The Move Abroad
I just finished reading "The European Dream" and noticed that a very similar book was just released called "The United States of Europe." As far as the rest of the world is concerned, the American Dream "live to work" is failing and the European Dream "work to live" is taking over.
The poor young boy in Peru is no longer hoping to move to the U.S. someday, he's got his eye on Europe. The U.S. is a mess, especially since George W. Bush took office in 2000. We're just not that impressive anymore. Europe beckons.
It's not just the "dream," either. European companies are kicking butt in every sector, as U.S. companies hold steady or lose ground. Deutche Bank, Credit Swisse, Daimler Chrysler, Aventis --- every sector you can think of is tilting towards the European competitors and away from the American companies.
Europe may have a stronghold on "the dream," but the real engine of the world economy comes from a different place. And it ain't the good ole U.S. of A. India and China have economies that have been growing at incredible rates, and they haven't even begun their climb yet. Massive populations of well-educated citizens, low wages, and some smart arms-length partnerships with U.S. companies have made these two former "third world" countries the center of economic firepower. Manufacturing is more and more being based in one of these two places exclusively.
What's left for the USA? We can still thrive, even though "job loss" of manufacturing and IT services will continue at an increasing rate. We have an incredibly adaptive mindset here in the U.S., an entrepreneurial environment second to none. My vision is something you can see every night on the Discovery Channel. The show is called "American Chopper." These guys have a huge business creating fantastic custom motorcycles for people. As the commodities business goes overseas, the really interesting custom, creative work can be focused in the U.S. My wife's business of creating custom posing suits for fitness competitors fits in this same category.
The U.S. will always adapt to what happens in the world. We'll complain, we'll gripe, we'll threaten, and then we'll adapt.
11:06:49 AM 
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