Affordable Manufactured Home “Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results.” Neither part of that statement is by Albert Einstein, suggests Quote Investigator (QI) which said “It’s foolish to repeat ineffective actions. One popular formulation presents this point harshly: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” While commonly credited to the acclaimed genius Albert Einstein, QI says no. Rather the first known example comes from Knoxville, TN. That’s the metro area where Clayton Homes has its headquarters, in Maryville, TN!
There has been a kind of insanity – a habitual repetition of decades of ineffective policies and efforts – that have for too long impacted our industry, to the great harm of tens of millions. To grasp that and learn a valuable set of facts that can break that habitual pattern of insanity, some background is useful.
QI said that in “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein” from Princeton University Press” that the “insanity is repeating ineffective behavior phrase is listed as “Misattributed to Einstein.”’ Thus the pink line through Einstein’s name in the featured image above.
MHProNews will pick that insight up and apply it to our own profession and the headlines for this week after completing the next – and pertinent part – of QI’s explanation of the saying’s origins.
“The earliest strong match known to QI appeared in October 1981 within a Knoxville, Tennessee newspaper article describing a meeting of Al-Anon, an organization designed to help the families of alcoholics. The journalist described the “Twelve Steps” of Al-Anon which are based on similar steps employed in Alcoholics Anonymous. The newspaper began with these two steps: 2
- Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
One of the attendees at the meeting hesitated to accept the accuracy of second step.
Not all the women are willing to admit they needed to be “restored to sanity.” In fact, one of them adamantly maintains that she had never reached a point of insanity. But another remarks, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.””
So, per QI, it was a debate between women living with alcoholics that sparked the now famous insight. Additionally, the Al Anon insight is that going along with insane behavior was also a a reflection of a lack of sanity.
Alcoholism, like drug addiction, is in some measure a habit. To be clear, there are good habits, bad habits, and some habits that might be morally or otherwise neutral. So merely being habitual is not in and of itself a problem. But to grasp the nature of the usefulness, or lack thereof, of a specific habit requires a dispassionate look at the facts of a given case.
With those notions in mind, now let’s unpack and apply those lessons to the affordable Manufactured Housing profession, and see how they related to the Sunday review of the headlines for the past week.
- The reason for an individual, business, group, government, or an organization of any kind to change a bad habit is precisely because it is bad or not productive.
- However, some dark minds might want others – those whom the devious wish to see undermined – to be trapped in bad or unproductive behavior.
- Others innocently may not realize that they are trapped in an unproductive pattern. Perhaps worse, those who know that they are in a problematic loop of behavior may not yet be willing or desirous to get out of it.
In the week that just wrapped up, MHProNews probed a series of arguably insane behaviors. Some of those unproductive or counterproductive patterns of activity involve literally trillions of dollars in spending that have cost our profession hundreds of billions of dollars while hampering the ability for millions of Americans of all backgrounds to have their share of the American Dream.
Additionally, some who think they are enjoying the American Dream may not realize that they are getting only a small slice of what they would otherwise enjoy, if, if, IF specific and common sense modifications of behavior occurred.
Let’s briefly consider several examples of the above notions that absolutely harm our profession. Keep in mind that affordable manufactured housing is not the only profession being harmed, others are too. That is an important point for another day. Because what follows has harmed virtually every American – some groups more than others – with a statistically few notable exceptions.
LBJ’s Tragically Insane Lessons for Our Era
Since the launch of the President Lyndon Banes Johnson (D) so-called “Great Society” social safety net programs, well north of $22 trillion dollars have been spent by the federal government alone, per the Heritage Foundation using federal data accessed circa September of 2014. State and local governments often have to and/or do make some level of matching funding for those programs. What has all of that spending achieved?
Huge sums roughly equal to the entire federal debt have been taxed, borrowed, and spent. Nevertheless, on the surface, the poverty levels may rise or fall over the decades but are roughly the same now as when LBJ and Congress enacted them. Bear in mind, because this is not an irrelevant point, that LBJ is reputed by numbers to have been a true racist vs a faux racist. Johnson is reputed to have said that passing these programs would keep “n-gers” voting with Democrats for the next 200 years. launched this well intentioned by some monstrosity that has utterly failed to achieve its stated goal. Why, then, continue that insane pattern of counterproductive behavior?
First, let’s note that left leaning Snopes admits the following [i’s have been struck out from the original, but it is otherwise as said by Snopes]: “There’s no question that Lyndon Johnson, despite championing the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and signing it into law, was also a sometime racist and notorious vulgarian who rarely shied away from using the N-word in private. For example, he reportedly referred to the Civil Rights Act of 1957 as the “n-gger bill” in more than one private phone conversation with Senate colleagues. And he reportedly said upon appointing African-American judge Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court, “Son, when I appoint a n-gger to the court, I want everyone to know he’s a n-gger.””
Continues Snopes quoting the bigoted LBJ, “These Negroes, they’re getting pretty uppity these days and that’s a problem for us since they’ve got something now they never had before, the political pull to back up their uppityness. Now we’ve got to do something about this, we’ve got to give them a little something, just enough to quiet them down, not enough to make a difference. For if we don’t move at all, then their allies will line up against us and there’ll be no way of stopping them, we’ll lose the filibuster and there’ll be no way of putting a brake on all sorts of wild legislation. It’ll be Reconstruction all over again.”
As Britannica explains: “The Reconstruction era was the period after the American Civil War from 1865 to 1877, during which the United States grappled with the challenges of reintegrating into the Union the states that had seceded and determining the legal status of African Americans.” What needs to be understood is that Republicans, led by Abraham Lincoln, led the fight to keep the South in the Union which ultimately resulted in the emancipation of slaves held by southern Democrats. That’s a matter of history, not a partisan political statement.
Snopes admits that Johnson was bigoted in private and casual settings, not just with confidants – “there were also instances of casual racism that can’t be so easily rationalized. Biographer Caro also notes that Johnson is said to have replied as follows to a black chauffeur who told him he’d prefer to be called by name instead of “boy,” “n-gger” or “chief…”
Snopes, paid by Facebook as a ‘fact checker,’ is known to at times push their rationalizations to odd extremes. While trying to cast doubt on if LBJ said: “I’ll have those n-ggers voting Democratic for 200 years,” they make this point.
“The quote [“I’ll have those n-ggers voting Democratic for 200 years,”] appeared for the first time anywhere on page 33 of Ronald Kessler’s book, Inside the White House: The Hidden Lives of the Modern Presidents and the Secrets of the World’s Most Powerful Institution, published in 1995:
Johnson, like other presidents, would often reveal his true motivations in asides that the press never picked up. During one trip, Johnson was discussing his proposed civil rights bill with two governors. Explaining why it was so important to him, he said it was simple: “I’ll have them n-ggers voting Democratic for two hundred years.”
“That was the reason he [LBJ] was pushing the bill,” said MacMillan, who was present during the conversation. “Not because he [LBJ] wanted equality for everyone. It was strictly a political ploy for the Democratic party. He was phony from the word go.”’
Not as a defense of Republicans, who frankly have their own historic misses, but in fairness and for factual accuracy it should be mentioned that it was largely Republican votes that passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
What Johnson, per leftist or pro-Democratic Snopes cited, desired do achieve was to get and keep blacks and minorities in the Democratic camp. After over a century of racist and behavior – that included the point that the KKK was largely a Democratic domestic terrorist group – cunning Democratic strategists like LBJ managed to get blacks into their camp. It was a stunning but largely successful coup.
There are sincere Democrats and Republicans. Similarly, there are sincere members of minor parties and political independents too. Then there are Establishment Democrats and Republicans who are arguably tools of the financial elites. The ‘Great Society’ may have been embraced sincerely by many. The spending programs have been voted for by members of both parties.
But the outcome has been tragic. It was periodically resisted by some – often Republicans – and has been questioned by many for decades. That is why the Heritage Foundation information cited in our report linked below exists in the first place.
These facts impact our profession and so many others in numerous ways, as that same report makes clear.
Several aspects of the key to unlocking the door to truly make the American Dream come alive for all is found in the reports for this past week. Indeed, one might argue that we could rename this publication as ‘American Dream News, Tips, and Views’ and it would be as apt as “Manufactured Home Pro News” which features “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use.”
The Pivot…You Have to Walk the Walk if You Authentically Want to Talk the Talk
MHProNews has pivoted several times since it launched in 2009. Perhaps those pivots could have come earlier. But once certain realities became clear, continuing to do what was done before would have been insanity for us as a pro-white hat industry professional trade media.
While we always advocated proper treatment of all manufactured home customers – because customer satisfaction is the lifeblood of every healthy profession – we launched Manufactured Home Living News because there was a clear void that the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) was not filling.
MHLivingNews also pivoted during its shorter history than MHProNews. That shift also came as the evidence mounted that what was going wrong in our profession was not going to be remedied by eye candy, or anything that might appear to others to be mere eye candy or spin. The public seeking affordable, yet appealing, homes had serious questions about manufactured housing. Cheer leading alone would not be enough.
When the history of the performance of the Manufactured Housing Institute is examined, it is
arguably a case of habit bordering on insanity to believe or support them. They are arguably,
as LBJ said, a case of truth and half truth mixed together in a fashion that benefits a few while
the many are harmed. It was an MHI member who turned to his team at an MHI meeting, and
paraphrased said:
‘These meetings are the same thing, over an over again. Where is the progress?
Why are we coming?’ Since then, COVID has hit. Meetings in person have been suspended.
The question is, how many MHI members will wake up and realize that they have been
wasting their time and money for years?
Where is the MHI delivery on promises like the one quoted below?
Adventure Home’s Wally Comer made several insightful statements in the report linked below. Do not miss them. They are relevant to much of this discussion.
A contemporary example of the problems with mainstream news reporting that directly impacts our industry is found in the Dave Reynolds – Impact Cares – report found further below.
Former Congressman turned Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and “the Manufactured Home Accountability Project” absolutely ties into the information found above, and also explored in our postscript following our headlines in review.
A “Pissed Consumer” sounds off on Clayton Homes in the latest report on MHLivingNews. Accountability for the industry’s troubled image issues should logically be pinned on those who have caused that problematic image, right?
Why should others in manufactured housing suffer due to the problematic behavior of specific firms?
So, guess what? A new and sobering data point emerged from that new MHLivingNews report which indicates that dissatisfaction among Clayton customers may be larger than was previously thought.
- If you are selling against Clayton, don’t you think you should know about those claims?
- If you are public official, pondering action against Clayton Homes, don’t you think those insights are relevant?
- That report is also among those linked below.
MHProNews and our MHLivingNews websites have each said for years that the solution to the affordable housing crisis is hiding in plain sight.
The case can be made that the reasons that the manufactured home solutions are so widely misunderstood are partially reflected by the Frank and Dave, or Clayton Homes “Pissed Consumer” reports. But in fairness, there is more to it than those pieces of the big picture puzzle. For a deeper dive into just how important manufactured housing could be, see the NIMBY vs. YIMBY report among this week’s headlines further below.
If you want to laugh out loud, or fight back tears, over the fact that the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) “coalition partner” – the National Housing Conference (NHC) exposed MHI’s failures with a single graphic, do not miss “Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) “Reviewing” Biden Housing Plan, MHI “Coalition Partner” National Housing Conference Exposes MHI Claimed Manufactured Housing Leadership Failures in One Chart…”
That report has been praised by a manufactured housing executive leader as one of the most “outstanding” reports by MHProNews this year. Check it out and see if you agree.
Just how badly is manufactured housing’s leadership performing?
Among the headlines are the facts about manufactured housing’s slipping production and sales levels. How can that slide in manufactured housing be happening, when far more costly existing resales and costlier still new construction are soaring to new records?
There is always much more to unpack on MHProNews and our sister site every week than any other trade media serving our misunderstood profession. But ponder each of the items above and those that follow. These are all factual, evidence-based statements and reporting. Note that MHProNews has once more asked Berkshire Hathaway brands, MHI, and their inside/outside counsels to respond. They have once more declined. Rephrased, the great debate in manufactured housing is over. All that the powers that be have left are purported examples of deception, misdirection, distraction, and slight-of-hands. They may have the money and the influence, but they are no where near the majority power in this nation.
That is why facts, facts, facts coupled with common sense must be pounded by all honorable people in our profession and all others. Because when someone understands the historic facts, watches the trends, and the compares the promises vs. the outcomes, numerous sobering points arise. They could be summed up with the infamous yet apt phrase, the system is rigged.
How it was or is rigged, and how understanding and applying existing laws could break this problematic cycle of the last 50 plus years are among the many features found below.
With no further adieu, here are the headlines for the week that was from 4.4.2021 to today, 4.11.2021.
What is New on MHLivingNews
What is New from Washington, D.C. from MHARR
The Latest on the Masthead
What is New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 4.10.2021
Friday 4.9.2021
Thursday 4.8.2021
Wednesday 4.7.2021
Tuesday 4.6.2021
Monday 4.5.2021
Sunday 4.4.2021
Postscript
People were led to believe by repetition of a false claim that it was Albert Einstein who said that “Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results.” There are reasons to believe it may have been said by an unnamed woman at an Al Anon meeting in the Knoxville, TN area.
To break any bad or problematic habit, what do those Al Anon members turn to? God, the Creator, who they describe as a “higher power.” While substance abuse is often looked at as habitual, harmful, and therefor to be avoided, there are other habits that may have become accepted, yet produce a similarly problematic outcome.
Scientific truths are never at odds with spiritual truths. All truth is one.
In a flash, someone can make the case why the so-called Great Society programs were wrong from the outset. Because what was necessary – then and now – was not taxing one segment of the middle class to give money to those who do not have what they need or desire. There have always been private, faith based charities and social service groups that did a far better job than the federal government ever did.
Rather, what was necessary was to level the playing field legally and enforce good laws that keep the playing field level. Monopolists have all sorts of tools at their disposal to keep people off balance and divided. While it is beyond doubt that some federal programs have benefited specific individuals who climbed out of poverty, what would have occurred in the absence of those same programs? That is an apt question that after trillions in spending must be asked.
Would private charities have done better? Would the enforcement of just laws have accomplished more in the absence of these programs that the bigoted LBJ pushed?
The powers that be learned long ago how to manipulate the system in ways that pay them handsome rewards, increasing their power, while their own wealth is often tax sheltered via various schemes and methods.
The point made in the graphic at the top half of this report above is worth repeating.
This data-driven trendline graphic puts federal deficit spending into U.S. historic context. Deficit spending rose in the Great Depression era (1930s), WWII through the Korean war (1940s into 1950s), and the Cold War era. By 1964, federal deficits were falling. However, the U.S. entered into conflicts in Vietnam and launched LBJ’s so-called Great Society programs. A near-permanent wartime footing plus ‘social safety’ programs have gripped the country for well over 55 years. The average aged American – says World Population Review – is 38.5 years old. Most Americans have never known anything but this current state of affairs.
It is past time to question the status quo. It is past time to question decades of insanity that have benefited a few, while it has kept tens of millions getting less than they would otherwise be earning in the absence of a manipulated system.
What President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against – the military-industrial complex – could have gone under a different label. It goes beyond military, spy agencies and big business interests. One of our reports above looked at that too.
Big businesses and their elitist leaders have learned how to funnel money from government spending into their own pockets. Meanwhile, they have created a voting block that thinks they are better of with the status quo. Sadly, not so. Rephrased, the wealthy are picking the pockets of everyday Americans of all backgrounds. They are dividing and ruling.
The problems in our Republic did not arise overnight. Nor will they be solved overnight.
Some of these programs and policies may have to be dismantled in stages, so that social shock doesn’t arise. The system of private faith-based charities should be encouraged not undermined and competed against by a bloated and often corrupt federal bureaucracy.
But to prepare for that great day when enough people of all backgrounds are informed as to how they have been divided and manipulated, sound information is necessary. Once more, ICYMI, see the NIMBY vs. YIMBY report, linked above.
We will keep on repeating facts and reason-based analysis and reports. It is only eternal truths, applied in our profession and all others, that can restore the promise of the American Dream.
Day-by-day, report-by-report, count on MHProNews to lay out the facts, trends, history, and more with God-given reason that seeks to honorably uplift all to their true potential. This is your source for ‘Ethical intelligence and actionable insights for your life.’
Our thanks to you, our sources, and sponsors for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
From Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA is this sermon by a Catholic Priest who Rips Joe Biden,
and scores of Catholic Bishops. His thinking is sobering.
