| During the industrial period, America was the most | | | | compared to the rest of the world) and most |
| innovative nation on the planet. We were the | | | | employers incur additional costs related to employee |
| creators of inventions that were unheard of and the | | | | wellness such as health-care. All these factors inflate |
| orators of accomplishments that were made of | | | | operating costs and reduce the profit margins of |
| dreams. As time progressed, we successfully | | | | American businesses, putting them at a significant |
| maintained our innovative prowess, while the rest of | | | | disadvantage to compete with foreign-based |
| the world attempted to catch up, but catch up they | | | | business. |
| did. Today, we are seeing the manifestation of | | | | The inability of American politicians to address and |
| globalization in great abundance. Nations are exporting | | | | balance globalized business with politics will continue to |
| and importing goods of every variety from every | | | | degrade what took this nation hundreds of years to |
| corner of the world. A positive side effect is that the | | | | build. Directly attempting to compete with these |
| citizens of nations who actively engage in global trade | | | | nations has not been beneficial and it carries the |
| often enjoy a better quality of life. America has | | | | adverse affect of driving American based businesses |
| maintained the most successful economic status for | | | | offshore. So the answer is simply to significantly scale |
| many years due in-part to the presence of a large | | | | down competition in the global commodities markets. |
| middle class. The same is happening in foreign nations. | | | | Education, specifically in the field of math and science |
| The increased global trade is giving rise to a middle | | | | is what will propel America forward and spur a new |
| class that is more educated, more determined and | | | | innovative revolution. The creation and |
| willing to take advantage of every possible | | | | implementation of assembly lines in American |
| opportunity. So what sets America apart from the | | | | manufacturing clearly demonstrates our mastery of |
| rest of the world today? The answer is very little | | | | innovation. Our efforts would prove futile at best if |
| and this is why. | | | | this strategy is pursued since our laws prevent the |
| While America was the first to pioneer many of the | | | | engagement of global competition at the price floor |
| technological advances that are commonplace today, | | | | (which could be significantly lower). Yet, we still feel |
| we have not yet progressed onward. Our | | | | the need to compete, even though it is costing us |
| infrastructure is aging and the nations that were | | | | more than profits. Instead of direct competition, why |
| categorically labeled as "developing" posses facilities | | | | not innovate through research and development. |
| that are far superior to ours. For instance, Japan | | | | There are global challenges that have yet to be |
| owns and operates the most technologically | | | | solved. Where will our next commercial fuel source |
| advanced trains on the planet. Yet no more than 65 | | | | come from? Why not concentrate our efforts |
| years ago, the nation laid in absolute ruin after the | | | | instead on finding new creative solutions to problems |
| Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings. With an embattled and | | | | that plague us as a nation such upgrading our |
| destitute military, the country found another way to | | | | decrepit infrastructure? If desperation breeds |
| engage in the global marketplace. Desperation does | | | | innovation, now is our time to innovate the same |
| indeed breed innovation, and Japan is the physical | | | | way Japan did after the war. Let the world's |
| embodiment of that philosophy. So in some aspects, | | | | emerging nations manufacture commodities. America |
| the U.S. has actually fallen behind. The commodities | | | | is at the point of desperation and education is one |
| market and its manufacturers are slowly becoming | | | | path toward innovation that is reminiscent of the |
| the new emerging superpower nations of the world. | | | | industrial period. It would be unwise to completely |
| The lax labor laws and inexpensive human capital of | | | | abandon our roots and rely only on service-based |
| countries like China, Thailand, India and Taiwan have | | | | business modeling. Just as diversification minimizes |
| all attracted U.S. based businesses offshore. Its no | | | | excessive risk in an investment portfolio, the United |
| secret that they can manufacture a product at a | | | | States should wisely employ the same strategies |
| fraction of the cost when compared to that of an | | | | when engaging in global trade. Reallocating some of |
| American manufacturer. To compound the issue, the | | | | our resources away from saturated, low-priced |
| standard of living in these countries is typically lower, | | | | commodity markets and redirecting them to cutting |
| which translates into nominal wages. In contrast, the | | | | edge research and development will restore |
| US maintains stringent labor laws such as a national | | | | America's competitive edge. The strength and future |
| minimum wage and in some cases, employee | | | | of America is not based on manufacturing, but on our |
| advocacy organizations like the various unions | | | | ability to innovate, just as we did during the industrial |
| operating within the automotive field contribute to | | | | period. Let's concentrate our efforts toward |
| inflated costs. In addition, the United States maintains | | | | innovation, and usher the globe into a new era. |
| a significantly higher standard of living (when | | | | |