Economy

These days it seems like the American Taxpayers have been programmed to check the DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average) if we want to know the condition of our nation's economy. Though it may give us an idea of how the biggest of U.S. industry is fairing, it is dangerous for us to think that this means all is well for the average worker or small business owner - especially in the wake of the global market that our leaders have forced the American people to compete in.

Here at the end of 2006 the DJIA is riding higher than at any time in it's history - up in the 12,000+ range. Though it does mean that the richest are getting richer it has little reflection on the real world that so many average American Taxpayers are struggling in now days.

What about the U.S. economy? Does the high DJIA really make you feel like all is well? Are optimistic government statistics about jobs and the economy justified? They tell us things are great. Just look at the Dow. It's never been higher. Are we as great off as they would like us to believe? I'm talking about the working people now - not the upper management people at Microsoft, Exxon/Mobil or General Electric. What do you and I see in the real world all around us?

Do we see the low and middle class getting abundantly wealthy like the big business owners or do we see a gap widening between the wealthy and the working people? Do we see American Taxpayers with an abundance of money or do we see them struggling, and getting more and more in debt?

Do we see a society living a slow paced leisurely life because they really are wealthy and can afford to slack off or do we see a society that is running at full speed trying to keep pace with their bills because they really are living from paycheck to paycheck? Do we see Americans being rewarded with an abundance of vacation time for putting up with having to compete with $5.00 per day Chinese communist slave labor or do we see Americans taking less vacations and working more hours per week so that they can compete with those who will work for nothing? You tell me.

What else do we see? Do we think of bankruptcy as a thing of the past because we have all become so wealthy or do we see record numbers of bankruptcies among us? Do we see everyone so well off that they only need to work one job - 40 hours per week, like it used to be or do we see lots of people working two (low paying) jobs so that they can pay their bills?

Do we see American Taxpayers able to stay with one company for their whole careers like their fathers did, and not have to worry about retirement security or healthcare - or do we see workers constantly changing jobs and losing their retirement benefits? Do we see women able to stay home and raise the next generation properly like it used to be or do we see women having to work as much as their husbands do so that they can pay all of their bills (including the daycare center, where their children are being raised by others)?

Since everyone's experience is a little different I'll let you answer the above questions to your own satisfaction. The fact is that opinions vary greatly when it comes to the condition of our economy. At one extreme you have those who think that the U.S. economy is completely worthless since it's no longer based on a gold standard. To them the whole thing is balancing on the head of a pin and ready to collapse.

At the other extreme are those who are all smiles and who prophesy that things are only getting better. They encourage everyone to carry on with business as usual and not concern themselves with all of the changes that they see happening to the U.S. economy. If you ask me the truth is somewhere in the middle. And it varies a little depending on your personal circumstances. But overall, I'm more than a little concerned about the (globalised) direction of the U.S. economy.

Let me go on record as saying that I am not an economics expert and I do not have all of the answers concerning every American's financial predicament. But I do have common sense, and I do have eyes to see the general state of the American economy - from a working man's view. As I look back over the last few decades and consider the changes due to the globalisation of the American economy, I don't see how anyone can say that (collectively) the American workers are better off.

How can we be better off when so many high paying jobs have left our shores - and continue to leave? How can we be better off when Ford and GM have closed so many plants and laid off thousands and thousands of high paid American workers - and threaten to go out of business? How can we be better off when we are watching our manufacturing base move to communist China right before our eyes? How can we be better off when American Taxpayers are losing benefits left and right - and having to work more hours?

How can we be better off when mothers are forced to work by the system that we have created, when we all know that it is in the best interest of a child to be raised by his mother? How can we be better off when so many large businesses have closed or moved because of the strain of global competition? How can we be better off when we have been watching the systematic closing of one small business after another due to the big conglomerates moving into town and selling their low quality abundance of wares for half of the cost as a "mom and pop" store can?

Are we better off because we have an over abundance of cheap junk made in the Cheapistans of the world (which has gained it's reputation because of it's low quality)? Are we better off because we have it so easy that an ever larger percentage of the population is becoming obese (and disease riddled along with it)? Are we better off because we have houses that are twice as big as we need (and the financial bondage that goes along with them)?

Are we better off because we have three hundred types of automobiles to choose from (soon to include Chinese cars, which is the ultimate slap in the face of the American worker)? Are we better off because we have Mexicans to trim our lawns for us (when the exercise is exactly what we need)? Are we better off because we have the biggest, clearest televisions to watch all of the fantasy that comes out of Hollywood (which allows us to escape from the misery that is this great existence)?

Dare I say that we are a little confused about what "better off" means? Does it mean losing our families and our society in the pursuit of "stuff"? Does it mean giving up the important things in life so that we can all pursue materialism? Does it mean that mom is more fulfilled driving an expensive convertible than she would be if she was raising junior and sissy at home? Have we made a (collective) big mistake concerning our greed to own "stuff" that really owns us? Have we been chasing fool's gold?

Down deep aren't we all really aware that American society is headed in the wrong direction, which includes the breaking down of the American family and an out of control consumer society? Are we better off because we really are or because the government tells us we are? You tell me.

In my opinion we need some changes to our "globalised" economy. Changes that will bring all high paying jobs back to America. Changes that will allow mothers the opportunity to stay home and raise their children like they used to do back before our families (and society in general) started breaking down. Changes that will allow everyone to slow down a little. And changes that will allow American workers the opportunity to work 40 hours per week and have plenty of time for family and for vacations. In short, we need to rethink all of the (cheap quality) glitter that a globalised economy offers.

Is it too much to ask for families to be able to take enough time to sit down at night and eat their dinner together? Is it too much to ask for mothers to be able to spend a lot of quality time with their children - and not feel guilty about it? (Remember when "Mom" as an occupation was a high calling?) American families had these privileges before globalism was forced on us. There is no reason that we can't change and adapt the American economy to be more "taxpayer/family friendly". Like it used to be.

The key to bringing the best jobs back to America (and changing the American economy to be more suited to prosper the average worker) is to allow the taxpayers the opportunity to decide this issue via the "Meet and Vote" program by voting on it. If we leave it up to our leaders, without input from the people, nothing will change. Everything will continue to favor big business over the worker. [This is the result of hundreds of lobbyists swaying your elected leaders over the last few decades. The scales have gradually tilted in favor of those with power and money. But this too can be corrected.]

So the people should be allowed the opportunity to make the decisions concerning the future of the American economy. But we all need to be properly informed concerning the changes that we desire, how they will affect us, what the long and short term advantages and disadvantages will be, and (whether we like it or not) what the affects will be on America's big businesses - since they have invested so heavily overseas. [Remember, strong American big businesses mean lots of secure American jobs.] Being informed on proposed changes to the U.S. economy will be important so that you can cast an intelligent vote when given that opportunity.

Therefore I will put together a committee of volunteer (retired) financial and economic experts to do a study of changes that I will be proposing - including the de-globalising of our economy (at least the high paying jobs that we want back in this country) in an attempt to bring American wealth back to America. The committee will be composed of conservatives and liberals, Democrats and Republicans. This will assure a "checked and balanced" committee. This committee will be responsible for educating the American Taxpayers on issues that they need to understand about economics (like what globalism is and why our leaders made laws that allowed the American economy to be globalised in the first place).

The committee will educate the public and give them options concerning what to change and what not to change in our economy. This will all be done out in the open for all to see. We will use the "Meet and Vote" process and the nationally televised meetings that go along with it. That way the live audiences can ask questions. When all is said and done and your elected representatives have given their recommendations, the people will be asked to go to the polls and vote their conscience. Changes to the U.S. economy and the de-globalisation of it will be made in accordance with how the majority of American Taxpayers vote.

If left up to me alone I would probably make changes that are injurious to the economy (at least short term) in my zeal to return our economy to a more nationalized one. Since I fully understand that I am not an economics expert, nor do understand the vast and complex world of economics I will not run off in my own direction. The people will decide. I trust the people to decide their own future more than I trust their elected representatives. Especially after I have watched our leaders all stand by over the last few decades while all of this globalism nonsense has over thrown the American economy. By the way, to better understand how I think on this subject, please go to Index 2 and see "Globalism" and "Jobs". See also "The Big Deal" program in Index 1.

There is one other thing that I should probably mention here. I plan on stimulating the U.S. economy and rewarding the American Taxpayers for putting up with their federal government by asking your elected representatives to pass legislation concerning imported products purchased by the federal government. Since it is your tax money being used to purchase the never ending list of products that the federal government buys, it is only right that all of those products be "Made in USA". Therefore your legislators and I will work towards that end. This is only right and is guaranteed to do good things for the economy. State and local governments will be urged to follow suit, stimulating the economy even more.

For your information the Dow Jones Industrial Average consists of the following 30 big businesses (as of 12/08/06):

  • ALCOA Inc. (NYSE: AA)
  • Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO)
  • American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP)
  • American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG)
  • AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T)
  • Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA)
  • Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT)
  • Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C)
  • Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO)
  • E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD)
  • Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM)
  • General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE)
  • General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM)
  • Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ)
  • Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD)
  • Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON)
  • Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC)
  • International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM)
  • Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ)
  • J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM)
  • McDonald's Corp. (NYSE: MCD)
  • Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK)
  • Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT)
  • Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE)
  • Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG)
  • 3M Company (NYSE: MMM)
  • United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX)
  • Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ)
  • Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
  • Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS)
INDEX 1 - AGENDA INDEX 2 - ISSUES