布隆伯格是美國總統的最佳人選

Consider one of the greatest businesses in the world after decades of mismanagement. Growth is tepid, at best, and has been fuelled largely by debt. The organisation’s systems and infrastructure are outdated. International competitors have taken advantage of its weak position and stolen market share. A proxy contest is looming. The chief executive is about to step down, and the board and shareholders are faced with a decision about leadership. Who should they appoint? What qualities should they seek?

想象一家經歷了數十年管理不善的世界最偉大企業之一。其增長充其量是不溫不火，而且主要靠債務推動。這個組織的系統和基礎設施已經過時。國際競爭對手利用其弱勢地位奪取市場份額。一場代理權爭奪戰正在臨近。首席執行官即將下臺，董事會和股東面臨有關領導者的選擇。他們應該任命誰？他們應該在領導者身上尋求什麼樣的特質？

A turnround requires a leader with exemplary character, intelligence and independence, with a demonstrated record of success. It needs someone who can recruit extraordinary people, who understands the details yet knows how to delegate, negotiate and compromise. In short, a leader who commands respect from employees, the board and the shareholders.

製造轉機，需要一位具有模範品格、智慧和獨立性，擁有久經驗證的成功履歷的領導者。需要一個能夠招募出色的員工、既理解細節又懂得授權、談判和妥協的人。簡言之，需要一位贏得員工、董事會和股東尊重的領導者。

After 9/11, New York needed such a leader. When Michael Bloomberg was sworn in as mayor on January 1 2002, the city was burning — literally. Our economy had crashed and public finances were shot. New Yorkers were scared and depressed.

“9/11”事件後，紐約需要這樣一位領導者。邁克爾布隆伯格(Michael Bloomberg)2002年1月1日宣誓就職紐約市長時，這座城市正在“起火”。我們的經濟崩潰了，公共財政遭到重擊。紐約人驚惶而沮喪。

But in only a few years, Mr Bloomberg created tens of thousands of jobs, converted a $6bn deficit into a multibillion-dollar surplus and made New York one of the safest cities in the world. He promoted development, improved public education, enhanced our infrastructure, cleaned up our parks, reduced the city’s carbon footprint and greatly contributed to the health of its citizens.

但在短短几年裏，布隆伯格創造了數萬個工作崗位，把60億美元的財政赤字轉化爲數十億美元的財政盈餘，將紐約打造爲世界上最安全的城市之一。他推動開發項目、改善公共教育、增強我們的基礎設施、清理我們的公園、減少城市碳足跡，還爲紐約市民的健康作出了很大貢獻。

He did not do it alone. He did it by recruiting top talent to city government, working with other politicians and motivating the existing workforce and inspiring our citizens to do their part.

他不是獨自一人做到這些的。他做到這一點，依靠的是爲市政府招募頂尖人才，和其他政治人士合作，激勵現有的員工隊伍，並鼓舞市民作出自己的貢獻。

Today America is burning. Our government is wasteful and dysfunctional. Our national debt exceeds our gross domestic product. Our bridges, roads, airports and tunnels are crumbling. Our school system fails to educate our children. Our middle class is shrinking. Our tax code drives our most profitable businesses to relocate to foreign jurisdictions. Our immigration laws force talented young scientists and entrepreneurs to competitor nations. Our incomprehensible regulations fail to protect us from fraud, crime, pollution and abuse of power, while stunting growth and impairing our global competitiveness. Our international standing has deteriorated. Our enemies no longer take our pronouncements seriously and our military supremacy is threatened. The American dream is fading.

今天的美國也在“起火”。我們的政府浪費而混亂。我們的國家債務超過了國內生產總值(GDP)。我們的橋樑、道路、機場和隧道日益陳舊。我們的學校系統沒能教育好我們的孩子。我們的中產階層正在萎縮。我們的稅法迫使我們最能盈利的企業遷移到海外的司法管轄區。我們的移民法律迫使有才華的年輕科學家和企業家前往競爭國家。我們那些不可理喻的法規既阻礙增長，損害我們的全球競爭力，又未能保護我們免受欺詐、犯罪、污染和濫用權力的傷害。我們的國際聲望已經惡化。我們的敵人不再認真對待我們的聲明，我們的軍事優勢正受到威脅。美國夢正在褪色。

Yet there is hope. The key is finding the right leader. And that leader is Mr Bloomberg, who told the Financial Times this week that he is considering joining the race for the White House. His character is unimpeachable and he is an extraordinary entrepreneur and philanthropist. He has great judgment and is beholden to no one. He has a proven business record, having created $40bn of value building one of the most successful media and information technology companies in the world.

然而，希望還是有的。關鍵是找到合適的領導人。那位領導人就是布隆伯格，最近他告訴英國《金融時報》，他正在考慮參與白宮角逐。他的品行無可指摘，是一位非凡的企業家和慈善家。他的判斷力極好，而且不依靠任何人的恩惠。他擁有無可辯駁的商業記錄，打造了全世界最成功的媒體和信息科技公司之一，創造了400億美元的價值。

After a 12-year stint as mayor of New York, he has a demonstrated record in government too. He is a globalist, having immersed himself in foreign policy and used effective philanthropy to address international problems. Because he is pragmatic and non-ideological, he gets along with everyone. And he is prepared to make tough decisions based on the facts, without regard for his re-election prospects or obligations to a party and big-money donors.

在擔任紐約市長12年後，他在政務方面也擁有了有目共睹的記錄。他是一位全球主義者。他曾深入研究外交政策，運用有效的慈善工作應對國際問題。因爲他是一個務實和非意識形態的人，他和所有人都合得來。他敢於以事實爲依據，作出艱難的決策，不考慮自己的連任前景，也不考慮對其所在黨派和拿出大筆資金的捐贈人的義務。

If Mr Bloomberg were to run for president, he would do so as an independent. Some commentators say history shows that independents or third-party candidates cannot win. But today, according to one poll, 43 per cent of Americans identify as independents, which is a record. And never before has an independent presidential candidate with Mr Bloomberg’s achievements and financial resources run.

如果布隆伯格要競選總統，他會以獨立身份參選。一些評論人士表示，歷史經驗表明，獨立或第三方黨派候選人無法勝出。但根據一份民意調查，今天有43%的美國人自認爲是獨立派人士，這是一項紀錄。而且此前也從未有一位像布隆伯格這樣取得巨大成就、擁有雄厚財力的獨立總統候選人蔘選。

Significantly, Mr Bloomberg would not need a plurality of votes to win the presidency. If no single candidate receives an overall majority in the electoral college, the 12th Amendment to the US constitution allows the House of Representatives to choose the president from among the three candidates who received the most electoral votes.

值得注意的是，要贏得總統選舉，布隆伯格並不需要獲得多數選票。如果沒有一個候選人在選舉人團中獲得總體多數，美國憲法第12條修正案允許衆議院從獲得最多選舉人團選票的前三位候選人中選擇總統。

If the top three are, say, Mr Bloomberg, Donald Trump or Ted Cruz for the Republicans, and Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders for the Democrats, then Congress, which is under Republican control, would surely choose Mr Bloomberg rather than destroy the party by selecting Mr Trump or Mr Cruz.

比如，如果前三名是布隆伯格、共和黨的唐納德礠朗普(Donald Trump)或特德克魯茲(Ted Cruz)、民主黨的希拉裏克林頓(Hillary Clinton)或伯尼儠德斯(Bernie Sanders)，那麼，在共和黨控制下的國會必然會選擇布隆伯格，而非選擇特朗普或者克魯茲從而毀滅共和黨。

It is time to put the fires out and restore the United States to greatness. Mr Bloomberg is the right choice.

是時候撲滅火焰，讓美國再次偉大起來了。布隆伯格是正確的選擇。