Sunday, March 13, 2011

The American Dream & the Information Age


The cover of Time magazine's March 14, 2011, issue asked the question – Is America Still #1 or Is America in Decline?  I don't know why news organizations and political parties often feel they need to simply give you two extreme alternatives when presenting arguments about important issues. The truth is that there is usually some reasonable middle ground. 

For example, in this instance we can still say America is #1 but  America is being challenged in many areas and must now work harder to remain #1 or be one of the leaders in a particular industry or situation.  In fact, in some areas we may have elected to hand over the lead position as we shift our resources and attention to new industries and the challenges of the future.

As the world continues the transition into this new Information Age, we're facing great  turmoil and challenges – much like what we faced when we moved from the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age over a century ago.  We're in the midst of the transition, but America is well positioned for the future. The key is to persevere and continue to pursue the American Dream in this 21st Century. 

Let us continue to strive to be a strong and God fearing nation, not one that is fearful and weak-minded.  As a country, let us continue to make sound long term investments in our economy while also making sure we show respect and care for fellow citizens in our communities, especially when they are in need. Let's not become a nation of self centered individuals driven by excessive greed. 

The future is starting to look good.  We're making the transition into 'green' technology, biotechnology, information technology,  new transportation systems, online education, open source solutions, ehealth systems, and more.  We're changing old ways of doing business, moving to a global focus, industry collaboration, virtual offices, more and more government and business going online.  

It's one exciting time. What are some of the positive things you are seeing happen across our country? New businesses, new opportunities, new technologies that will positively impact us all in the coming decades.