The US can’t even make a Coo Coo Clock.

Switzerland has about 8 million people, Sweden about 9 million.  When you look on the actuarial tables of the world’s Insurance Companies, you will always find both of these countries right up there when it comes to mortality.  These people live the longest, eat the best foods, live in the best environments, have the latest technologies and enjoy the highest levels of employment and social services/healthcare.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Switzerland

http://www.trueknowledge.com/q/population_of_sweden_2010

Interestingly enough, both countries have tried to do some basic things that have maintained their excellence.  Albeit, that Sweden recently has been experiencing a problem with the influx of Islamic Immigrants.  The “Malmo Ghetto” for instance, is a major concern.  Denmark has already began to restrict immigration for certain groups of people, to stave off the ravaging of the country’s social and healthcare programs financially.

There is little doubt that Switzerland has the very best food in the world.  They are and have been able to maintain this level of quality through tariff protectionism for their local farmers.   Additionally, food is treated with the greatest of respect in Switzerland.  Strict regulation on pesticides, crop rotation and the computer balanced production schedules keep the supply and demand curve in tact.  It maintains the prices – that secure next years quality crops.  Strict Import Tariffs allow only the most quality of foreign goods into the country. Switzerland not only encourages local manufacturing and business development but protects those industries with impunity.  The highest unemployment rates in Swiss history hit about 5.3%, while normally the average rate is closer to 1.9%.

The Glenn Beck/Sarah Palin Tea Party Movement want us in the United States to believe that all we have to do “is believe” and all our problems will be solved.  They also suggest that throwing out the current selection of politicians will “send a message” and bring our country back into a place where we all can breathe the fresh air of freedom.  President Obama and the current Administration want us all to believe that things are all going to get better soon and we should all just relax and wait for the “renewal process” to return to the “good old days” of jobs, home ownership for all and a less corrupt political system.  Both sides seem way off the mark – right now!

The fundamental changes we need to make include: restricting immigration and stop doubling down on growth as our only answer to economic problems.  We cannot develop or continually build our way out of a depression/Recession, when no one is buying anything!  Banning all Liquor Ads, Drug Ads and Political Ads on Television should be a basic first step.  Those ads should of course, be fully available on the Radio, Internet, I-Pods, Blackberries or any other electronic device or texting device. Can you imagine $150 million dollars spent on Ads for I-Pods by Meg Whitman?

We also dreadfully need to get a handle on our Military Industrial Complex, by making these companies produce everything “Here in America”.  Oh sure, we can still send production of Number 2 pencils to India….who cares?  But three major Industries in America need to have everything produced in the United States: American Made Pharamceuticals – need to be produced 100% in the United States.  American Made War Machines – need to be made 100% in the United States.  American Agriculture and Dairy Companies need to produce 100% of their products – here in the United States.  They all should not be allowed to send those goods out of the country until the domestic market needs have been met.  Making a bigger buck on those products in Abu Dabi has been killing our “quality of life” in this country – for years!

Sounds like some very radical ideas, until you look at both Switzerland and Sweden and think about determining whether any of those answers can indeed translate into US English.  The Swiss have three different languages: French, German and Italian.  Sweden demands that citizenship include the ability to demostrate excellence in the mother tongue.  Perhaps here in the Untied States we meed to teach our kids three languages as well:  English, Spanish and Mandarin?  Making fluency in all three languages required for graduation from High School might be a pretty good idea!

Today, in the United States – we can’t even make a Coo Coo Clock!  We have the designs done in New Delhi or outsourced to some other country, then we file for corporate tax free papers in Delaware, then they have some Bahamian Bank take all our Investment Cash and then have their product manufactured, built and packaged in China or Sri Lanka!  They send those same manufacturing facilties the gears, wood and paint sent from purchased goods in Germany, Romania or Switzerland.  How many American jobs are involved in this process? Five!  The President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer and two volunteer board members!  Evidently, we are following the English system of mercantile trading!  Just own it elsewhere and service the ruling class!  Haven’t they been doing that since the “100 Years War”?  We are fast becoming Island USA!

We may indeed live in the “Global Economy”….but someone has to ask the question:  Who makes the rules that dictate that every product made has to become part of it?  The time has come for a new set of rule makers – that have those answers.  They can be Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Independents or Tea Party Activists.  We do not care who comes up with those answers, but control of Wall Street and where they put their money had better be a huge part of finding these answers.  “The Days of  Thunderous Greed” needs to retreat for a few years and “The Days of Reason and Equality” need to make a serious comeback.  Switzerland and Sweden certainly do not have all of the answers to the world’s problems, but they seem to demostrate that they have some valuable solutions – we might find worthy of review!