Winners and losers

Throughout history we see countries rise to greatness and then fall from within. This cycle has been going on for as long as we have had recorded history. Now before us, we in the USA are living through this change, just like when the USA went from a struggling nation after the Civil War to an industrial super power after World War II. We then had the most powerful economy and military that any one nation in modern times ever had.

Now the cycle is changing in the other direction. Look at the last 30 years alone. Our only export competition for quality products came from western European countries, and Japan. The Soviet Union, China, Eastern Europe, India, Brazil, and others were stuck in a time of communism and antiquated machinery. These countries and others were importers of our products and thus fueled our high standard of living, large social programs, expansion of the education system and many federal, state, and local programs.

Now, let's look at the world today. Remember in the early 1990s the first home computers were slow with little memory compared to today's massive speed, large memory, and unlimited programs.

There has been an explosion in computer technology which made huge changes in our job market of finance, office, business, etc.

This explosion in computer technology also happened in the industrial manufacturing world. Today robots mostly build cars with computers (PLCs-Programmable Logic Controllers) telling the robots every move to make, NOT WORKERS. Now we have seen the backward countries in the last 30 years do a total change. Remember people of any sex, color, or size around the world can do any job that any other person in a different country can do.

We have modernized with computers all manufacturing processes around the world, and with ocean-going shipping vessels any product can be anywhere in a week's time. We are now a ONE WORLD WORK FORCE.

Let's compare the USA with China.

The USA work force is around 180 million, China around 800 million.

USA deficit is around $16 trillion, China 0.

USA unpaid liabilities $75 trillion plus, China 0.

USA surplus 0, China $3 trillion plus surplus.

USA work force makes around 6.5 times more per hour than the per hour wage of the Chinese work force.

Who has larger exports, makes more automobiles, has the fastest growing economy? China. Who will become in the next two to five years the largest industrial power in the world? China. Which country has the most rules, regulations, restrictions, highest business tax, and largest government work force per population? Yes, the USA.

Remember when you hear from our federal, state, and local government employees how they got this grant or this taxing district money, and want to spend it here, there, and everywhere: It ALL is TAXPAYER money which increases the cost of all goods for us and for our products around the world.

We need a change in all levels of government and we need it ASAP. Note, history always repeats itself no matter what level of advancement in our society we live in. Man always makes the same mistakes over and over. Who do you think is going to go down in the history books this time as the country that falls from within, and thus becomes the LOSER?

Wayde Spiker is a resident of Spirit Lake.