Changing the Script

What script? The social script of discussion. What do we talk about? What interests us and what drives that interest? Is it hope, fear, horror or joy? Or something else?

What do we want it to be, the urge to discuss anything? Will we give in to the whine or complaint? Or will we look toward topics with substance to consider and think about; and thus lead us to new horizons, not only of thought, but of accomplishment?

I read an essay about “5 Factors That Could Turn America Into Another Collapsed Empire.” Here are their 5 factors:

1. Falling Birthrates
2. Globalized Trade
3. Rising Debt Loads
4. Eroding Work Ethic
5. The Challenge of Patriotism in a Multicultural Country 

Here are some quick comments from me on each of these:

Birthrates: we need to reproduce ourselves to keep the nation going. We don’t necessarily have to grow the population base, just replace it. Right now we are not. That means a declining number of people to invent new businesses, new processes, and help for those who are aging and can no longer do for themselves. China learned this lesson. They were focused on population control and demanded only one child per marriage. This has led to gender selection – girl babies are murdered and boy babies are prized. But the offset is that the natural balance between girls and boys and marriage and relationships and producing offspring is all out of whack. This creates several problems in totally unsuspected arenas!

Additionally, too few kids are taking on the parents’ businesses or households leaving the elderly in a real pinch. Over population is one issue to work on and control for the overall health of the planet. But culturally we must be able to at least replace ourselves.

More babies, please!

Globalized Trade: international trade is a must but it comes with challenges. The first challenge is loss of jobs if and when they are resourced outside our own nation. However, the theory of vigorous international trade is just this: lowest valued labor flows to where it exists thus freeing up our own labor for higher valued work, learning and excellence. Of course the problem is that those affected by job losses and the challenge to upgrade their skills, suffer through financial chaos and upset. The long term value, however, remains true: the nation that invents the future inherits the future. Cheap labor jobs and their industries almost always disappear in time.

So we must not fear trade whether foreign or domestic. We make things and produce services to sell. We get paid for such. That allows us time and treasure to invest in the next act of production. And invention. Anticipate, train and do. This will keep our nation strong.

Rising Debt Loads: If debt is rising out of proportion to assets owned, this is a problem. If debt is rising at a slower rate than asset growth, this is NOT a problem. Debt is not to be feared. Bad debt should be feared. It is a basic investment decision: will the debt produce more of what is needed or not? If not, don’t do the debt. And funding wants is not an investment. It is a self indulgence. Self indulgence will tear down a nation faster than anything. And we all know it.

Eroding Work Ethic: We all know people and even families where doing the least is the goal. Letting someone else do the work or earn the money is a prescription for profound failure. Yet we witness it happen over and over again.

This has been a good thing for me. I just keep working and doing because it is fun, challenging and rewarding. Life means so much more with this attitude than the opposite one. And I’m happy; the others are woefully unhappy and complaining constantly. One day they will either get the message and change for the good, or they will continue down their slippery slop of misery to their natural end. How very sad to waste life in this manner.

Observe successful companies, organizations, cultural institutions and families. They are engaged and engaging. They work hard and don’t put it off. They jump right in and act. They are happy and successful in many dimensions.

Challenge of Patriotism versus Multicultural Nationalism:  I know so many immigrants and not one of them is here because they don’t want to be. They are happy to be in America and many have become naturalized citizens. This is patriotism.

Having pride in one’s own culture is not anti-patriotic. They are two different things. In America one can celebrate their native culture and identity and still be a patriotic American. In fact it is America’s culture of freedom and tolerance for differences that makes multiculturalism possible in the first place. We celebrate Africans, Europeans, Asians and Native Americans. We celebrate Irish, German, English and all the other nationalities who live among us. Not all were acclimated easily but they were acclimated eventually.

It is part and parcel of what makes America great in the first place. Thank God for that!

So fiddle faddle on rumors of a dying empire! Besides there is no such thing as an American Empire. That concept is totally bogus.

June 17, 2016