Preventing A Third World America: How YOU Can Stop America's Decline

US News & World Report:

There's not much the typical American can do about sky-high unemployment, the massive national debt, or a flat-lining economy. But you're far from powerless. Here are 12 things ordinary folks can do to help position themselves, and America, for a comeback.

Read the whole story: US News & World Report

Comments

[Cougar28]

12:14 AM on 10/03/2010

Still in both wars! Real unemployment at 11-19%! tax cuts for rich extended! Gitmo still open! Goldman still running Treasury! Netanyahoo in charge of State Dept! Rendition alive and well! Patriot Act NOT repealed!!!

Why vote Dem or Rep anymore? What's the point?

[opposingthumb]

01:53 PM on 10/04/2010

You got it. Plus both parties want war with Iran. Special interests rule Washington.

[getoffmedz]

05:25 PM on 10/02/2010

STOP OUT-SOURCING, NOW!

[opposingthumb]

01:55 PM on 10/04/2010

I'll vote for the party that does that. Defend America not the world.

[rory talbot]

01:43 PM on 10/02/2010

Simple. Protect the Middle Class. Re-regulate Corps and Wall Street. Re-tax the super-wealthy at 91% (which was the top tax rate pre-Reagan) in order to balance the economic disparity. Institute tariffs on trade. Stop blowing the national wad on the military-industrial complex and on useless wars. Allow bankruptcy cram down for primary residences. Make usurious loan sharks illegal again. Make Elisabeth Warren the actual Head of the Consumer Protection Agency (not just some symbolic architect) and give it adequate funding and teeth. All suggestions that will never happen under the current reign of Dems and GOP.

[weekendpartier]

12:43 AM on 10/02/2010

Uh, folks: where did Thomas Edison make his stuff? The USA. Where did George Westinghouse make his stuff? The USA. And, if you're a stupid American and don't know who George Westinghouse was, three words: look it up. Where did GM make its cars in the first half of the most prosperous century in human history: The USA. And, so on and so on and so on.

[weekendpartier]

12:40 AM on 10/02/2010

This is the most ridiculous stories about saving America I have ever read. TWO things: Stop outsourcing good jobs to china and india, and STOP insourcing cheap tax-free laborers.

[getoffmedz]

05:26 PM on 10/02/2010

bingo

[Always Thinkin]

11:10 PM on 10/01/2010

I could have gotten as much out of a bunch of those inspirational posters you see in HR peoples offices as I could have out of this article. Completely worthless as far as a true critique of what must be done to right our ship of state. But, if you just lap up platitudes like dogs lap up toilet water be my guest!

[SwingingFromCenter]

11:02 PM on 10/01/2010

'Dey Terk Err Jooooooobs!"

[clevelandchick]

02:08 AM on 10/02/2010

They sent our jobs overseas.

[Patriot86]

09:45 PM on 10/01/2010

Rick Newman's article is not about preventing a third world America at all Basically it says just except a third world Aemrica, stop complaining and except the fact that you need to work more then one job, will never have leisure and will not have 'help' from the government...you know like Medicare and social security, but don't worry because you can be an entrepreneur and pursue a passion-oh and pay no attention to what goes on in Washington...you know trade, social security or whatever...why it won't affect you...join the school board...really...no problem...know what rick...you are a right wing BS artist and he!! will freeze before I listen to one world of your oh so lame advice...I say fight the bastids that want what Rick want for us which is a third world America and defeat them.

[schatsie]

09:11 PM on 10/02/2010

I agree with you entirely, this article smacks of Marie (let them eat cake) Antoinette or Babs Bush, "you are so lucky to loose EVERYTHING and get to start over with nothing".....

[graffitijoe]

08:04 PM on 10/01/2010

Lots of good advice there - I'm already doing most of them!

[texastrixie]

06:27 PM on 10/01/2010

Complete teabagger manifesto. One of the ways mentioned to fix things is read a history book. As an economics/history/journalism triple minor (no I never took one "fun" course in all my four years), let me tell you that reading a history book is not going to do much for your employability. Better you should read a book on working with the latest version of Windows 7.

[desertman]

06:37 PM on 10/01/2010

How about reading a book so when Windows 7 crashes you know what to do. Even better get someone to pay you to repair their system when it crashes.

No Whining - Joe Biden

[Y3rMawm]

04:11 PM on 10/02/2010

If you think you never took a fun course, then perhaps you missed your calling.

History is crucial, because as Paul Johnson said, "The study of history is a powerful antidote to contemporary arrogance. It is humbling to discover how many of our glib assumptions, which seem to us novel and plausible, have been tested before, not once but many times and in innumerable guises; and discovered to be, at great human cost, wholly false."

/wink

[Lenka Jensen]

11:46 AM on 10/13/2010

But what is most important: is to read history from the loosing side too. When studying certain periods in history, I try to read at least four different accounts of that particular time and only than do I make up my OWN mind what might have happened. Never trust the history which is told by the victors, since it is always tainted in their benefit.
Who was it that said that people without the knowledge of their past, have no future. I must add, a well scrutinized past.

[lightningbolt]

04:55 PM on 10/01/2010

They forgot the most important one:  keep the republicans and the right wing lunatics as far away from the government as possible.

[desertman]

06:33 PM on 10/01/2010

The editor of US News & World Report talks of a "great divide" in the US...those who have government salaries...and the rest of us. People who work for government - or otherwise are supported by the government - have made steady income gains over the last 30 years. Others have not. Government employee labor unions have grown while others have declined.

Being a zombie pays. And it's likely to pay even better in the future. Because now zombies control the White House (it was the zombie states...those that owed the most money...and those that get most money from the government) that elected Barack Obama. They control the Congress too. Zombies have the time (what else do they have to do?) and the resources (often, direct contact with the government itself) to get involved in elections. They have a motive too - they can pass legislation putting more money in zombie hands. Military contractors, tax lawyers, "educators" and the handicapped - all have a keen interest in elections. The rest of us have our work, business, families, careers to attend to. Not that every tax lawyer is a chiseler, every military contractor is a cheat, and every person who can't walk is a malingerer - far from it. But they have to be doubly honest and independent to avoid the corrupting gravity of Planet Zombie.

[lightningbolt]

09:09 AM on 10/02/2010

You are wrong.  This graph proves that you are wrong.  This graph shows that the rich are the only ones who have seen any significant income gains.

http://www.sustainablemiddleclass.com/Income-inequality.html

[gnomic]

04:19 PM on 10/01/2010

Lets not forget: Vote the GOP/GTP out!

[schatsie]

09:12 PM on 10/02/2010

GOP, Greedy Old Peckers.....