The Missing Key
By Seth Joiner
Is there a clear cut solution to our global economic situation or are we going
to have to wing it this time? They say that the key to the future is a solid
understanding of the past as the past always repents itself. If that is true
then we should be able to find solutions to our current problems from similar
problems in the past. But then I ask myself; is there really a similar situation
in the past for our modern global market place or is this truly a unique problem
that we have to tackle on our own with no previous situation to draw from?
Telephone, television, internet, intercontinental travel in hours instead of
weeks or months has made our world such a small place. We are able to do
business instantly anywhere in the world with a simple telephone call or email.
Is it any wonder that jobs that can be done elsewhere are being shipped all over
the world? Customer service departments are being sent to India, manufacturing
to China, agricultural production to South America, and technology in the USA.
How is this effecting each one of us on a national, local and personal level?
Have we gained a job from this technological explosion or have we been left in
the wake of this revolution? What are our leaders doing about this growing
problem or opportunity?
Governments are trying to “save” jobs by limiting imports and exports. Creating
taxes for corporations that are sending jobs elsewhere while giving tax benefits
to those that don’t. Or at least that is what they are telling us that they are
doing. But shouldn’t that have an even greater negative impact by driving these
corporations completely offshore so instead of losing some of the jobs all of
the jobs are lost?
Shouldn’t globalization be encouraged to create more opportunity for everyone
around the world?
When we look at history what can we learn. What lessons have been taught? Let’s
take a look at the United States before the “States” where united. Weren’t they
the original thirteen colonies? How did they get along? Weren’t they trying to
do the same thing as countries around the world are trying to do today? Protect
their local economies against outside trade to strengthen their own markets. In
reality they were just hurting themselves and in the end they joined together
and became the most powerful country the world has ever seen.
Could our world actually benefit if we had free trade and mutual cooperation?
We can see modern examples of cooperation and mutual growth in the European
Union. Countries that were devastated through years of war and suffering have
become some of the strongest economies in the world. The recently implemented
Euro has quickly become one of the strongest currencies in the world.
Cooperation for mutual benefit has had a tremendously positive effect on all
countries involved. In fact through there mutual cooperation they have become
another superpower in the world.
Now we have also seen the opposite of that when systems of government limit free
trade and promote racism or a one point of view option. Russia, Yugoslavia, etc.
etc. They have splintered apart at the cost of thousands of lives and broken
economies. They haven’t ever survived over the history of the world. Rome,
Greece, Persians and many others have all tried with limited success, but in the
end they always have splintered apart at great cost. With the greatest cost
coming from the individual lives that are effected.
So how does the modern global economy stack up with these other examples from
the past? Time will tell to whether we can come together in cooperation and
mutual growth or if our own ideologies will dictate how we work with others
around the world. We can argue that our national sovereignty out weighs history.
We can argue that for the good of the now we have to ignore the past but what
are we really doing to ourselves and the rest of the world?
If we truly believe in capitalism and free markets then we understand that there
is an abundance for all in this world. We have to have the vision, faith and
will power to choose the path the will create the greatest good for all. We will
be able to make this world a better place for all those that inhabit it from the
lest to the greatest.
Why should one country swimming in the opulence and the abundance of this world
be able to do whatever they want while poor countries have to do what they are
told, usually staying in poverty? We can say that they choose to live that way
or we could say that there is an abundance for all so wealthy countries should
open up their trade borders so that these weak countries can become strong
raising the standard of living for everyone around the world including the
countries that are already strong.
The Key is cooperation and MUTUAL benefit which hasn’t been the case in most
instances. It all starts with ONE…ME…NOW to make a difference. Let us be that
one that does something to help ourselves up or helps those around us up. How
will history judge this world wide technological revolution?