I think part of the collapse of the American economy is related to a sincere lack of direction. I mean, what direction are we headed in as a country? What’s the bigger picture here?
For most people, most individuals, we were sold on the illusion or the rather the goal that was the American Dream. A house, a dog, 2.5 kids, gainfully employed until 60 or so and being happily married, ready and stable enough to enjoy reitrement and the golden odlies lifestyle.
However as a country as a whole, what direction are we headed in?
Amazingly, we are still trying to track down and kill terrorists who attacked us 8 years ago. We are now trying to help a country rebuild whom we attacked for no valid reason. We are at the highst unemployment rate since the early 80’s. The stock market has lost 60% of it’s value almost within a year. We are now officially in a recession and politicians are convinved freeing up ‘credit’ is the solution. People just need to keep buying, banks need to keep on lending and the country will recover.
But to what ends? What’s the point? ANd what are our goals not only as a country, but as individuals.
What happened if most Americans realized that buying things and amusing ourselves until we died was NOT ultimately working all that well. Just keep watching TV, in fact buy a bigger larger more colorful TV with more features. That’s the answer to Americas main problem. People aren’t buying enough stuff. I don’t know about you but my house is overflowing with stuff.
Why? Again, what’s the point? And guess what? Now we’re living longer thanks to medical science. Oh goodie….we ccan now live longer to buy more stuff. My question is… what for?
Unless you truly have something to live for, a passion, a goal, or an outcome you really want, how hard as Americans are we going to work for it?? We’ve outsourced a large part of our workforce to 3rd world countries. And now we are wondering why 1 out of every 12 americans don’t have a job??
So let’s look at some of the goals the US has and you’ll notice some conflicts in beliefs as well.
For example, the US wants to make the world a safer place. But there are people who have different religous beliefs who are making even that a difficult thing. And the conflict is that who are we to dictate our beliefs and our lifestyle, which doesn’t even seem to be working right now, on a whole other coutry or race of people?
Ok, well, there’s global warming and we are making a sincere effort to go “GREEN”. I don’t see that. IN my city, land is being developed faster than you can say “oxygen debt”. The problem is that it’s supposdedly irreversible and that it’s already too late for this planet. And that it would take us 100 years to begin reversing the direction. Not to mention a friend of mine who talked to some folks at NASA and said that ALL THE PLANETS ARE HEATING UP in this solar system. So who really knows?
What about the collapse of the automotive industry? I look, outside and see everyone on my street has at least one car, if not 3 or more. And that cars can last 10 years or so. How many cars do you really need these days? And what if American Dr. Demming never taught the Japansese how to measure and improve quality…or better yet, what if we as Americans had listened to him.
In the 60’s we had the space program and the race to be first in space / on the moon. That was a goal the country had. But to what ends? The nearest inhabitable planet is generations away if it’s even out there.
So if we as Americans are at the highest unemployment rate since 1982 or so, what’s the one thing that happened in 1982 that MIGHT have made a difference, not only with this country but the world economy as a whole?
The advent and release of the PERSONAL COMPUTER. How much has that one invention carried, stimulated and saturated our economy? If you really look back in the last 25 - 30 years, what invention has revolutioned the world as much as the PC did in the eighties and nineties?? I can’t think of any.
So realistically, what are the goals of companies these days? What iconic inventions are surfacing these days? What’s the one thing that we don’t have that would be life changing to the degree that the personal computer has been? The cell phone? Nope that hasn’t even begun to influece American companies as a whole when compared to dominating the world and making a ton of money the way the PC did.
I am sure Google was thankful for the advent of the PC…email…video gamges…business production/spreadsheets…..YouTube, etc.
So I end this ramble with the same question….what monumental direction besides trying to get out of debt is this country headed towards.
Getting out of debt is NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!! We need loftier goals. We need something that motivates, that challenges the American people and the American workforce. Something the government and the American people can become more united and can benefit from and put forth their best foot forward to support and make happen.
How about some different questions to start thinking in new directions?
What would be good for the earth?
What would help make peoples life better?
What would be good for humanity?
How can we connect with each other at a deeper level?
How can a sustainable company with zero footprint… or even one that contributes to the health of our planet and to our society?
March 8th, 2009 | Category: economy | Leave a comment
