The pause that enrages
Powerline
Posted by Scott
The Columbia Spectator has stopped publishing until next fall, so we are unable to verify or supplement the report of reader Wes Martin, Columbia MBA 2005. Martin wrote us late last night:
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At yesterday's recognition ceremony for newly minted Columbia Business School MBAs, we had the president/CFO of PepsiCo as our distinguished guest speaker. After beginning her speech with words of praise and recognition for the graduates and their families, Ms. Indra Nooyi began to make the political statement du jour.
After talking of her childhood back in India, Ms. Nooyi began to compare the world and its five major continents (excl. Antarctica and Australia) to the human hand.
First was Africa - the pinky finger - small and somewhat insignificant but when hurt, the entire hand hurt with it. Next was Asia - the thumb - strong and powerful, yearning to become a bigger player on the world stage. Third was Europe - the index finger - pointing the way. Fourth was South America - the ring finger - the finger which symbolizes love and sensualness.
Finally, the US (not Canada mind you) - yes, you guessed it - the middle finger. She then launched into a diatribe about how the US is seen as the middle finger to the rest of the world. The rest of the world sees us as an overbearing, insensitive and disrespectful nation that gives the middle finger to the rest of the world. According to Ms. Nooyi, we cause the other finger nations to cower under our presence. But it is our responsibility, she continues, to change the current state of world opinion of the US. It is our responsibility to make the other fingers rise in unison with us as we move forward. She then goes on to give a personal anecdote about some disrespectful US business women in an Asian country and how that is typical of Americans overseas. No talk of what the US has done for the world throughout its history. No discussion about the ills that have been cured and the rights that have been wronged by the US. Just how wrong we are for the way we are perceived and how right they are in their own perceptions of the United States.
Now to say that I expected something different from such a liberal institution would be a stretch, but a guy can dream, can't he? Stay tuned...the former President Bill Clinton is rumored to be speaking at commencement on Wednesday...
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UPDATE: I have spoken to Wes Martin and put in requests to the Columbia Business School, Pepsico corporate public relations, and Ms. Nooyi's office itself for a copy of the speech. I have received no response to our requests, but a reader writes:
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I confirmed from two people who attended the event that Indra Nooyi did make comments similar to those in your note. No one could remember the exact words. All were "dismayed and disappointed." Called a Pepsico PR person, [name and number omitted], she is saying the Indra loves America (her adopted country) and that her speech was meant to reflect what many in the World thought of America not her own opinion. From the emails I received from friends, that’s not how they heard it. Pepsico sounded nervous.
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Another reader reports:
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I have spoken with PepsiCo and they have confirmed that Nooyi spoke at Columbia yesterday. It would appear that some sort of damage control or clarification is in full swing as they are rushing to prepare a statement about her speech...
Evidently something Nooyi said is making them very nervous (I would surmise that your student at Columbia was accurate in his assessment of her speech—however, we’ll wait and see what PepsiCo has to say)...I was very polite and told her I certainly hoped this didn’t happen…she wasn’t too optimistic that it didn’t.
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Reader Rayne Steinberg writes:
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My brother, Julian Steinberg, just graduated from Columbia (MBA 2005) and I was at his recognition ceremony this Sunday. Wes Martin's report is 100% accurate. Ms. Indra Nooyi initially spoke with a lot of humor and grace, so as she worked into the political part of her speech, I was a little disarmed and not ready for what came next. Mr. Martin pretty well sums up her speech and is very fair. It was rather shocking. Not just America's role as the middle finger of the world, but the typical condescending lefty views about the developing world. Africa's role in the world? Insignificant, but able to hurt the whole hand. Latin America's? Hot-blooded and romantic. Aren't these stereotypes we generally stay away from?
Ms. Nooyi closed with a story about some boorish American businessmen being obnoxious in a hotel in China that did not have facilities they were used to and seemed to be describing the general status of our jingoistic attitudes and behavior. She did allow that we had the ability to change all this and get back into the good graces of the rest of the world (Europe, the pointer finger and path finder, perhaps?).
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Columbia public relations has advised that it does not have a copy of the speech. We will provide additional information that we receive as well as a round-up of reader comments tonight.
UPDATE 2: PepsiCo Director of External Affairs Elaine Palmer writes:
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Thank you for checking with us on Indra Nooyi's speech at Columbia. We saw the item on your blog and are shocked to see that you took Ms. Nooyi's comments to be anything but pro-American and supportive of the United States and its role as a global leader. The characterization of Ms. Nooyi's remarks could not be more off the mark. No one is prouder of the U.S. than Ms. Nooyi, who has elected to make this country her home. Ms. Nooyi was simply encouraging the U.S, and Americans to be all they can and should be, which is something we all strive towards.
In her remarks Ms. Nooyi stated:
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This analogy of the five fingers as the five major continents leaves the long, middle finger for North America, and, in particular, The United States. As the longest of the fingers, it really stands out. The middle finger anchors every function that the hand performs and is the key to all the fingers working together efficiently and effectively. This is a really good thing, and has given the U.S. a leg-up in global business since the end of World War 1...
This land we call home is a most-loving, and ever-giving nation -a 'promised land' that we love dearly in return. And it represents a true force that - if used for good - can steady the hand - along with global economies and cultures.
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We encourage you to set the record straight and explain that Ms. Nooyi was talking to the students about the necessity of working together in the world.
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We asked for a complete copy of the text of Ms. Nooyi's speech. Ms. Palmer stated that she was not authorized to provide it at this time but would seek authorization.
UPDATE 3: PepsiCo has posted a message from Ms. Nooyi here and the text of her speech here (in PDF).
pepsico.com
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