People need to be inspired to make the choices that create the new opportunities for themselves, their families, communities and countries.

Comment

Comment by Elaine M Lyles on August 7, 2009 at 7:58am

Do we dare ask, how did we get here? This "financial tsumani," which causes us to deliberate on how to take care of those who are unable, at this time, to take care of themselves.

I would be willing to contribute to a system that supports the good of the "whole," to the degree that the system is structured in such a way that it empowers individuals to make conscious choices about their lives and their ability to participate on the level they seek to aspire.

This is such a forum, clearly there are individuals here who aspire to do better, to be better, to contribute the best of their talents, gifts and abilities. We struggle right now to discern how to create an environment in which all the inhabitants can contribute their fair share to the insfrastructure necessary to support the whole.

Here, Argus, is finding ways to support those who have the desire, passion and ability to succeed. Here, we are finding ways to make the situation better, accessible, and viable to those that seek to participate, collaborate and contribute.

I don't believe it is a case of us against them. But rather a change in consciousness where we recognize each other as a part of the whole and find ways to make the system better address the needs of the whole | together.

I recall this, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, ONE nation, under GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Comment by Jim Searing on August 6, 2009 at 9:50am

The good news is this: the generation of people under 35 who are extraordinarily smart, talented and motivated. If one is looking for inspiration, stand outside the parking lot of most leading universities in and near cities at 6pm during the school year. It is awesome to see the number and diversity of people on their way to college at night after working an entire day. Many of the classes go until 10pm. Or visit a community college or a university with the word 'institute' or 'technology' in its title. Or just look at all the bright and ambitious and creative people we work with. And then multiply that by the sheer masses of people across the world who will invent the future.

Also, there are so many advances taking place in engineering, science, medicine, materials, alternative energy, etc. that we can't see yet but that is somewhere in the pipeline that will radically change our ideas about limits. People's ingenuity can advance despite higher tax rates, heavy regulation, lack of financing, and many of the other constraints and roadblocks. The financial trainwreck we are living through is going to spur more innovation and creativity, not less. I don't think that higher taxes, which are inevitable, or even the broken political system are going to stop the bright and ambitious Generation Y (as known as the Millenial generation) from doing great things for the world. We could do more to spur and channel the innovation by doing some smart things like;

-Building new infrastructure (how is it that we can take a high speed train to Tibet but not to Chicago?)
-Extending the protection period for patents from 17 years to over 25
-Getting serious about alternative energy
-Figuring out what to do with urban blighted cities
-Investing some government dollars with organizations like Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia and other venture capital firms, alongside private money, to enable entrepreneurs to build the future companies that will create the jobs and wealth needed to fund the future.
- (Insert your idea here!)

Out of all the dislocation we are living through, in the real economy, billions of people are making essential decisions to save, survive, invest, and move forward. It is going to be OK, we just don't know how!

Comment by Jim Searing on August 6, 2009 at 2:36am

Mark, I think the other concern is the fact that our generation, the Baby Boomers, have a continual mode of operation for every problem: Appropriate the funds, and send the bill to our children and their children's children. Any time our political class deems it needs to do something, it is 'get it now, pay later'. Such behavior is immoral and will lead to lower living standards and slower growth. And yet the economist class seems to be oblivious to it; the banking class receives a 'pass' because it is 'too big to fail' and our political leadership (note I am not singling out any one party on this, there is plenty of blame to go around) feels that they have a blank check for anything and everything. It is as if they believe that there is one giant ATM in the sky. Punch in the codes and receive billions/trillions from the machine. We are a society with no limits, or rather one that thinks and acts like it has no limits. You asked "where will it end if we don't stop it?" When will it end...most likely when others stop buying our debt instruments and the cost of capital goes through the roof. All I can add is 'Not well" or at least "Not something we've ever seen before as Americans." We are in uncharted, perilous waters. When will we get our wake-up call?