Socialism, Tea Parties, Zombie Corporations

There is an unbelievable stream of rhetoric coming from everywhere these days on the U.S.and how socialism is taking over. I would like to be the first to say we are a long way from socialism. I just wish my in-laws would quit listening to Rush Limbaugh and his half truth or no truth rhetoric. I have also noticed the tea parties that are cropping up in different locations across the U.S. in protest of the latest Federal budget. Did the Republican party already forget how we got here? Eight years of tax cuts for corporations, reduced capital gains taxes, and tax cuts for all. You cannot have a balanced budget by spending more than you have coming in. Now, tea parties? C'mon, let's see some real protesting. Even those prissy Europeans know how to throw a good riot...something that is lost on those of us in the U.S. of A.

As U.S. citizens, no matter what your political leanings and your stance on anything from the stimulus package to the CEO of GM being forced out, stop being apathetic, stop listening to all the trumped up rhetoric. Most people in the U.S. need to grow a pair and educate themselves with facts. All the politicians want to do is get you whipped into a frenzy and feed you their party line. That is the real danger in the U.S., not the deficit, not socialism, it is IGNORANCE and being too APATHETIC to get the facts. We have to overturn this cultural drought if we hope to maintain our world leadership position.

We are spoiled and afraid of our own shadows when it comes to taking risks and living on the edge. That is why we are in danger of being overtaken by Chinese, Russians, and Indians. They know what being disadvantaged is, they know what pulling themselves up by the bootstraps is and they are not afraid. They embrace the challenge - all they want is opportunity. We have to be prepared to compete with this.

Zombie Corporations are companies that are basically on the verge of bankruptcy that are holding on by continuing to get funding from somewhere. The Financial Times this week warned of the high number of formerly strong companies that no longer have access to credit markets and are being propped up by their owners, by their parent firms, or by their creditors. All these attempts to keep the company afloat are desperate attempts to bridge the gap from last year to the next secure economy. Leverage used to be King, Now it is back to Cash is King....but I'd like to go further and say after this event we should say "Warchests are King". Because small firms that don't have a warchest are in danger of not even getting credit to carry them forward to deliver their next contracts, despite being able to make a profit. Anyway, the warning from the Financial Times is a harbinger of worsening conditions as firms will continue to cut staff and continue the downward spiral.

The fastest way out of this sluggish economy is for everyone to stand up and SACRIFICE a little, stop watching the doom and gloom news, and for companies to SACRIFICE a little, and for our leaders to stop taking cheap shots and LEAD for a change.