Mort Zuckerman: How to Get Americans Working Again

Reader Comments
Back to article

Foreigners are what America was built by, but now that it has been built, should we not be concerned about its foundation?
Great minds from other countries? WHY? Is everyone in America stupid? I don’t think so! If they are getting their education hear than that means the knowledge is already in the U.S. The problem is big business greed. Too many big companies want to see just how much they can make no matter the cost. Great, that is what running a successful business is all about but should it cost us our nation. OF COURSE NOT!
Off the top of my head, I can think of two companies that have contributed greatly to our dilemma. The first company gets the majority of its products from oversee by ship. The ship arrives in America fully loaded but leaves completely empty. I was once told that, “I don’t want to shop hear but I can’t afford not to.” The next company said that the American cattle industry could not keep up with their supply and demand. If given the opportunity I am sure the Cattle Industry would be willing to take on that challenge.
The bottom line is, we need to start relying on each other. If foreign products are a must, than we should tell them to set up shop in the U.S and build their products hear. Create jobs hear and not there.

MaReComm1100 of GA 11:51AM March 17, 2010

Unemployment=profits

danny of PA 1:17PM February 05, 2010

So the "solution" is to repeat the same failed policies that the Japanese tried all during the 1990s?
Read the "Lost Decade" by Gary Saxonhouse and Robert Stern Mr Zuckerman, Your ideas have been tried and they failed miserably.
On the other hand, Reagan faced a much worse Recession in 1982 he ignored your advice and instead did the opposite. He gave the money back to the people. The result was the 1980s boom, the longest, strongest, peace time expansion of the US Econmy in history.

John Knight of MN 1:44PM January 23, 2010

I cringe when ever a politician says " I know your pain.
Its still about political posturing,Nothing coming out of Washington is really about the people's needs. While better health care would be nice for everyone please focus on jobs.
Jobs are what we need,not rhetoric speeches. Our politicians are just as responsible for
this depression as business and "we the people"know this.
We also understand that what happened wasn't intended ,everyone screws up now and then.
However the only non contributor to this depression was the people,us,the citizens.
We are sick and tired of Washington's "Iknow your pain" you don't,please stop pretending.
Just one last thing,this is the United States of America it seems that many politicians
want to ignore the will of the people,we will not let that happen.Not while we still have
the vote,regardless of party we will dump you. Massachusetts is in everyone.

Pennsylvania George of PA 7:50PM January 22, 2010

This was the worst writing of my favorite articulate writer - Zuckerman.
He is so wrong on all accounts. Obama has spent billions on giving $ to states for Work Program for roads etc.
Keep foreigners here after gradating does nothing to giving Mary Brown a job.
The solution is....bring back all those jobs sent off to China. Look at the back of the product you are buying and you will see of over 90% of all items are China based.
Have the government promote Made in USA. If we have to subsidize these companies to compete with $1.00/hr. Chinese workers so be it. If we bring back the Mfg. we now have the base to keep increasing the work force. Remember an employed worker is a tax revenue an unemployed person is a negative tax revenue.
Also, one final solution is to stop and I mean stop these companies from exporting all our current IT jobs to India; Philippines etc. Make it a harsh fine or have these companies taken off government bidding lists.
Remember it is our problem we need to be creative and stop all this negative talk and time for action.

Tom from Walpole Ma of MA 8:40AM January 20, 2010

Obama campaigned as different form the "politics as usual" kind of politician. He was right, except in this case, different is much worse than usual. He managed to fool the independents, but has been exposed as a fraud. The corruption under Obama is open to see with the bribes to Nelson, Landrieu and the unions. Everything is not transparent, and anything bad is George Bush's fault.
http://theillinoisguy.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/obama-the-best-president-ever/

theillinoisguy of IL 6:55AM January 18, 2010

this is what Obama said when he was running. we should all fill our tires up a little more & that will save us some $. have you seen any moves out of this admin. that are business friendly?

hope of WA 2:19AM January 18, 2010

There seems to be a lot of anger at Obama in these comments. There are claims that the "Democrats dreaming up new ways to take money from me every day". They long for those better days in the 80s when Reagan set us all free from the burden of taxes, etc. I'm just not understanding this. What would my tax rate have been in the 80s? From what I can tell, pretty much the same. http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php. I realize I'm still a noob here, I've only been in the top tax bracket since 2004, as I am only 35. However, I don't think tax rates are the problem here. Perhaps one of you ranting commenters could post a well thought out dispute to what Zuckerman here is talking about. Or at least provide me with something to read, other than "Democrats suck, we need Reagan reincarnated".

Joshua Grigonis of CA 1:22AM January 18, 2010

You want people back to work tax cut and tax cuts on top of tax cuts and send congress home for a year so that we don't have to worry what they are going to do to us. In my life time, it is the first time I have seen people afraid of their out of control government. Yes, people fear the government. Thomas Jefferson would not be happy because he felt the only way the exprerient of a democratic republic would work is if government feared the people. My Senator Clair McCaskill is the perfect example of all that is wrong. She continually lies and talks down to the people in her state. She want you to believe that she is a moderate but she is as far left as Obama. These people don't listen anymore. They think we know what is good for us which exactly what socialism is.

Wilson Reagan of MO 10:22PM January 17, 2010

Zuckerman spends all that space saying nothing. We know the statistics and we know that Keynesian spending does not work. We know that Obama and the socialists' war on business is dragging this country and its economy deeper into the abyss. What a waste of valuable space and the time of all who read it.

Pat Duggan of IL 7:54PM January 17, 2010