poor taste in people’s mouths.
Sterling has weakened and stock markets have shuddered with colossal amounts being wiped off company values everywhere, which in turn will affect pension funds. Companies who operate in the UK are reconsidering their positions and already we are hearing that plans to expand have been cancelled. The big, bold and brave Richard Branson is claiming that he has cancelled a project in the UK that would have resulted in 1,000 jobs – not good!
The Irish aren’t happy because we do lots of business with the UK – will Europe allow small little Ireland special flexibility to deal with the UK? If they are in the angry mood that we are currently witnessing they are more likely to give the UK a kicking than a special deal. We are worried and angry about their questionable decision.
At a time when the UK needs strong leadership and stability we are seeing resignations, backstabbing and jockeying for position by those only too willing to enjoy the spoils of power as a result of this debacle.
The young, the old, people from the UK, Europeans working and living there, the Scots, Northern Ireland, the expats on sunny beaches, the Irish and the Europeans – everyone is angry!
At this time it is more important than ever that we stay calm, that we show respect, that our decision making and key next steps are all made with cool, clear heads.
Tony Blair in an article in the Daily Telegraph delivers a special message and a stark warning:
“Our nation is in peril. To allow us to come safely through this we need to be adult in our politics, to proceed with calm, maturity and without bitterness; because our future as a nation in the world and as the UK itself is at stake.”
He is right!
A second referendum might be a very good idea to ensure that this huge change of direction has been properly thought out and made with all of the information and a clear understanding of the consequences, which will be felt for a long time.
The EU also needs to take a good, long hard look in the mirror and figure out why a key partner and an important and influential global force such as the UK has decided to walk away – please listen and learn from this!
The EU must also be adult in their politics and act with “calm, maturity and without bitterness”
All parties in this complex mess need to do what is best and not what is motivated by anger and the quest for…
I bumped into a good buddy of mine, Pat Sweeney recently and we were exchanging various nuggets of wisdom (of course!) and he started chatting about some wise fella called Cicero, that he is very interested in and studies quite a bit.
Cicero used talk about six mistakes that mankind keeps making century after century. I was quite interested in what these mistakes were and when he was alive.
It turns out Marcus Tullius Cicero was 3rd January 106 BC and died on the 7th December 43 BC. He was a Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul, and constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order, and was widely considered to be one of Rome’s greatest orators and prose stylists.
He seems to have had an interesting life – following Julius Caesar’s death Cicero became an enemy of Mark Antony in the ensuing power struggle, attacking him in a series of speeches. He was proscribed as an enemy of the state by the Second Triumvirate and was consequently executed by soldiers operating on their behalf in 43 BC. His severed hands and head were then, as a final revenge of Mark Antony, displayed in the Roman Forum!
The six mistakes he spoke about were:
Believing that personal gain is made by crushing others
Worrying about things that cannot be changed or corrected
Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it
Refusing to set aside trivial preferences
Neglecting development and refinement of the mind
Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do
It’s that time again when we get the chance to shape how our country is run by either running for election or by choosing who we want to represent us in Dail Eireann.
Even though I am quite interested in politics and have been living in my area for many years I can honestly say that I don’t know the first thing about pretty much any of the candidates. All manner of literature has been pushed through the letter box (most of this has been quite generic) and election posters decorate the lamp posts on most routes and in the housing estates.
In less than a week I will be expected to cast my votes so between now and then I must make up my mind who I will give them to.
My wish list..
As a business person I will want a pro-business candidate and I do believe that high taxes are a huge demotivator so I will also look for a sensible reduction in taxes. I personally hate the water charges but I detest even more the cohort who are protesting against them.
I believe that everyone in society should be expected to work but that we should look after the elderly and the vulnerable. Finally we shouldn’t have a fear about getting sick in this fantastic country of ours.
Once the politics align with my core beliefs and I believe in the candidate then they have my vote.
I am interested in my own thought process towards the candidates and I have been observing the factors that are influencing my preferences:
Knowing the candidate – My first big observation as I note the different names appearing on the posters is that unlike other constituencies I know none of them except for one candidate!
I find it is incredible that none of the candidates except for one has interacted with me in any way before the election – all candidates are therefore relying 100% on their posters, flyers, canvassing, advertising and late PR to convince me.
Professionalism – My second observation is the obvious professionalism and budget that Renua have with their campaign. This is a pre requisite for any party. Their large posters were the first up in the area and there is a huge quantity of them. This would make me consider them a little but the only problem once again is that I have absolutely no idea who Jason Fitzgerald is.
Mickey Mouse – My third observation is how shocking some of the posters are. In my view poor candidate posters are a reflection of themselves and there is no way on earth you could even consider them as your representative.
Shirley Griffin stands out with her second phase of posters, which look like a bunch of kids did them and even worse was Jerry O’Sullivan who definitely won the first prize for amateur hour. Both of these candidates make it very easy for me to dismiss them totally.
Personal Bias – My fourth observation is the clear bias that I hold against certain parties and for that reason no poster, flyer or face to face canvass would sway my opinion in favour of them. This for me puts a line through any Sinn Fein, Anti Austerity, People Against Profit or Communist Party candidates.
Canvassing – My fifth observation is the power of canvassing. I found myself feeling quite positive towards a candidate I would not have considered beforehand due to the pleasant, coherent and polite manner of the person representing them. This surprised me as I always feel the candidate is the person you should meet.
Like many people I am very slow to open the door these days so I suspect this may not be as effective as it used be.
Party Performance – My sixth observation is the power of the TV debates and all the discussion before and after these. Not only do the media evaluate the performance of the parties in detail but it is also becomes a popular topic with people you deal with on an everyday basis.
A strong TV performance for a Party leader will quite possibly have you looking favorably on the local Party candidate who you have never heard of before and vice versa. While I disagree with the high taxation philosophy of the Social Democrats I believe Stephen Donnelly’s TV performances could sway votes for candidates around the country.
In our constituency there is no candidate so all his hard work is a waste this time round!
Social Media – My seventh observation was how invisible most of the candidates in our constituency were during the campaign and during the last few years. Guys…wake up!!!
This is a lot easier than shoe leather and attending endless funerals and is a very effective way of reaching large numbers of voters.
Nothing Changes – My eight and last observation (phew you say!) is that while everything has changed, in many ways nothing has changed and the job of chasing votes is pretty similar to how it always has been.
When I was a kid, I used live across the road from a school that was one of the polling stations. I remember vividly the excitement around voting day and the build up. We were fascinated by the colourful posters and I even remember bringing one home with me. On the day of the elections we used help the guys to hand out last minute flyers for the candidates – I’m sure we earned the odd chocolate bar for our extreme efforts.
Last week while walking “Honey” (the dog, who has since run away again for the third time!) late at night we came across a bunch of kids on their mid-term break who were marching around with an Aine Collins poster. They even stopped so we could photograph them with their favourite politician!
Nothing has changed..
As it turns outAine Collins, our Fine Gael TD is my favourite as well and she will be getting my No 1. Vote. She is the one that I have got to know quite well over the years and in my view is an intelligent, straight forward, honest, hard working politician who has made a big difference both locally and nationally on quite a number of issues.
She will be the first to admit that things aren’t perfect but I do trust her when she tells me she will try her best to improve them.
I sincerely believe that campaigning is a very tough, expensive and exhausting job and I would genuinely congratulate and thank all of the candidates for putting themselves forward and letting us judge them on the 26th February.
Before we give out about our politicians we must remember that we are the ones that vote for them and if we are not happy with the calibre of who is in front of us then we all have the option of running ourselves (next time!)
Stephen Donnelly of the Social Democrats did really well during the General Election Leaders Debate on RTE this week. He comes across as an articulate, intelligent and impressive individual and his performance was one of the things that many people were talking about after.
He won over some of the audience!
While he is very impressive it is very hard to buy into a manifesto that wants to keep taxation high and let the state use those funds. If I thought the public service was capable of spending this money wisely and efficiently there might be some merit in his arguments but this just isn’t the case.
Also this high personal taxation philosophy is a huge deterrent for human talent to work and live in Ireland. Sorry Stephen – people want to be able to enjoy the spoils of their labour and will move to more favourable regimes such as the UK to make that possible.
However, Stephen did impress..
My other half, Deirdre Waldron said as much on Twitter (I would consider her to have a lot of influential followers) and effectively she gave his performance a big ‘thumbs up‘ publicly. She wasn’t the only one who did this I noticed.
The Golden Opportunity
While this online endorsement is great for Stephen it leaves a huge ‘Opportunity‘ door wide open for him to walk through. Of course it’s up to him and his team to grab this opportunity.
What if he could do something really simple to grab this tangible goodwill and take it to a higher level?
What if he could do something really easy to take this positive feedback and convert it into a supporter or a fan even?
What if he could take a few little seconds and grab a simple chance to show an online audience that he is a really great and very popular guy?
What if he decides to do nothing?
Do does nothing ..
Dee is thinking …hmm, I said something complimentary and it wasn’t even acknowledged. That’s not very nice, I won’t do that again.
That positive impression has wilted a little
He likes the post..
Dee is thinking…hmm, It’s nice to see that he acknowledged the positive thing that I said. He is one of the good guys.
That positive impression has been reinforced and she might even repeat the positive posts about him in the future.
He engages with the post..
This is the ‘Holy Grail‘ of social media and it is the big prize, the gift, the one thing that is waiting there to be easily plucked from the tree.
Stephen tweets back: “thanks a million” or even better “thanks a million Dee, I appreciate the positive feedback” or even better again “thanks a million Dee, our campaign is really connecting with people”
Dee is thinking..hmm, this guy is the real deal, he would be a great person to have working for us in Dail Eireann. I’m going to follow him and listen carefully to all of his proposals and arguments and I might take his local candidates more seriously.
Now Stephen has won her over and one vote turns into two and so on..
Why is it not happening?
Maybe this very sharp and intelligent guy who is out there giving it everything, just doesn’t get this simple trick? Maybe he just doesn’t have the time? – I’m sure he doesn’t but he can surely get someone who understands his message intimately enough to assist him with his Twitter account.
These are easy wins for Stephen and so many of the other politicians who have positive momentum. If they are serious about getting each of those precious votes then grab the golden opportunities by jumping in – Acknowledge and Engage.
For the rest of us the argument is exactly the same with our online communications:
Saying the right thing at the right time is a huge skill.
The team need motivating, the meeting needs cooling, a big point needs to be made, a situation needs rescuing, a group needs convincing, the proposal needs selling ..whatever the situation its important to say the right thing and deliver it in a manner that connects with your audience and has the impact you desire.
Like every other skill it is something that we learn over time and sometimes for important things we might even need a little assistance!
We will never surrender
Imagine Winston Churchill making his speech in the House of Commons on the 4th June, 1940 with a country facing war and in serious trouble and the whole population fearful:
“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.
We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender”
Winston Churchill wrote most of his own speeches but drafts went through many hands. Some of the ideas for this speech apparently came from an American newspaper editor, William Simms.
I have a dream
Imagine Dr. Martin Luther King standing in front of 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th 1963 calling an end to racism in the United States:
“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”
Clarence Jones wrote some of Dr. Martin Luther King’s speeches with input from his advisor Wyatt Walker and of course the finishing touches applied by Dr. King. On this occasion Walker did not want there to be any reference to “I have a dream” as he felt it had been overused already by Dr.King in previous speeches.
Apparently Dr King when he felt his prepared speech wasn’t delivering the right impact he decided to abandon his written text and use his “I have a dream” speech. It worked!
Ask not..
Imagine a 43 year old John F Kennedy addressing the crowd in his inaugural, United States Presidential speech in 1961 trying to instil some national pride in it’s citizens:
“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”
Theodore Chaikin “Ted” Sorensen was President John F.Kennedy’s legendary speechwriter as well as his advisor and special counsel. President Kennedy once called him his “intellectual blood bank“.
Yes we can
Imagine another United States President, Barack Obama addressing a crowd in Dublin on May 23rd, 2011 when our country was battered and bruised after a number of torturous recession years with little sign of progress:
“Never has a nation so small inspired so much in another. Irish signatures are on our founding documents, Irish blood was spilled on our battlefields, Irish sweat built our great cities. Our spirit is eternally refreshed by Irish stories and Irish song, our public life by the humour and heart and dedication of servants with names like Kennedy and Reagan, O’Neill and Moynihan”
“This little country, that inspires the biggest things, your best days are still ahead. Our greatest triumphs, in America and Ireland alike, are still to come. And Ireland, if anyone ever says otherwise, if anybody ever tells you that your problems are too big, or your challenges are too great, that we can’t do something, that we shouldn’t even try, think about all we’ve done together. Think about whatever hardships the winter may bring, spring-time’s always just around the corner.
And if they keep on arguing with you, just respond with a simple creed: Is feidir linn. Yes we can. Yes we can. Is feidir linn.”
I watched that speech in our office with the team and I felt it gave everyone in the country an important lift (as well as the Queen’s visit a few weeks previous).
Jonathan E. “Jon” Favreau was the Director of Speechwriting for President Barack Obama who is quite adept at writing his own speeches. In his second term in office he changed to Cody Keenan, who Obama refers to as “Hemingway”, writing in a much more grounded style than the lofty grandiose style of Favreau.
“Yes we can” was the stand out element or ‘tag line’ of Obama’s famous speeches and this nearly never made it as Barack Obama thought it was too “corny” and he had to be persuaded by his wife Michelle to use it!
When it came to ‘saying the right thing‘ even all of these brilliant individuals needed help from someone..
We were up against the ropes after taking a fierce pummelling.
It felt like there was no mercy as blow after blow landed and we were dizzy, weak and confused, nearly ready to give up and the heavy punches kept landing. Please stop ..
USC tax, narrowing of tax bands, disposable income crumbling, banks seizing up on lending and pressurising without mercy, NAMA just as merciless and then we had the property tax. Our trusted charities seemed to be an incredible gravy train with political appointments and despicable salaries with zero accountability.
Just as a glimmer of sunshine started to appear out through our swollen eyes a Kango hammer was digging outside our doors installing meters to measure how much water we were using so we could be charged at whatever rate they decided – no one knew.
This was very different, this was outside my front door and all of a sudden you touched a raw nerve. The installer cut up the footpath and never repaired it and when we called him he was very very smart saying it was always like that and he could prove it because he had a picture from Google Earth ..I’ll give him Google Earth where the sun doesn’t shine!
If there was a leak they would fix it but after that it was my problem, if we didn’t pay our water would be restricted to a trickle, if we didn’t register there would be fines, no one knew how much the water would cost but we did know there were bonuses for staff (for what?!!), they wanted our PPS numbers and the bunch running the fiasco called Irish Water were made up largely of political and very unsuitable and incompetent appointees.
Blow after blow each punch hammered us.
They crunched down hard on that raw nerve without mercy and we could feel that anger rising. Even though we were totally exhausted, beaten to a pulp, eyes nearly shut and ready to fall down an inner strength rose from deep inside us and we managed to stand up and lift our tired arms and throw a punch.
To our surprise it connected …bang.
All of a sudden he was not so solid on his feet and we felt some of his superiority and power draining from him and shifting into our arms and legs… we were not beaten.
We thew another punch and another and each of them landed…bang, smack and he was suddenly reeling, dizzy against the ropes.
Will we show him the same degree of mercy that he showed us? Bang ..didn’t think so.
The government are now reeling after the fiasco of Irish Water, taking blow after blow. The rules of the game are changing by the day; the charges are being reduced, we won’t have to give PPS numbers, no one’s water will be reduced to a trickle and anyone who can’t afford it will not be pursued and then we have the apologies..
“I didn’t mean that” “That was a mistake” “We handled it badly”.
Up against the ropes and waiting for the knockout blow the government is trying everything to escape the wave of punches but they keep coming despite all attempts to call an end to this brutal fight.
When we were up against the ropes there was very little mercy and those painful lessons aren’t easily forgotten. So before you start to recover and find your feet again …BANG.
These water protests won’t stop anytime soon regardless of what changes are made.
The activists know they have the government on the ropes and they won’t let up.
While its easy for us to join in as we have all felt those heavy blows, its really important that we are sure who these activists are and make sure that we don’t get a new fighter in the ring who is bigger, uglier, meaner and even more merciless than the one we feel we are fighting right now.