As the unemployment rate sputters along the bottom, over and over again we read in the headlines where some are having quite a hard time finding work, while others are being told flat out jobs in their industry are not coming back. Many towns and cities that once had thriving manufacturing centers have lots that have become nothing short of ghost towns. This outcome has been a long time coming, perhaps decades in fact. Then why do many of us still have a look of shock on our faces?

 As the United States and hopefully the world pulls out of this economic downturn, one point we must accept is that the playing field has been changed forever. Why is this important? Because going forward whatever jobs or industries that are created must include the reality that those jobs can’t be exported or downsized. For example, what good is it if a company manufactures a product, hires workers, builds up an infrastructure and then five years later that company moves its operations to places where workers are paid one tenth the price and all the workers are laid off, or severely downsized, at best, until one day it’s “Closed Up Shop” time?

 A friend of mine shared with me a story that I found quite interesting, one I’m sure you’ve heard from time to time. She designed and developed hand knit sweaters to be worn specifically by women. At first her business started slowly, and over time built up quite a clientelle. Many of her products were available at high end department stores across the country, until one day she noticed that the re-order list was beginning to go down. She visited one of the main stores that sold her sweaters. The buyer came out and asked her to accompany her to her office. Once in the office my friend learned that her products were being closely copied and manufactured overseas and sold at a quarter of the price. What many of us know today as “knock-offs.” Not quite the original, but close enough. Before too long my friend ceased operations. If the job recovery involves creating jobs that this can happen to, it is doomed to fail.

 The challenge is to create jobs that cannot be easily duplicated at a lower cost, while at the same time making them accessible to an open world market. I heard the other day a financial expert say there are only three areas that America has that can’t be easily transferred at will. Silicon Valley, Entertainment, and Finance. Yes indeed, offices and subsidiaries can be opened around the world, but these industries are a lot harder to transfer at will. This list must be added to in order for a new economic boom to take hold. Not only in the United States, but around the world. We can’t allow ourselves to so easily become interchangeable parts, or nothing short of work ants.

 There it is, for all the brilliant minds to ponder….The Challenge. Building a moat around the country, bolting the doors, and constructing fences is not going to help us one bit. The world has to be engaged with all forms of uniqueness. Each country has to develop a speciality that only they can do the best. Impossible? I think not. Ever heard of “Swiss chocolates?”

 Face the challenge,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2010 Jennifer Avalon

 2010, a brand new year awaits us. Will it be a repeat of last year? Personally, I hope not. I too am one of the many who was very glad to say “goodbye” to 2009!

 How about you? How are things in your neck of the woods? It’s crazy out there, many are out of jobs, some losing their homes, and we’re left to wonder, is anyone steering the ship? Republicans, Democrats, who cares? Just correct the problems, be honest, and please, no more b.s. I am a firm believer that the government can’t solve all your problems, but they’re not supposed to stand in your way either. If the government really believes that it can run everything in our lives better than us, then by all means line us up one by one, take away our credit cards, clean out our bank accounts, and take over our homes. Otherwise, let us sink or swim by ourselves. Surely, even a five year old child could do a better job than what has been spent by the government on our behalf in the past year. Hey, one guy on the internet suggested that the government give us each a tax free year. What’s crazy? It would have only cost a pittance of what was unleashed, to balloon the deficit. Personally, I don’t think giving each American a million dollars would have been such a bad idea. That would have only cost around 300 million dollars….a tiny drop in the bucket compared to other measures.

 Life, Libery and the Pursuit of Happiness…sign me up! I’m all for it. But lately, across the land, something has gone wrong with this picture. Tea Party protestors, called “Astroturf,”by some…please, I call it an expression of frustration. Americans looking at the Constitution and wondering what the heck is going on? Is it any wonder why Glenn Beck’s ratings are going through the roof. He’s totally tapping in to people whose anger and frustration has left them feeling disillusioned and powerless. Personally I cannot believe some of the jargon that I hear from members of Congress, staring at the camera and expecting me to believe that pigs can fly.

 All that said, I am more hopeful for America than ever, because I know there are people out there who are not drinking the Kool Aid, and walking around brain dead. What a game…they’ve pitted Democrats and Republicans against each other for so long, that is it any surprise almost nothing gets done in Washington? We’ve come to finally realize we have much more in common than we ever thought. How many out there are starting to feel that they’re swinging from the trapeze with no safety net to catch them if they fall? Well that’s where the rest of us come in to grab sheets, netting, whatever materials that are handy, to grab on and create our own safety net, for ourselves, and one another. Americans have risen to the occasion many times before. The people of Haiti just have to look around to see the heart of America.

 We all know full well how to get back up, shake off the dust, and move forward. Banks, Government, corruption, whoever and whatever…we all know something is wrong, and it can be corrected. But please, please, no more five and dime speeches, and juvenile solutions.

 The Truth Shall Set You Free,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2010 Jennifer Avalon