Cartoon 864: China Focuses

China has made some amazing accomplishments. Sometimes things notably absent in the American media. It is because of ideology in America. The accomplishments are the result of focused State activity. This is an anathema to the American laissez-faire capitalistic private industry approach. The American approach over the last 80 years has seen government revenue at all levels being handed out to business and forgoing sustaining and strategic interests of the country, such as roads, bridges, education, healthcare and social services.

The Great Depression is a prime example of this dichotomy. We benefit today from State sponsored initiatives from that time. It should have happened again with the Recession, but it was blocked at every turn. Instead money was advanced to banks and businesses that turned around and handed it to their investors.

Andy Rooney, a former commentator on the television show PBS 60 Minutes, summed up the mentality. He commented on the rush by Congress and the President years ago to give the airline industry cash during a down turn. He said we should not just give them the money. We should give every American a two hundred dollar flight voucher instead. People would fly. The airlines would be fully utilized and THE INDUSTRY WOULD HAVE TO EARN THE MONEY.  It could not just be handed over to Investors and Wall Street.

America’s lack of State sponsored strategic initiatives in favor of private industry is relegating it to the second world. The competition is catching up by not being constrained by a personal profit private industry mentality.