Friday, March 9, 2018
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Where do we sit?
Ok people, this the situation, right now we have a problem. Actually a number of problems, to name a few
1. The unemployment rate, currently at 8.3 or 8.2 percent, depending on who you ask. This is, lacking a better word, bad. It's not as bad as it could be, but anyone who thinks the current situation is "good" is smoking something. How we get out of it is a long, complex, conversation.
2. Our educational system. Right now there are over 300,000 jobs that need to be filled. Why can't those jobs be filled? because we aren't teaching the right skills. American education is designed to steer people towards a liberal arts education and a white-collar job (or perhaps more honestly a polo collared one at a big-box store like best-buy, target, or walmart). This means that people aren't equipped to do the jobs that need to be done because they were too busy taking classes that were light on homework and mulling their futures as a medical theoretical administrative technologists. In summary, we aren't training people to do what needs to be done, that needs to be changed.
3. Our political system. Usually (for the past 200+ years) Washington has been a relatively quiet town which was primarily inhabited by homely, genial, technocrats who did their thing. Things changed by degrees, people got along, and occasionally with big issues, the city would be swarmed by an deluge of angry marchers who would help nudge the politicians one way or the others. Now with the rise of money in politics, astroturf artists, shows like "The West Wing" the revolving door between government and K Street, and the current state of campaign finance law has served to make DC a haven for the young, beautiful, and ambitious. THIS IS A TERRIBLE THING! I am all for diversity, HUGE DIVERSITY, in government. However when people try to "make it big" in government they wind up screwing a lot of people. Say what you like but I believe that lawmakers and their staffs' ought to be working in the interest of their constituents, all of their constituents.
4. Our economic system. "All calories are the same, it doesn't matter if they're coming from kale or cognac" does that make sense? Of course not, it's bull...stufff. For the past 35 years our economy has been operating on that basic principal. That a dollar, no matter where it comes from is a good dollar. That's moronic, the idea that a dollar earned at a marijuana dispensary, or a strip club, gives the same benefit to the economy as a dollar made by a machine shop or a tech firm is insanity. Why? because what does a good strip club bring to the area....nothing I'd want in my back yard. What does a good tech firm beget? I don't think that question needs answering. America needs not only to have the best business environment in the world, but an environment which seeks to foster the growth of the best businesses.
5. Our trade system, currently our trade system is run by a bunch of priests who worship at the most sacred altar of free trade. That would be great if everyone was playing the same game, they're not. For years we have been played for suckers, we have signed countless trade agreements, rewritten our tax codes, and stripped away protective regulations, and chased short-term economic goals far more zealously than long term competitiveness.
This are the first five reasons we're in trouble, expect me to edit, expand, and expound upon this list in the coming weeks.
1. The unemployment rate, currently at 8.3 or 8.2 percent, depending on who you ask. This is, lacking a better word, bad. It's not as bad as it could be, but anyone who thinks the current situation is "good" is smoking something. How we get out of it is a long, complex, conversation.
2. Our educational system. Right now there are over 300,000 jobs that need to be filled. Why can't those jobs be filled? because we aren't teaching the right skills. American education is designed to steer people towards a liberal arts education and a white-collar job (or perhaps more honestly a polo collared one at a big-box store like best-buy, target, or walmart). This means that people aren't equipped to do the jobs that need to be done because they were too busy taking classes that were light on homework and mulling their futures as a medical theoretical administrative technologists. In summary, we aren't training people to do what needs to be done, that needs to be changed.
3. Our political system. Usually (for the past 200+ years) Washington has been a relatively quiet town which was primarily inhabited by homely, genial, technocrats who did their thing. Things changed by degrees, people got along, and occasionally with big issues, the city would be swarmed by an deluge of angry marchers who would help nudge the politicians one way or the others. Now with the rise of money in politics, astroturf artists, shows like "The West Wing" the revolving door between government and K Street, and the current state of campaign finance law has served to make DC a haven for the young, beautiful, and ambitious. THIS IS A TERRIBLE THING! I am all for diversity, HUGE DIVERSITY, in government. However when people try to "make it big" in government they wind up screwing a lot of people. Say what you like but I believe that lawmakers and their staffs' ought to be working in the interest of their constituents, all of their constituents.
4. Our economic system. "All calories are the same, it doesn't matter if they're coming from kale or cognac" does that make sense? Of course not, it's bull...stufff. For the past 35 years our economy has been operating on that basic principal. That a dollar, no matter where it comes from is a good dollar. That's moronic, the idea that a dollar earned at a marijuana dispensary, or a strip club, gives the same benefit to the economy as a dollar made by a machine shop or a tech firm is insanity. Why? because what does a good strip club bring to the area....nothing I'd want in my back yard. What does a good tech firm beget? I don't think that question needs answering. America needs not only to have the best business environment in the world, but an environment which seeks to foster the growth of the best businesses.
5. Our trade system, currently our trade system is run by a bunch of priests who worship at the most sacred altar of free trade. That would be great if everyone was playing the same game, they're not. For years we have been played for suckers, we have signed countless trade agreements, rewritten our tax codes, and stripped away protective regulations, and chased short-term economic goals far more zealously than long term competitiveness.
This are the first five reasons we're in trouble, expect me to edit, expand, and expound upon this list in the coming weeks.
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