Herman School of Business
Where Do We Go From Here?
For about two years I have been shouting “too much debt” and “we are living in a false economy” and some people told me to quiet down and stop being negative. Funny, I thought I was being honest, realistic, and taking a positive approach to my world. Well, one thing is certain, whether it was being negative or not it is the world others now agree with me about…America is not doing as well as we thought.
From the post-war era in the 1950’s it seemed that people around the world just stood back in awe as we worked our butts off producing goods, buying stuff, and expanding our lifestyle until we reached a pinnacle at about the turn of the millennium. But near the end of the last century technology made the world a much smaller place. The “watchers” started to want what they saw that we had. Why couldn’t Russians wear Levi’s and watch MTV? The Japanese loved our music, our movies, and our real estate. They started providing us with “Walkmans” and other SONY products and they were getting enough money flowing their way that they started buying up American Icon properties in New York, Chicago, and even our prize golf course, Pebble Beach. We didn’t care, the American Sellers made a fortune.
While we were sleep-walking through a credit card haze making purchases because it seems to be our God-given American Right to have more stuff…we were feeding other countries with our greenbacks…which they used to start building their cities, carving out their roads, and importing cars to move about just like us. We snoozed on and went deeper into debt. They loved the money and gave up bicycles for old beat up Chevy’s. Next came huge cities with modern conveniences and suddenly traveling the globe wasn’t full of adventure and hardship…those foreign lands had our hotels, and our McDonalds…except for the fact that the people we met didn’t speak English all the time like we did…it was almost like being home.
Listen, these other lands haven’t passed us yet, but they are catching up. Evening the scales of lifestyle is a good thing. Americans have been like the rich people of many lands from the past where a few enjoyed the bounty while many lived on the crumbs. But, come on people, we are still full of opportunity and way ahead of those other lands who “woke up” and stopped watching us and started living their own lives moving closer to our lifestyle.
Like a racehorse who is way out in front and suddenly hears footsteps behind him we can do one of two things…look over our shoulder and slow down because something is chasing us…or look straight ahead and sprint for the finish line. Stop grousing, people. It is what it is. Keep running until the race is over and you can still win!
- Posted: 9 July 2008
- Comments: 0
- Category: Business success
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