Starbucks Financial, A break for The Underdog

"Hi, and welcome to Starbucks. What can I get started for you?"

"Ahhmm, I'd like a grande extra shot americano with some steamed soy, please... And, a Small Business loan."

"Perfect I'll just get that made up for you."

Starbucks an, international coffee house, organization that has long been on the receiving end of harsh criticism for killing local small coffee shops launched on Nov.1, 2011 a program to help encourage local small businesses. 

"Create Jobs For USA,"is an initiative to raise funds to help American small businesses. Through this program Starbucks is engaging is vertical integration, however the integration is not focused on the revenue potential of interest rate profits, and loan calculations. Instead the integration is community driven, the cause is designed to increase American employment.

The Starbucks loan program,  is utilizing the wristband marketing tactic first made popular by Lance Armstrong. The company will is selling wristbands, colored in red, white, and blue, for $5. Each bracelet is inspired by, and made in, the United States. Each bracelet will be inscribed with the word "indivisible," alluding to a proud sense of patriotism. 

The proceeds raised from the bracelet sales will go to the Opportunity Finance Network. A non-profit organization that supports community development financial institutions that lend money at a low interest premium. Starbucks has already gifted the non profit 5 million dollars in 2011. Starbucks financial, is a community centric program.

 Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks, personally has chosen to make a political statement in which he has refused to give political campaign contribution until governments solves the debt crisis. The governments inaction has allowed Shultz the opportunity to help his fellow Americans. Through which Shultz is supporting the greater country, not the party.  

Shultz is taking a stand; against the mass kool-aid consumption the media has fed us on political matters. A countries success relies on the imagination and innovation belonging to the people. Ideas should be encouraged and dreams should be crafted into achievable goals. I think Shultz is  acting responsibly and making it feasable for fellow americans to reach for a hand up in the present hard economy. Through this program Shultz is inspiring hope and demonstrating true characteristics of strong leader. 

Props. 

The Ides of March

"I am not a christian, nor am I atheist. I am not Muslim, What I believe in, is the constitution of the United States. Don't vote for me because..." The opening lines of the Ides Of March, at first voice make no sense. The image of the speaker; and the enthusiasm behind the words don't correlate. The first repetition of the speech, made personable by the "Governor,"sounds familiar. Like the gentle haunting of yesterdays ghosts. 

In 2008, hope inspired the nation. We dreamt of a JFK revival, of a future bright with homeland growth. We fell privy to three basic appeals of argumentation, pathos, ethics, and logos.  In 2008 the country was on the verge or perhaps diving deep into a recessions. We so wanted hoped, and we were willing to find it eyes wide in naivety. In 2008 our ethics had already taken a beating. We as a society were confused, from Gore's inconvenient truth too W. The world was moving and happening around us but our politicians seemed intent to keep us blind. The logic of the argument and our infatuation with change makes perfect sense. We needed to believe.

Instinctually,  We are drawn to strong speakers graced with innate charismatic tendencies. We seek a strong leader in outwards imaging, perhaps because of our own secret fear to lead. 

The Ides of March, is a movie to watch. The script begs for you attention, and your active mental participation. George Clooney directs and stars in the movie as a young unknown governor, Mike Morris, who is on the rise to political stardom. His Campaign trail is decorated with Obey posters and flashy young staff. The movie simply focuses on the democratic donkey playing an internal game of pin the tail on the donkey, and the dangerous interactions/consequences of the game.  The movie is set in a time surrounding the race of the democratic party leadership. If you read into the subtleties of the set and script a very current political picture is painted. One where a solid, publicly tired candidate is played and beat by a flashy no named governor, and his gen y staff. 

Clooney is the mask of a perfect politician. He can speak; his words melt judgments; just as his looks make knees week. His sheer physicality is a manipulation of  all arguments pathos. Clooney is a smart man, a liberal man, who has taken a stance politically with The Ides Of March. I believe in the principles behind the democratic party, backed by a more fiscal conservatism. I believe in hope, and I believe in patriotism. What I do not believe in is the purposeful manipulation of my hope or that of anyone elses hope.  Nor, do I wish my respect for national sovereignty questioned and compromised. 

The human mind is flawed only because of our optimism, just as it is only poisoned by our own personal greed. The animals from George Orwell's, Animal Farm were no better off with the Pigs in charge of the farm than they were with the Humans. Only a certain type of personality craves the power of leadership, the position of Party Leader, and the fringe benefits associated with the position. Regardless of our own personal believe systems, at the end of the day the two point meet at a pole. Where a farm house may mark the neutral ground. On the side of the barn, there will be text that will read: 

"All Animals are equal, but some are more equal than other."