“We've
indulged in this fiction that we can build a vibrant economy by deregulating
the financial sector, and cutting taxes, and putting off investments in things
like infrastructure and education and our kids. But we can't anymore. And now
we have to ask the question about what really went wrong.” Sen. Elizabeth
Warren (D-MA), from Rana Foroohar's “Makers and Takers” (2016)
To
solve this pressing and systemic problem, the last place to look for insight is to any big
government progressive like Elizabeth Warren. Likewise, to her fellow travelers of Congress's spendthrift establishment (of both parties). In truth,
the insulated beltway bubble has no clue regarding what fundamentally remains
wrong with America's economy. Ms. Warren's so-called solution,
“investments in things,” is code for increased federal deficit spending. Yet,
the government is flat broke: thanks, in large measure, to the
already-tried-and-failed policies of Barack Obama, and Ms. Warren's fellow Democrats. In fact,
over President Obama's two terms the average annual GDP growth was a measly 1.48%. Another disgrace was his virtual doubling of the
nation's debt by a whopping $9.3 trillion. Funding wasteful schemes like his American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (more commonly known as the Economic
Stimulus Act) injected $787 billion into the marketplace, but to no avail. The
economic malaise persisted because ill-equipped people—making wrongheaded
decisions—were in charge. Simply put, Obamanomics conclusively demonstrated
that Washington cannot tax, borrow or spend the nation into prosperity.
Politically,
what's the definition of insanity? Electing the same types of people doing the
same things, but expecting a different outcome. (Thus, perhaps
the main reason Donald Trump was elected president, in 2016,
is neatly explained.) More to the point, on an economic level,
what's the definition of insanity—other than doubling-down on what has been
done previously? Thanks to President Trump, and the promise of Republican tax
cuts, the tide—superficially—has started to turn. However, a record-setting
Wall Street is not the same thing as a booming Main Street.
After all, Wall Street is based upon the return on investment by stockholders.
That's rather far removed from real-life factors like creating homegrown
American businesses, generating highly skilled domestic jobs or providing
Americans opportunities to advance up the socioeconomic ladder. So, the
true test of a strong economy is an expanding, upwardly mobile middle class.
Yet, this all-important demographic has been declining for more than 40 years:
“After
more than four decades of serving as the nation’s economic majority, the
American middle class is now matched in number [read: statistically equivalent
to] by those in the economic tiers above and below it. In early 2015, 120.8 million
adults were in middle-income households, compared with 121.3 million in lower-
and upper-income households combined, a demographic shift that could signal a
tipping point, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government
data.”
For context, in
1971, 61% were in the middle class compared to only 50% in 2015. This disturbing
trend depicts the downward spiral
rotting the fundamentals of our economy from the inside out. What is it that we
did better in those prior years that we're not doing now? Back then, did we not
produce competitive products—products that truly satisfied one or more
customer's needs better than what was produced by international competitors? In
other words, did American made products and services not dominate global
markets—and did that not naturally result in sustained economic prosperity for
the majority of our society?
As
our middle class is clearly hollowed out, that's not happening today. Indeed,
the anecdotal evidence is literally in everyone's face. Are the devices that
populate your daily existence constructed by American hands, or others? (On a
related note, how about the manufacturer of your vehicle?) After all, what
customers chose with their wallets is meaningful. Thus, one can reasonably
infer that a common sense reason exists as to why American businesses are not
patronized as they were by past generations. Logically, at its root is the
reality that the consumers' needs are no longer being met so they have looked
elsewhere. What's also apparent is that, generally speaking, American companies
are being outcompeted by their international counterparts for the world's
largest market share.
How
is that happening? It's because U.S. businesses rely upon
financial shell games designed to generate profits on their balance sheets.
This has the superficially positive effect of artificially buoying the stock
price (benefiting executives' salaries and stockholders' investments), while
inversely gutting the real-world ability of a company to compete in the global
marketplace. If that is not the case, why do American corporations widely
participate in cost-slashing measures like corporate inversion, using inferior components in U.S.
products (read: bailed out GM's Ignition Switch Scandal) and outsourcing jobs?
Contrast that
mind-set with fundamentally producing products and services that excel at
satisfying one or more customer needs for a true competitive advantage in the
worldwide market. Instead, U.S. companies engage in modern-day finance-based
parasitic behavior: absorbing weaker firms, often stripping them of their
employees and selling off divisions for quick infusions of cash to elevate the
“almighty” stock price. In popular culture, this dynamic was immortalized by
the contentious exchange between corporate raider Edward Lewis (Richard Gere),
and embattled “old-time” business owner Jim Morse (Ralph Bellamy) in “Pretty
Woman” (1990):
Morse:
“Mr. Lewis, if you were to get control—and I don't think you will—but if you
did, what do you plan to do with the company?”
Lewis:
“Break it up and sell off the pieces.”
Morse:
“I'm sure you'll understand I'm not thrilled at the idea of your turning years
of my work into your garage sale.”
Lewis:
“At the price I'm paying for this stock, Mr. Morse, you are going to be a very
rich man.”
Morse:
“I'm rich enough. I just want to head my shipyard.”
Morse
represents the only viable direction by which America can
rightfully regain her former glory as an economic superpower—exploiting
technology more effectively than the competition for products and services that
have a true competitive advantage in the marketplace—technology-based planning.
By contrast, Lewis is just manipulating the finances to produce a profit. He doesn't
create anything of value to society; he exploits capitalism simply to further
enrich his moneyed class.
As an analogy,
following “Lewis's lead” is where so many U.S. corporations have gone wrong. In
truth, such “monkey business” only produces an artificial competitive
edge, and being artificial it is not sustainable. Eventually the company—as the country—runs out finances to
manipulate and everything comes crashing down. A true competitive advantage in the worldwide market—as
demonstrated by countries like China—is a result of exploiting the technology
more effectively the competition. This is mandatory for businesses to thrive in
the 21st century—and beyond!
How does one
achieve this illusive key to lasting success? For that answer, one must look to
Ronald Reagan's Commission on Industrial Competitiveness, circa 1985.
Remarkably, this forward-thinking president was troubled by the overt
financialization of the U.S. economy, and specifically, its adverse impact on
American competitiveness. In response, Reagan launched a then classified
initiative known as the Socrates Project with the mission of transitioning the
U.S. back to technology-based planning—and away from the type of
financial shenanigans mentioned above.
It was so astonishingly effective that it far surpassed what countries
like Russia, Japan and China were executing or could execute in the foreseeable
future.
In
turn, the Socrates Project developed the Automated Innovation System. Today, it
can map global technology—high-tech, low-tech, “no”-tech –in real time. In
function, it operates like a digital four-dimensional chessboard showing
foreign organizations' and countries' plans for exploiting worldwide
technology. Specifically, it details
the full range of present and future technology opportunities, and constraints,
that can be exploited by U.S. public and private organizations for the
essential competitive advantage to bring true and lasting economic
prosperity back to America. How
wonderful would it be for President Reagan’s vision to be finally realized in
2017! If spearheaded by the Trump
administration, private industry and government can adroitly outmaneuver
foreign competitors in the exploitation of worldwide technology at will.
Furthermore,
the Automated Innovation System dictates how funds, manpower and natural
resources etc. must be deployed to generate the all-important competitive
advantage. Specifically, the System shows how money, and the wide
range of other resources, should be appropriately allotted, while simultaneously
detailing up-to-the-moment strategies that block competitors with equivalent
aims. Vitally, it operates in the time frame before a new
product or service comes to market—from a few months to several years. That's
important because this ability eliminates the sudden emergence of so-called
disruptive technology that, at present, consistently catches flatfooted
American corporations unaware.
Twitter: @DavidHunterblog
http://patriotpost.us/commentators/446
http://www.americanthinker.com/author/david_l_hunter/
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