Fukuyama: The End of America Inc | Newsweek Business

The Fall of America, Inc.

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As we undertake these changes, of course, there's a danger of overcorrecting. Financial institutions need strong supervision, but it isn't clear that other sectors of the economy do. Free trade remains a powerful motor for economic growth, as well as an instrument of U.S. diplomacy. We should provide better assistance to workers adjusting to changing global conditions, rather than defend their existing jobs. If tax cutting is not a path to automatic prosperity, neither is unconstrained social spending. The cost of the bailouts and the long-term weakness of the dollar mean that inflation will be a serious threat in the future. An irresponsible fiscal policy could easily add to the problem.

And while fewer non-Americans are likely to listen to our advice, many would still benefit from emulating certain aspects of the Reagan model. Not, certainly, financial-market deregulation. But in continental Europe, workers are still treated to long vacations, short working weeks, job guarantees and a host of other benefits that weaken their productivity and will not be financially sustainable.

The unedifying response to the Wall Street crisis shows that the biggest change we need to make is in our politics. The Reagan revolution broke the 50-year dominance of liberals and Democrats in American politics and opened up room for different approaches to the problems of the time. But as the years have passed, what were once fresh ideas have hardened into hoary dogmas. The quality of political debate has been coarsened by partisans who question not just the ideas but the motives of their opponents. All this makes it harder to adjust to the new and difficult reality we face. So the ultimate test for the American model will be its capacity to reinvent itself once again. Good branding is not, to quote a presidential candidate, a matter of putting lipstick on a pig. It's about having the right product to sell in the first place. American democracy has its work cut out for it.

Fukuyama is professor of International Political Economy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

orn is just another invented issue.
All the group does is register new voters . They pay people 8 bucks a hour a help people
fill out registration forms and then turn them in. By law they are required to turn in ballots people fill out that dont seem credible. But they seperate them from the normal ballots and inform election officials when they turn them in. As a example If somone fills out a ballot that says donald duck they still have to turn that ballot in , but since there really is no donald duck and no one to show up and vote with a id that matches that registration on election day . It will zero effect on anything and all this is is a waste time
Also all ballots acorn marks as fishy are also investigated and checked against state records to make sure they are real people if not they are thrown out.
It not fraud and no one can vote without proper ID
So let move on to something that matters like the fact we are going in to the next great depression
and that mccain says he doesnt understand the economy
Can we talk about the war, the national debt <11 trillion>, The housing market, the job market,health care,global warming.
Are things so great we need to invent issues like acorn ?
or is it the gop has no answers to the mess they have created in the last 8 years?
Let talk about things that will improve our lifes and not something no one cares about.
And let throw out the poeple that created this mess
they dont deserve a chance to make things worse
Please vote early election day will be a mess

Member Comments

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Posted By: HakimKurd @ 12/26/2008 2:42:54 AM

America will be return to pass if start Leaving Iraq and Afganistan in soon and Cooperate Kurdish ,Tibtian and Kishmirian,Shishanian
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Posted By: HakimKurd @ 12/26/2008 2:40:14 AM

Hakim ,America will return to 10 years ago in Economic if Start leaving Iraq and Afganistan and cooperate Kshmirian and Kurdish and Shishanian
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Posted By: Vote Now @ 10/31/2008 8:41:52 AM

orn is just another invented issue.
All the group does is register new voters . They pay people 8 bucks a hour a help people
fill out registration forms and then turn them in. By law they are required to turn in ballots people fill out that dont seem credible. But they seperate them from the normal ballots and inform election officials when they turn them in. As a example If somone fills out a ballot that says donald duck they still have to turn that ballot in , but since there really is no donald duck and no one to show up and vote with a id that matches that registration on election day . It will zero effect on anything and all this is is a waste time
Also all ballots acorn marks as fishy are also investigated and checked against state records to make sure they are real people if not they are thrown out.
It not fraud and no one can vote without proper ID
So let move on to something that matters like the fact we are going in to the next great depression
and that mccain says he doesnt understand the economy
Can we talk about the war, the national debt <11 trillion>, The housing market, the job market,health care,global warming.
Are things so great we need to invent issues like acorn ?
or is it the gop has no answers to the mess they have created in the last 8 years?
Let talk about things that will improve our lifes and not something no one cares about.
And let throw out the poeple that created this mess
they dont deserve a chance to make things worse
Please vote early election day will be a mess