Conscious Capitalism

Liberals are like the Spartans from the movie 300.  They never give up.

On the heels of faking a story about campus rape because they think it's true somewhere, comes the latest attempt to shape reality and think "racial inequality" can be solved over a cup of coffee.

I'm talking about Starbucks decision to engage customers in a conversation about race by scribbling liberal activism on a cup.  This new marketing campaign is the brainchild of CEO Howard Schultz, who is urging Starbucks' employees to "perform a small gesture of writing 'Race Together' on a cup.  And if a customer asks you what this is, try and engage in a discussion, that we have problems in this country with regard to race and racial inequality, and we believe we're better than this, and we believe the country's better than this.  And if this makes you have a conversation with a customer about the need for compassion, the need for empathy, the need for love towards others, if you can do that with one customer (each) day, then you're making a significant difference as we go forward."

Schultz concluded, "I think this is really important not so much for the company, but for the country."

According to Schultz, "RACE TOGETHER is not a solution, but it is an opportunity to begin to re-examine how we can create a more empathetic and inclusive society — one conversation at a time.  Rules of engagement, in regards to this issue, must change."

I couldn't agree more.

Race relations have taken a big step back since Obama became president.  You have the "beer summit" following the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, the Trayvon Martin shooting trial in Florida, and the Michael Brown shooting resulting in the Ferguson riots.  It is my opinion that most blacks feel Gates, Martin and Brown were  innocent in each instance, and the offending officers should have been held accountable.  Conversely, whites agree with the verdicts handed down, and feel the riots that followed are an excuse to cause more trouble.

And thanks to President Obama -- inflaming tensions and fostering divisions among whites and blacks -- this country is in worse shape now than in the past 50 years.   I understand that's what a community organizer does.  It's not to make things better -- it's to keep things stirred up.   So slogans like "Hands Up!  Don't shoot!" and the conscious efforts made by NFL and NBA teams to side with other blacks is not a surprise.

And yet here is the CEO of a well-known business, thinking words can make a difference.  This self described conscious capitalism has nothing to do with solving the problem.  And it is nothing more than what the left has been doing for decades.  Describing good intentions and hoping they trump common sense. 

But here is the reality:  talking about a problem doesn't solve the problem.

It's the same concept used to describe Secretary of State, John Kerry, sitting down with known-terrorist supporter, Iran, to talk about nuclear negotiations and reduce sanctions while tens of thousands of protestors shout DEATH TO AMERICA outside the U.S. embassy.  If I was a political cartoonist, I'd draw a picture of Kerry signing the nuclear agreement, then handing over the pen to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani -- who promptly stabs him in the back.



There are other reasons why this "RACE TOGETHER" idea is bad:

. Some people are not morning people.  I wouldn't discuss anything political until after two cups of coffee.

. If you're rushed getting to work, do you want to wait in line while the person ahead of you carries on a conversation on race?

. What makes Starbucks think the people preparing your coffee know anything about race?

I'm betting most of them spend more time searching through Yahoo Entertainment (what is Kim Kardashian up to?) than reading Thomas Sowell's view on racial disparities.  I also don't think they get a very balanced discussion of race problems by absorbing what's being taught in our state's universities.  Three quick examples:

A Seattle university physics teacher has asked his class to study why there are so few black physicists.  Is it because blacks are not smart enough, not being exposed to science, or not getting opportunities?  Having made the assumption that whites have an advantage over blacks, the assignment continues by asking students to write about how they feel about this "white privilege"? The professor readily admits to feeling jealous about his colleagues in English and History who get to talk about society and morality every day.

Another example is having to write a history paper on early exploration and discovery in America.  Students are asked to take the side of native Indians in debates -- focusing on the death and destruction that Columbus and the pilgrims brought to the Indians when they arrived in America (my sons were given that assignment in 9th grade).  

A third example  involves a recent episode of "The Walking Dead," where students led a discussion about why only black characters on the show were being killed off.  Surely there was someone at the network making a conscious effort to discriminate against black characters in favor of keeping white ones alive.

So with this educational background -- white privilege gives some of us an unfair advantage -- what chance is there that I could have a balanced discussion about race? 

. If the left wants a conversation about race, shouldn't they be following their own advice?

Starbucks' initiative also includes partnering with USA Today. Larry Kramer, USA Today's editor and publisher said of their partnership, "Our nation is only becoming more diverse. To ignore, dismiss or fail to productively engage our differences is to stifle our collective potential. Diversity of thought and skills lead to more creative ideas and higher performance. Bias, even unintentional slights, sap our potential for shared prosperity while denying our shared humanity."

Like most talk coming from the left, that sounds pretty good.  How can you argue against diversity, collective potential and shared prosperity?  But if you do a little research to see if USA Today or Starbucks practice what they preach, you'll find something surprising.

According to a review of Starbuck's executive management team, which consists of 19 people, 95% are white.  USA Today has one woman and 7 men on its editorial board.  All white.  Other media that eagerly support race discussions are no different.  Time Warner (CNN's parent company) has an executive management team that is 100% white.  The New York Times' management team has one black on a staff of 14.  The Washington Post's leadership team has one woman, one Native American and 11 white men.  Not one black.



If "racing together" is so important to CEO Howard Schultz, why doesn't Starbucks have any coffee shops in Ferguson, MO?  Why is he so quick to put demands on us, when he refuses to do the same himself?   The answer is typical of so many liberal companies that have skin in this race game.  Words trump reality.  It looks good and makes them feel better than others.

How else would you explain the USA Today saying, "elevating diversity is not only the right thing to do, but ... also a necessity." Apparently the necessity is in creative ideas and diversity of thought, not black butts sitting in their board rooms.  Preaching tolerance, diversity and racial acceptance sounds good, but it seems like it has a hard time making to the top floor of all of these important organizations.



In the time it has taken to research and write this blog (about a week), the "Race Together" initiative has run its course.  Beginning today, Starbucks has put their much publicized initiative on hiatus.  Claiming "Race Together" was always meant to be a week long discussion (although I can't find any reference to it), Schultz and Kramer feel like it has been a success.

And Starbucks is still planning to foster conversations about race -- just not by having their baristas on the forefront of that conversation.  Therefore the following comments have been released:

"The phase-out is not a reaction to any pushback.  Nothing is changing."  

"It's all part of the cadence of the timeline we originally planned."

"We're leaning into it hard."

"While there has been criticism of the initiative -- and I know this hasn't been easy for any of you -- let me assure you that we didn't expect universal praise."

"This campaign... will make sure that the promise of the American Dream should be available to every person in this country, not just a select few."

I know that we have a problem in this country when it comes to politics, race and jobs.  And I don't mean to be critical of anyone attempting to find solutions to those problems.  But I will be critical of  businesses like Starbucks and USA Today that think they have the answers when they are the ones perpetuating the problem.  By throwing words on paper, money at poverty, forcing equality where none exists and blaming white priviledge they have made finding an equitable solution much harder than it needs to be.

Blacks and whites need to find common ground that can withstand the attacks of community organizers, and the prejudices of those who give credence to actual discrimination and violence.

Writing "Race Together" on a coffee cup does neither.

Adam and Eve on a Raft

I turn up the collar of my coat, hoping to knock down the icy blast of wind that creeps down my back before meeting the chill working its way up my pants legs.

Liz, Sean, Matt and I are standing in line outside Al's Breakfast, a 10-foot wide diner sandwiched into an alleyway between two buildings in the Dinkytown neighborhood of Minneapolis, MN.  The cold weather really has me questioning my sons' belief in global warming, and the wisdom of waiting more than 20 minutes for pancakes and eggs.  But ever since Matt attended the University of Minnesota, he has raved about Al's Breakfast.   So it's just bad luck that we picked one of the coldest days of the new year to check it out.

The Dinkytown neighborhood is located just north of the University of Minnesota East Campus and populated by locals and university students.  Through the years, it has been a central area for the 1950s beat culture, the 1960s counterculture and the 1970s anti-Vietnam movement.  In Dinkytown, notable landmarks include the Dinky Dome, the Loring Pasta Bar (rumored to have been where Bob Dylan lived for a short time), the Varsity Theatre and Al's Breakfast, possibly the smallest restaurant in Minneapolis.  Twentieth-century, low-rise buildings surround us on this cold morning, with hardly a frozen breath in sight. 

"I thought if we got here 20 minutes early we'd be good," says Matt, as puffs of white escape his mouth, only to be swished away with another gust of arctic air.  "But by my estimate, we still aren't going to be able to get a seat right away."

Matt explains that Al's Breakfast only seats fourteen, so I begin counting the huddled bodies waiting to get in out of the cold.  Sure enough -- we are numbers fifteen through eighteen, so I guess Matt is right.

What is it about diners that make them such a draw?  Even on a cold January morning?

Since their arrival in the late 1800s, diners have been part of the American experience.  Their influence has touched so many parts of our lives, including cooking, eating out, popular culture, design and television/movies, that it's hard to overlook.

The origins of the diner can be traced to Walter Scott, who supplemented his income by selling sandwiches and coffee.  Fourteen years later, with business becoming so lucrative, Scott quit his job as a part-time pressman and started selling food at night from a covered express wagon outside his old employer, The Providence Journal.   In doing so, Walter Scott gave birth to what would become one of America's most recognized icons --the diner.

Through the years, diners have "evolved" from Scott's simple lunch wagon to something much more elaborate (although certainly not elegant).  In the early 1900s, lunch cars became larger and more self-contained, with lengthy counters, mid-side entrances, tile work, porcelain panels and even bathrooms.  Although they continued to cater to night workers, many lunch cars assumed permanent locations which allowed around-the-clock customers and greater respectability.  Companies, seeing potential in these new permanent structures, brought new styling which included that of the railroad's Pullman dining cars, giving birth to the name diner.

During this period of growth, the main streets of America were also changing.  With the popularity of Henry Ford's automobile, new eateries popped up as road construction boomed.  Food stands like A&W and White Castle -- catering to the automobile -- could be found spouting up everywhere.

During the Great Depression, tough times meant small diners started to replace the larger complex diners which were too expensive to maintain.  These 8 to 10 person diners -- simple and boxy -- were often carted to certain locations just like Walter Scott's original lunch wagons.  The food was nothing special, but people came for good food and fun.

In the years following, diners continued to evolve.  Much of their charm was enchanted by art-deco designs featuring modern, futuristic lines and colors.  Many used neon (which was new at the time) to draw attention and create interest.  During the next 50 years, diners reached new heights before falling out of favor to homogenized food chains like McDonalds and Burger King.

Nonetheless, diners continued to have a nostalgic appeal popping up in movies like American Graffiti and Diner.  Television brought us Flo and Happy Days, which lasted for many years.  A famous painting by Edward Hopper called "Nighthawks" is based on a diner in Philadelphia, and shows a lonely encounter between a man and waitress late in the night.

Fortunately a few real-life diners survived -- and through the efforts of some to restore and preserve them, are still with us today.

There is something inherently different -- but fun -- about going into a diner.  Almost like its free entertainment.  If it's not the employees or food, maybe it's the nostalgia.  There's a sense of going back in time when you walk into one -- the round stools, the cooking appliances so black with use that it's a wonder they still work, and all of the memorabilia unique to the owner's guests and visitors. 

Don't expect any wi-fi hotspots, or polite conversation.  For the most part, regulars are acknowledged, but not patronized.  Menus are simple and don't change much.  Noises from the kitchen sometimes sound like a war zone -- complete with shouting and utensils flying through the air.  For its entertainment value, expect to spend as much time watching the staff as eating the food.

Diners are not only unique in the food they serve and the environment under which they operate.  Many also employ a unique vocabulary -- diner talk is as much fun to hear as it is a mystery to understand.  Who knows where some of this vocabulary comes from, but it is incredibly creative and transcends race, gender and age.

Adam and Eve on a raft:  two poached eggs on toast
Angels on Horseback:  oysters rolled in bacon and served on toast
Beagle Fingers:  sausage links
Blowout patches:  pancakes
Burn the British:  toasted English muffin
Cowboy with spurs:  western omelet with French fries
Drag it through the garden:  sandwich with all condiments on it
Dry stack:  pancakes without butter
Gentleman will take a chance:  a plate of hash


Heart attack on a rack:  biscuits and gravy
Hold the grass:  sandwich without lettuce
Let it walk:  an order to go
Mousetrap:  cheese sandwich
Nervous pudding:   American jelly
Paint it red:  put ketchup on a dish
Radio sandwich:  tuna fish
Soup jockey:  waitress
Spit in the eye:  egg fried in the center of a holed out piece of bread
Walk a cow through the garden: hamburger with lettuce, tomato and onion

I wonder if any of the employees find it hard to turn off this language when they leave work?  Or does the waitress, during a night on the town, walk into the bar and say,  "Hey baserunner.  Give me some balloon juice with a ball of fire.  And do you have any belly furniture to go with that?"



The bearded man behind the counter instructs us to wait a moment while two men get out of their seats and shuffle to the left, allowing us to sit next to Sean and Matt who were already sitting at the counter with menus in hand.

"Finally," I say.  "I'm starving, and standing behind people eating only makes it worse."  Because Al's Breakfast diner is so narrow, customers who are not eating must wait while standing patiently behind those eating at the counter.

In the kitchen (out of sight), a short-order cook yells, "Order up, John!  Jose with wheat on #2."   Shortly, a plate with two poached eggs with cheese, hash browns and salsa is placed before a customer sitting nearby.

Having waited 20 minutes for a seat, I've been able to take in the eclectic atmosphere of Al's which includes cheap, hanging Tiffany lamps embraced by strings of white Christmas lights above the counter where we are sitting.  On the wall before us is a greasy collection of foreign bills from Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, Portugal and other countries I can't identify.  Above a line of ceramic mugs, is a shelf with a sign that reads "Tipping is NOT a city in Russia."   Next to it is a jumbled mess of toys, books, a Daryl Strawberry bobble head and a picture of Al Bergstrom, the original owner of Al's Breakfast.  Al  sold the diner to his nephew before he died in 2003 at the age of 97, but his menu of buttermilk pancakes, bacon waffles, hash browns and eggs remain today.

"Try the Spike, Dad.  It's really good," says Matt.  He probably knows the menu by heart, which by its laminated condition, hasn't changed in decades.  "Their pancakes are incredible, too."

As I glance through the menu, I notice another short-order cook to our right pouring pancake batter onto a sizzling grill already populated with hash browns, eggs and some hash.  She seems oblivious to the line of faces peering through the diner's only window.  Undoubtedly, she could make these orders in her sleep. Her apron, at one time bleached white, is now stained with the remnants of many mornings spent standing in front of a hot grill. 

"Look at those tickets, " says Liz, pointing to a tray of yellow pads of paper with names marked by magic marker.  As chaotic as it seems, they are arranged alphabetically (A-Z).  Some look like they are used regularly, while others are stored in crates.  Some names I recognize, like Cory Brewster and Andre Hollins from the Minnesota men's basketball team.  Others simply say, "Jew Boy" and affectionately, "Alyssa (smart ass)".  

"Those are coupons for regulars, so they don't have to pay every time they come in," says Matt, who appears to have gotten more than just a college education while going to the University of MN.  By my estimate there are quite a few regulars besides Matt who call Al's Breakfast home.

As Liz and I place our orders (I eschew Matt's recommendation and instead order short stack of blueberry pancakes and toast), I find it hard to believe so many people would willing wait in line for up to two hours -- just for pancakes and eggs.  But for those who live in this neighborhood, there is a fierce loyalty to Al's Breakfast that goes beyond the food.  Perhaps they are like the village peasants who take up arms to defend the castle against marauding intruders.  It may not be much, but it is theirs.  And it will remain theirs until they graduate or move away.

Or perhaps this hole in the wall is nothing more than a place where people can enjoy a simple breakfast.  One that will get them through a morning of classes or a day filled with the challenges of a new job.  To those coming to Al's Breakfast, they know what to expect.  No surprises here.  

But for a visitor like me, I kinda like what Food Network's Guy Fieri called it when visiting Al's Breakfast for his television show, Diners, Drive Ins and Dives:  "A dump simply aspiring to be a dive."

Yeah -- I'll agree with that, and give me another cup of mud while you're at it.