The Economy is in Trouble - What do we do to fix this? Ideas Welcome -

[expat_panama]

...If you call for service and get a foreigner, ask for a worker in America, if there are none write the company. Look for products made here...

You're telling us to do things we won't do for the same reasons you don't.

The internet we use routes packets back and forth across borders and we don't care. We all view it on computers with some of the chips made overseas. We eat chocolate, vanilla, bananas, coffee, tea, and on other foods we put spices like pepper. We listen to Mozart and read the Bible not caring about foreign sources.

There is no protectionist so ideological who'd refuse a foreign medical discovery that could save his life. Same goes for things that make the life worth living.

 

[editec]

What can Americans do?

Not all that much, really.

They could start out by not hating their neighbors. They could stop blaming the various victim classes (their neighbors) and start blaming the leadership for what it has done to make it practically impossible for most people to thrive in this economic system.

They could start paying attention to who is actually making the macroeconomic decisions that are channeling the wealth out of this nation's working classes and putting it into the pockets of a very small group of insiders who have ZERO interest in what happens to this or any other nation or any other nation's people.

Keep telling yourselves this folks, because it is truer than true

MY NEIGHBOR IS NOT MY ENEMY​

Here's another thing you might want to do. Stop buying into the mantra that's been drummed into your heads that:​

GREED IS GOOD​

No it isn't. Greed is a pernicious philosophical disease and when enough of us buy into it, community (or in our case nationalism) is doomed to fail​

 

[expat_panama]

What can Americans do? Not all that much, really. They could start out by not hating their neighbors. They could stop blaming the various victim classes (their neighbors)...

Now that is a refreshing start; thanks!

How about instead of deciding we can't do much else and blaming those we voted for, a better course might be to first decide what we want, and second make it happen. I like unemployed people working and hungry people eating. What we can do together to make it happen is remove barriers we've collectively put in the way of wealth creation. As individuals we can work with what we have and be happy.

 

[HUGGY]

What can Americans do? Not all that much, really. They could start out by not hating their neighbors. They could stop blaming the various victim classes (their neighbors)...

Now that is a refreshing start; thanks!

How about instead of deciding we can't do much else and blaming those we voted for, a better course might be to first decide what we want, and second make it happen. I like unemployed people working and hungry people eating. What we can do together to make it happen is remove barriers we've collectively put in the way of wealth creation. As individuals we can work with what we have and be happy.

Americans HAVE decided what they want and what they want to do about it. They have decided to sit in front of their 60 inch flat screen TV, watch American Idol and eat chips,pizza and drink light beer. In the fall they watch football on their big ass TV. Not all Americans do this but the vast majority do and certainly the majority of voters do.

 

[Wry Catcher]

It's always best to take complex problems and break them down to managable components.

The simple solution to our economic malaise is simple: jobs.

We need to set aside ideological cliches and come together to put Americans back to work.

Under two Republican Adminsitrations The Congress passed bills to put Americans back to work: the Comphrehensive Employment and Training Act (1973) and the Job Trainings Act (1982) might guide the current Congress towards a solution, if only they would sit together and put our nation's people first.

Our infrastructure is aging and too much deferred maintenance has made much of it absolute or dangerous. By training the unemployed in the skills necessary to rebuild, replace or refurbish our electircal grid, our roadways, tunnels and bridges and our systems of public transportation we can, with an Apollo effort, get our economy moving again. All it takes is a will to do so.

Thus far The Congress has shown no will to put Americans to work. Of course they talk about it, but talk is cheap. The number one job for a member of the Senate or the House is keeping their job. Everything else is secondary.

 

[expat_panama]

...Americans HAVE decided what they want and what they want to do about it. They have decided to sit in front of their 60 inch flat screen TV, watch American Idol and eat chips,pizza and drink light beer. In the fall they watch football on their big ass TV. Not all Americans do this but the vast majority do and certainly the majority of voters do.

Ah yes, the old 'Americans are lazy, spoiled, materialistic, decadent slobs. Of course it's a damned lie, but what's amazing is how many morons within and outside the US repeat it and how they've been passing it on for so very long. Some historians point to it as one of the causes of WWII, that Hitler and Tojo honestly believed it and though we'd be a pushover. Same recently with Obama Sin Laden.

You might want to watch which company you keep.

 

[expat_panama]

...The Congress has shown no will to put Americans to work...

The idea that only the state can create jobs and employ people is right out of the old Soviet constitution --private hiring was a felony. It's good that congress is turning away from the USSR's path of Marxist self-destruction, but removing more obstacles to private hiring won't be easy considering the presidential veto.

 

[Toro]

Buy Canadian!

 

[Wry Catcher]

...The Congress has shown no will to put Americans to work...

The idea that only the state can create jobs and employ people is right out of the old Soviet constitution --private hiring was a felony. It's good that congress is turning away from the USSR's path of Marxist self-destruction, but removing more obstacles to private hiring won't be easy considering the presidential veto.

Well, I didn't expect everyone to set aside ideological cliches.

Notice is brought that two Republican Presidents, Reagan and Nixon signed acts which stimulated employment. Asserting that the government cannot create jobs, or if they could and did it would fundamentally change America into a socialist nation, is thoughtless ignorance and fear mongering at its worst.

The private sector has moved our manufacturing jobs overseas. By passing legislation to train our unemployed, award contracts to American business and industry and to rebuild our nation makes sense.

 

[Toro]

...The Congress has shown no will to put Americans to work...

The idea that only the state can create jobs and employ people is right out of the old Soviet constitution --private hiring was a felony. It's good that congress is turning away from the USSR's path of Marxist self-destruction, but removing more obstacles to private hiring won't be easy considering the presidential veto.

Yeah, Washington is arguing that "the idea that only the state can create jobs," and the stimulus is right out of the old USSR constitution.

lol

Outstanding.

 

[Wry Catcher]

...The Congress has shown no will to put Americans to work...

The idea that only the state can create jobs and employ people is right out of the old Soviet constitution --private hiring was a felony. It's good that congress is turning away from the USSR's path of Marxist self-destruction, but removing more obstacles to private hiring won't be easy considering the presidential veto.

Yeah, Washington is arguing that "the idea that only the state can create jobs," and the stimulus is right out of the old USSR constitution.

lol

Outstanding.

Assuming you're serious and your post is not sarcasm I have to ask, who said that ONLY the state can create jobs? As for the stimulus, in my opinion it was the right idea poorly implemented but may have kept us out of a deeper recession.

 

[Toro]

The idea that only the state can create jobs and employ people is right out of the old Soviet constitution --private hiring was a felony. It's good that congress is turning away from the USSR's path of Marxist self-destruction, but removing more obstacles to private hiring won't be easy considering the presidential veto.

Yeah, Washington is arguing that "the idea that only the state can create jobs," and the stimulus is right out of the old USSR constitution.

lol

Outstanding.

Assuming you're serious and your post is not sarcasm I have to ask, who said that ONLY the state can create jobs? As for the stimulus, in my opinion it was the right idea poorly implemented but may have kept us out of a deeper recession.

Washington is NOT arguing that only government creates jobs? Who in the government said that? The Keynesians argue that in the absence of private sector demand, government needs to stimulate growth. You can argue whether this is true or not but analogizing to the USSR is a shrill hyperbole.

 

[expat_panama]

Notice is brought that two Republican Presidents, Reagan and Nixon signed acts which stimulated employment....

Notice is given that Nixon's Keynesian law was followed by double digit unemployment and Reagan's law wasn't. Ooops, sorry about the 'notice' bit, sounds stupid.

...Asserting that the government cannot create jobs, or if they could and did it would fundamentally change America into a socialist nation, is thoughtless ignorance and fear mongering at its worst...

--almost as bad as soaring unemployment. Policy is important and we need to face facts even when they're unpleasant. Dang! You got me doing 'snarky' again, NOW CUT THAT OUT!!

The private sector has moved our manufacturing jobs overseas...

The private sector ain't the bag guy, it's good because it's made up of free people like you and me and together we've grown US manufacturing output by ten-fold over the past 70 years. The fact that American worker productivity has soared is not a bad thing either, and it's largely the result of the info/tech fields that've opened up since the 70's.

Workers moved from Detroit to Silicon Valley because it pays better.

 

[AVG-JOE]

...The Congress has shown no will to put Americans to work...

The idea that only the state can create jobs and employ people is right out of the old Soviet constitution --private hiring was a felony. It's good that congress is turning away from the USSR's path of Marxist self-destruction, but removing more obstacles to private hiring won't be easy considering the presidential veto.

Well, I didn't expect everyone to set aside ideological cliches.

Notice is brought that two Republican Presidents, Reagan and Nixon signed acts which stimulated employment. Asserting that the government cannot create jobs, or if they could and did it would fundamentally change America into a socialist nation, is thoughtless ignorance and fear mongering at its worst.

The private sector has moved our manufacturing jobs overseas. By passing legislation to train our unemployed, award contracts to American business and industry and to rebuild our nation makes sense.

What if the government changed the tax code for corporations, making non-executive payroll the only legal deduction? Would that create a job or two? Would government get the 'creation' credit? Would they deserve it?

There's a LOT that government could do to make employment a priority - step one is to give a shit about the American worker.

 

[AVG-JOE]

Don't forget folks, the majority of our politics is funded by big business and business has a vested personal interest in securing the cheapest labor they can find. 10% unemployment = cheap labor... paying politicians and lobbyists to foment policies that help maintain 10% unemployment is worth every dime they spend on politics.

Under the current tax code, big business also knows that it won't have to pay the unemployment and welfare required to keep the unemployed from bothering the tourists on the street - that burden is firmly shouldered by the 90% of us slaving away in middle class jobs.

 

[WeyrichWasRight]

We certainly need better protections from cheap imports. Stronger immigration policies against the huge number of illegals in this country who not only take jobs but use public services to a vast degree.

Obama needs to accommodate the tax cutting efforts of Congress, too, to make the governemt more efficient. Plus, the war in Afghanistan is a financial drain which we can't afford. Lower taxes... All this is pretty basic to conservatives.

 

[HUGGY]

OK...the problem as a whole is too big to fix....or is it? Are we just shit out of luck? Maybe not. What if we could do something that would still allow us to be the spoiled brats we are and have manufacturers clamoring at our gates to build things here? Well ....there is a way. No I am not crazy... Here is the elevator pitch:

Helium 3.

Helium-3 Fusion Energy

The trick is to have the gubmint spend the money to send people to the moon to mine it. It has been building up right on the surface of the moon for billions of years. It just needs extracting from the sand. If WE can have Helium 3 fusion reactors built by the government (the project is too big for private enterprise) we can have private companies run the reactors and make some money and the cost of electricity will fall like a rock. We can have an exclusive on the Helium 3 if we get off our butts and send a crew to the moon to get it. With THAT ace up our sleeve we can offer next to free electricity to prospective manufacturers to set up shop here in the USA.

 

[ALocalWay]

I must say that I was unaware of all that I would have to think about when I started this thread - I am more than pleased with the debates that are being put out to be discussed. So much that I had not thought of on my own. I have to say that after all that has been said I am no less motivated to push forward and help solve the problem. I am one person that puts forth effort on this everyday - my eyes were opened after years of living in ignorance so I have to believe that others can be educated to the problem as well.
That being said - keep the thread going - I will be on the road for the next two days and there are many valid points coming out.
thanks to everyone for the thought put into all the comments - it is amazing how much info someone can get from a forum - maybe if we can get all Americans to start hanging out here instead of Facebook then things would change ;-)
Will I get banned for saying "Facebook"? I am not promoting it!!!!

 

[ALocalWay]

I wanted to say one more little thing - I know I should "lighten up" but there is still a little tinge I feel when someone talks ugly about America - this is something that I don't know if i can be cured of. With every generation that has passed since the revolution it is true that our patriotism has become diluted. It soars when we as a people feel our freedoms and liberties are being threatened. Maybe if Americans realize their way of life is being threatened a surge of "doing the right thing" will occur. I am treating this battle against middle class America like a war from here on out. Americans will pull themselves out of this and it will not be because big business or politician had mercy on them. The American spirit is alive and well in my heart and it is a powerful thing when it spreads.
God Bless America!
( okay - I am ready to take a ribbing for the soap box speech )

 

[Avorysuds]

The problem currently is unfixable. Politicians vote the "i care" vote because even as shit falls apart they get to claim "But I cared" despite their policies being a big part of the problem.

1)Illegal immigration destroys jobs and depresses wages while rising the costs on goods and services, I can only base this on the most basic reality, food/housing... Not even getting into what it does to education and other social services. Politicians play the "I care" vote and do nothing while trying to be the party to pass amnesty to win later votes.
2) Wars… Bush started 2, Obama expanded 1 of them, lied about ending the other and started 2 more… They both play the “I care” vote by declaring killing civilians and other government’s militaries is humane and the US’s responsibility?
3) Bail-outs. Bush and Obama both bail out rich people and Unions, wall street and Banks all the while claiming ”I care,” because if they didn’t we would be in a depression and that means they saved you!
3) Stimulus, Both Bush and Obama again gave friends massive amounts of money as a way to say “I care” and the reason again was to help everyone despite the fact that the stimulus’s have failed at every single thing these 2 presidents claimed they would do… Every single fucking thing…

Torture, Homeland security and so much more… all “I care” votes. Remember guys, It might have been the “last thing” Obama wanted to do, but he did it, over and over because… well because Obama cares =D