America - downsizing, outsourcing?

My last post was about an upcoming traffic problem as the President comes to Los Angeles to campaign for the next election. 

My post was about the expected traffic but once the post went live on my facebook page there were all sorts of political comments.  I added many of the comments into the blog piece.

Things are tough in America.  The democrats blame the republicans and visa versa.  People comment that Obama has done little or nothing in two and a half years.  I suppose these folks expect magic.  What else could fix decades of decline in America overnight?  Nothing short of magic.

I try to lead a simple life and try to look at problems in simple ways.  This includes complex problems.

The issue with our economy is very complex but I try to break it down into a few simple issues.

We are a consumer driven economy.  Consumers support business.  Consumers pay taxes. 

There are fewer consumers today than there have been in a long time.  There are many reasons.  One of the reasons is outsourcing.  Some blame the government for making things too costly for business to remain in America.  Perhaps that is the case, in part.  I feel it is also the attitude of a segment of the population who expect very high wages and benefits for the task or work they perform. 

As the economy shrinks the cost of items rise.  People have come to expect cost of living increases in their wages.  One small segment of the overall problem.

Some people are downsizing.  Below is a video of a gal in Manhattan who has downsized in a drastic manner.  I love it.  She still has more space than a boat I lived on for years which was terrific.

There is another video of street dentists in India. 

If you are sensitive or have kids do NOT let them watch the dental video.

This is how a large segment of the world's average people live.  This is what America has to compete with when it comes to an expectation of life.

What do I think can be done to fix the problem? 

As I watch our government accomplish little more than arguing, blame and point fingers I have little confidence than things will improve. 

As I watch people expect more to do less I have little confidence that things will improve. 

As I watch education decline as teachers are expected to do more with less resources I have little confidence that things will improve.   

As I watch our government bail out banks and failed businesses who caused their own demise and allow companies like AT&T to reassemble the Bell System skirting the monopoly laws I have little confidence that things will improve.

As I watch the homeless population grow each year on the streets of Los Angeles and see foreclosures continue regardless of what the press reports I have little confidence that things will improve.

As I watch the press report that unemployment is dropping based on numbers which ignore people who have lost their benefits and have been dropped from those counted I have little confidence that things will improve.

A few comments from my facebook page:

Remember when NASA spent huge sums of money developing a pen that could write in zero gravity and the Russians just used a pencil?  America.  Some times you gotta' wonder.

On my facebook page in one of my posts there is a bit of dialogue on when some of the problems started.  Some of my thoughts were:   As far as when this problem started, I feel it started when the key to start a car was relocated from the dashboard to the steering column. The last great cars made in America had the key in the dash. GE made appliances that would last for decades. A water heater lasted for decades. Bell Telephone was a respected company where it is little more than an embarrassment as AT&T. 

Right here at home in Los Angeles I just read this - 4 LA councilmen fined a combined $13,300 for taking free tickets to Hollywood events: http://lat.ms/dSL0T9 Yes, take care of ourselves first and let the others wait in line and pay high prices.


The videos below ... how some others live in other parts of the world where there is little choice and how one has chosen to live in America where there is still some choice or at least a perception that the people of America have some control over their destiny. 

Our government protects the people with health laws and some basic rights that are very important but the cost of our government seems to rise each day.  Our government is anything but efficient.  They seem to lack the ability to fix problems or change a bad situation.  As long as their are other countries that can now compete in this global economy who can provide a service or product for less our situation in this country will not improve.  We need to support our local businesses and start to build products with pride and workmanship worthy of respect.  Big business need to pay taxes and support the country.

Until there is change, people will do things such as live in 90 square foot residences.  That is one thing that they can do to stretch a dollar and maintain an enjoyable lifestyle.  Across the globe where a 90 square foot residence would be a palace they will resort to street vendors for their medical needs and do what they can to survive as some of them crank out designer label clothes at less than a dollar a day in wages.