Will Our American Dream Be Its Own Demise?

Lemme tell you a story about America...

Originally, we were the world's leading industrial nation. At least we were one of a few big players. So, we sold stuff to ourselves. Americans worked hard to produce the stuff other Americans made. "Buy American" was the way, and the stuff we sold to ourselves was quick, cheap, good, and pretty damn convenient, too.

Daddy worked hard in a factory or coal mine, so Junior or Missy could get a good education, grow up big and strong, and work at a desk in a "real job". No sense doing like Daddy and getting crushed by a coal wagon 4,000 feet underground. Just not the fashionable thing to do any more in the workplace...

Junior and Missy grew up and got their desk jobs. After that they wanted to settle down and raise kids and give them a chance at a better and "more real" job. So, we "got lazy". No more hard labor jobs for us. Let "other people" do this. Who cares if stuff is made here in America or in some other country?

With this mentality, we moved onward with the American Dream...

AND THE FIRE GREW...

So, we went through an industrial revolution. We had machines, food, cars, electric radios and TVs, and all sorts of other goodies that the rest of the world didn't have. In turn these other countries sought to buy this stuff from us. They paid for it, and we made a load of money. Back in those days the US was the big rooster.

In recent years, communication, travel, and the safe payment for and shipment of goods have all sped up drastically and are done conveniently. These conditions have "flattened" the global trading table. This has made it easy for all nations to do trade on more-or-less equal grounds. Everyone can buy or sell stuff to each other now.

So, only the way to make money in this situation is for you to sell what valuable things you have that the other guy doesn't have. Make sense?

Well, America certainly has a demand. All Americans love to get stuff quick, cheap, good (high or reasonable quality) and convenient. True to the American Dream, somebody here will sell stuff to us that complies to this formula. Problem is, we aren't making the stuff any more.

We are outsourcing. Let some fellow in another country make it.

Sure, good ol' capitalism dictates we do stuff well and offer it at a competitive price, right? Getting ahead at all costs, right?

NOW BURNING OUT OF CONTROL!

Now go to this index and read the article about "Ticking Time Bomb: The US-China Trade Deficit" and see if getting ahead at all costs is right.

- John

Read John's other articles at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/johnmelendez

Subscribe by RSS Feed: http://www.associatedcontent.com/rss/user_76423.xml