No fucking wonder AIG needed to be bailed out. Oh. My. God. The incompetence. Now I can't speak about all the fancy financial maneuvering AIG did to land itself in the pit of destitution that rendered it dependent on the largess of the United States government, IOW you and me.
But I'm a business woman. A self employed business woman. I crawl in and out of businesses, big and small, every day, and have for decades. And let me tell you, I've learned A LOT about things that have nothing to do with what I'm selling.
So. I'd like to take politics out of the discussion for a minute. Just shove aside the vision of all those AIG fat cats in their ultra expensive resort, running up the bill, AFTER they were bailed out. And you can't blame the media for not covering it. It was covered all right. I remember it. And Rachel Maddow covered it again last night. But I digress, we're supposed to be putting that aside. Not easy, but go with me on this.
Here are my business without politics questions for AIG:
1. Do you have a PR department?
I know, it would seem a silly question to a company as ginormous as your are. Of course you have a PR department. So let's assume that.
2. Does your PR department ever communicate with your advertising department?
OK, here all assumptions are off. Because there is NO evidence that your PR department communicates with your advertising department. I say this because AIG has recently been running MILLIONS and MILLIONS of dollars of advertising with their "Thank you America Campaign."
And yet, when the shit hits the fan---AIG Board members have to meet to discuss whether they'll join a former employee in a suit against the United States of America, to boo hoo about the bad deal that saved their ass and allowed their top tiers to cavort in that expensive resort---your company seems caught completely flat footed. WHY?
NO EXCUSE FOR THIS. I've seen smaller companies act in more proactive and smart ways to save their reputation. What? You didn't know this was coming? You thought no one would pay attention?
3. Exactly how dumb do you think we are, AIG? Your arrogance is overwhelming. So today you say, no, we're not going to join the suit, but helloooooooooooooo, bubba, the damage is done.
And exactly how did you cleverly manage to squander millions on that fake sugar "Thank you, America" campaign at exactly the same time the biggest story of the day was that your company was considering suing America for its SUCCESSFUL effort to fucking bail you out?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?
Because hey Jack, we don't care much that you said nah, I don't think we'll be doing that. Because you just squandered millions on an ad campaign that looks as real as Liberace about now. Because what, you're that FREAKING STUPID?
Why couldn't you, AIG, get ahead of this story? Do you not have billions at your disposal? Do you not occupy many floors on some sky scraper somewhere---which come to think about it may be the problem when it comes to your PR department talking to your advertising department talking to THE HEADS OF YOUR COMPANY. All that elevator action just too hard to go through.
Frankly, this is a cluster fuck of incompetence. As I began my diary with, I end my diary with. NO WONDER WE HAD TO BAIL YOUR SORRY ASS OUT!
EPILOGUE:
These are our "Captains of America?" Our "job creators?" Those we're supposed to believe will make America and us strong again? And that's why they're worth their insanely unfair tax breaks?
Why does America worship everything big? Why don't we see that these Octopus companies are so big they are like a clumsy lumbering giant whose right hand punches him in the eye while his left hand scratches an irrelevant itch on his butt?
I asked y'all to separate this from politics, because IMO, AIG is a MASSIVE marketing, PR, communications failure. I asked you to separate it from politics, to look upon this company as a big business. A big business that is a FAIL in so many ways that smaller, scruffier, tougher businesses in American manage to avoid every day.
ANY company in America today that despite its billions in profits, can't figure out how to NOT LOOK LIKE A FLAMING DOUCHE BAG, is kind of like that giant whose body has outgrown his brain.