Make America Great Again - Alternative Model
An often stated solution to stimulate American economy and increase American jobs is "Buy American." This will involve spending more for the same product. This invariably leads to domestic inflation and restricted international trade. Retaliatory steps by other countries will lead to a marked drop in American manufacturing and agricultural exports. An alternative approach is for trading countries, trade treaties and WTO working towards "Balanced Trade" between countries. A trade IMBALANCE MAY BE above 10% in any given year AND 5% over a fiver-year period. The balance in trade should cover manufactured goods, agricultural produce AND military sales. Countries with high exports will be forced to open up their own markets and stimulate domestic consumption. "Buy American" was the effective economic model in America since WW II till the early 1990's. It is based on a society that has two-earner income with a high standard of living (drowning in borrowed money) and chasing and purchasing the American dream and products often with heavy indebtedness. American economy is two-third driven by consumer demand. Directly and indirectly this has resulted in Federal debt of 19 trillion dollars, with an equal amount in personal and education debt; and a similar amount in corporate debt. The POST - WW II American model has resulted in: High stressed families with 50% divorce rate. A decade from now the annual extended family reunion will disappear. Psychological-psychiatric illness (three times that of Western Europe) and high incidence of social and domestic violence.High Child delinquencies, drug addiction and school drop-out ratesRapidly escalating health-care costs due to third party caring for aging parents / grandparents and end-of-life care. How does it benefit a family for the parent to go to a barely-above-minimum-wage job; while society / government pays for skilled workers to care for the child in day care and pre-K or pay for round the clock hospital and nursing-home cost for adult-senior care? For too long Americans have been fodder for the economy or military. I am only stating the obvious that American society is paying a heavy price of our pretentious high standard of living and near-full employment. In the alternative model the thrust would be a greater priority on quality of life, care of children and other first degree family members, likely a lower standard of living without the need to own the latest entertainment gadget, car, appliance or fashion; and certainly less debt and debt-related issues. This was the American socio-economic model PRE - WW II, so I am not re-inventing the wheel. Regards Gilbert Lawrence
