Old Ideas in modern times

Why is it that when it comes to the American economy people tend to think that using the same ideas from decades ago will always work?  In 2002 people believed that going to war was going to fix things, because it worked during the great depression.  Then people thought that lowering taxes for rich people would fix things because it worked in the 1980's.  What people seem to overlook is that our economy is in a slump for totally new and complex reasons.

The great depression took place after investors realized that corporations completely lied about how much money they had.  As a result many companies went under overnight, causing mass layoffs, causing even more business to go under due to lack of customers.  The rich had no place to put their money, and there weren't any jobs for anyone else.  World War II came along, causing the government to sell bonds, giving the rich a secure place to stash their money.  The government took that money and used it t build weapons and hire solders, easing the burdens of families across America and pumping money into the economy.

Flash forward to the 1980's.  Banks played fast and loose with investors money, and cash dried up fast in the upper middle class.  People weren't buying common consumer goods as much as they once where, so a new tax code that would allow most upper middle class folks to keep their money seemed right.

But what about today?  The stock market is doing great, and corporations are making more than ever with fewer and fewer employees.  There are currently more millionaires in America that ever before, with more being made ever day.  The government has tried the old tactics that helped struggling economies in the past, but what about looking at the good years?  If we looked hard enough at the best economic eras in America's history, then we would in no small way find clues to solving the problems that we are having today.

Make It Free!!!

With Valve making headline after headline releasing their old games for free, one question comes to mind: Why don't more companies do this?  If a company has games just collecting dust, why not allow the masses full access to experience a little bit of what your company can do?  It seems that the one advantage for valve is that it gets more people using their Steam software, but for other companies it would allow a new generation to experience their older games, and maybe even hook them into franchises that are still alive and kicking.

How to end the war on drugs and illegal immigrants

Right now Americans feel under attack from horror stories coming from Mexico.  Many of these stories come through the war on drug cartels, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of people.  Many other stories comes from illegal immigrants, coming to America committing crimes, and leaning on America's social programs.  Many people feel that the only way to fix this problem is by building a wall along the border, keeping everyone out.  Other people say that opening up the process to become a citizen will allow the government to at least keep track of everyone that comes across the border.

Now what about another option?  What if Mexico became a better place to live?it seems that for a fraction of the cost of building a wall, or overloading our social programs, we could help Mexico  solve a lot of their social problems.  This could be through political reform, helping their people elect politicians with integrity.  Maybe through military action, destroying the drug cartels that have a strangle hold on the entire country, the people there wouldn't feel so desperate to leave.

I don't have all of the answers, but at some point we have to stop being so afraid and face to problem head on.  If America is the greatest country in the world, then if nothing else shouldn't our neighbors be towards the top instead of drifting towards the bottom?