America was once the unmatched financial and manufacturing capital of the world. After years of globalization the country is now being challenged by other major world economies. America’s problems begin and end with our cultural values more than with our business intelligence and abilities. The first major problem is a culture of entitlement. United States policy makers, business leaders, and school administrators should no longer engage in all of the “feel good” programs that are encouraging workers to have a sense of entitlement without effort. This sense of entitlement is reducing our drive to succeed through the sweat equity each of us must bring to the table in order to survive. Recently, Federal Reserve Board chair Ben Bernanke bluntly warned that Congress’s failure to handle the budgetary strains on the U.S. economy is likely to cause economic difficulties. These economic difficulties are being caused by entitlement programs that will rise to 15% of the GNP by 2030. The second problem is a culture of big government. Government should relax legislation and taxes on important business enterprises. We all understand that some legislation is necessary in order to move society in the right direction. However, government has become so large and powerful that the cost of doing business in the United States is more than in other countries. For example, a report commissioned by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Senator Charles Schumer found that the U.S. will lose its place as the world’s leading financial center in the next decade without changes in Sarbanes-Oxley regulations. The government needs to reduce regulations on those industries that must have a chance to compete without carrying a 100lb ball behind them. There are many problems that the new generation must overcome in order to maintain its place in the world arena and these are not covered in this article. However, a good place to start would be returning back to the American work ethic and the concepts of having less government. Government legislation is the manifestation of the people’s culture and changing this culture to one that is productive and flexible is important. China will be the world’s new leader by 2015 if America does not wake up, put down their television remotes and get involved. Murad Ali is a two time book author, a Ph.D. candidate and a human resource management. Visit http://www.thenewbusinessworld.blogspot.com and http://www.onlinebusinessconcepts.blogspot.com
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