My name is Mark. Question Mark.
I have three questions for you today. I do not know the answers. I will tell you what I suspect are the answers. And I will be interested in whether you agree or don’t and why. Who knows where your opinions might count!!
Question one: Are the established European nations in the early stages of decline a-la Greece, Rome, the Ottoman Empire, etc.? If true, is it because the PERCENTAGE of increase in the standard of living of these countries is increasing less than the standard of living in the so called emerging countries such as India, China, South Korea, Taiwan, etc.? Even Russia? The argument has to acknowledges that the standard of living in the emerging countries is increasing from a much lower base therefore making it easier to show a higherpercentage of increase.
Question two: If the above is true, what is the base cause? Is it, as some argue, that while productivity per person in Europe is increasing, it is increasing at a slower lower rate per person than the rate per person in the so-called emerging countries. And again, is that productive decrease a result of (a) more government entitlements (b) higher personal taxes per capita or (c) government programs that undermine and dilute feelings of personal responsibility and personal pride? Or, as some say, that government encourages more holidays, shorter work weeks, all of which sets the wrong example.
Question three: If the answers to questions one and two are YES, then question three is this:
Are United States policies and actions leading us on the same downward curve some twenty to thirty or forty years behind Europe? If the answer is yes, the final questions are? (a) Is that what we really want? (b) If not, how do we stop the deterioration before it goes too far? And (c) Or has it already gone too far to stop?
The writer, honestly, does not know the answers but is concerned enough to ask. The answers could be life changing for millions of Americans and also for those countries affected by America’s ability to consume and in some cases provide honest and enlightened leadership.
Are the established European nations in the early stages of decline a-la Greece, Rome, the Ottoman Empire, etc.?
ReplyDeleteThe European nations are NOT in a decline similar to those experienced by Greece, Rome or the Ottoman Empire.
Those declines were driven by classic over-expansion. Europe’s slow decline is a function of cultural values and choices.
A nation does not need to decline simply because their productivity grows slower than developing countries. When the standard of living in those developing countries rises, they will have the same choices and trade-offs.
For sure, the recent over-expansion of financial leverage and Wall Street excess has caused the pendulum to swing
For sure, the pendulum is doing one of the many swings it has done throughout our history. But the core of this nation is that it is where productive people come to make the most of their live. We will create the new industries that make the most of global productivity.