Go West, Young Man--21st Century Version

By: John Alquist
Submitted: 2007-01-17 11:50:57
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Publisher Horace Greeley advised young American men in the 1840’s and 1850’s to make their fortunes by going west.

The New Hampshire journalist was completely correct, publishing a quote by John B.L. Soule, “go west, young man, and grow up with this country.”

Fortunately, Americans never stopped going west and growing up with this country—even to this day!

Today, the “young men” includes young ladies, too—as well as opportunity seekers of all ages.

Greeley didn’t consider that if you you keep on going west,you would blow by California, Oregon and Washington, landing eventually in the Far East—including China, India, Japan and South Korea--the global hypergrowth nations of 2006 and beyond.

And, with the Internet, you can go west, south, east, north, or anywhere on earth without ever leaving your home or office-—or even getting out of your chair.

In the 21st Century, you do business in space (cyberspace), not just a limited place like a town, city, region, or country.

Horace Greeley would have loved 2006, being a visionary who boldly editorialized to free the slaves from plantations. In the 21st Century, you can free yourself from the slavery of employment, the last legalized form of slavery in the United States.

The 21st Century started with a requiem for the last century's Industrial Revolution, now dead and deserving of a final, decent burial. Industrial Revolution-—rest in peace!

Not only is the Industrial Revolution over, lifelong employment, jobs, job security, labor unions, fully funded pensions, factory towns, socialism, outdated Rust Belt factories, trade tariffs and barriers, and myopic economic nationalism are over, too.

In the 21st Century, self-employment, self reliance, entrepreneurial action, globalism and the Internet are the keys to success.

What Do We Need To Know About The 21st Century?

First, what’s going on with the U.S. finances? Can the government support me or create a job for me? Answer: No!

1. The United States economic position is shaky. Our annualized 2005 trade deficit is $706 billion, up from $616 billion in 2004.

2. The U.S. budget, “balanced” in 2002, ran about one half trillion dollars in 2005. “Just say no” or using the veto are no longer practiced by Washington’s power elite.

3. The total U.S. budget deficit is about $8.0 trillion, or $26,222 per American man, woman or child. It’s increasing at a mere $1.76 billion daily.

4. The U.S. has $44 trillion in underfunded government liabilities.

5. Congress just raised the federal debt ceiling to avoid the possibility of default. That’s the government’s version of increasing your Visa card limit so you can still keep taking cash advances to pay your other bills.

Wake up, people. The government cannot afford to support you with womb to the tomb socialist benefits or create a purposeless, do-nothing job for you.

You need to be self-employed and save and invest your money to take care of yourself for the rest of your life.

Second, what’s going on with China?

China is becoming a capitalist superpower, just like the United States. BusinessWeek believes that the world’s three superpowers by 2050 will be the United States, China and India. I agree.

China’s 1.5 billion population includes 300 million educated, middle class people (more than the entire US population) buying homes, cars, and the other nice things of middle class living.

This group is called "Chuppies," Chinese urban professionals (similar To American Yuppies of times past).

Americans can make a fortune selling upscale products and services to Chuppies.

Since manufacturing wages in China are 68 to 88 cents per hour, China is almost impossible to beat in manufacturing. There are benefits. For example, goods made in China and sold here in Wal-Mart stores save the average American family $500 per year.

China is building a national interstate highway system with many more miles than ours, and it is building entirely new cities the size of San Francisco every few weeks. With the 2008 Olymipic Games to be held in China, that country wants to show the world it has really arrived as a first class superpower.

China uses 40% of global steel and 30% of the world’s coal and lots of cement, too. China increasingly imports larger amounts of oil as well.

Don’t view China through the prism of outdated, Cold War stereotypes—-peasants working in rice paddies, Chairman Mao, stultifying communism, and The Red Guards. Forget that stuff.

Consider that your next car may be an imported red, Chinese-made Chery sports car, priced under $19,000 fully loaded with Lexus robotic manufacturing excellence and elegant Ferrari design. China has 120 car companies.

China will have its cars available in the USA for sale in late 2007 or early 2008.

Third, what are the opportunities in the 21st Century?

America remains at the forefront of creative new technologies and innovations. Forget the Detroit Big 3. Forget most of the once impressive firms making up the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Forget about low-tech factories that make shoes and toilets and boat anchors. Flush that focus. Look to the future.

Concentrate on these new high growth alternatives: Web 2.0, florescent light replacement, nanotechnology, WiMAX, RFID, clean energy (solar and wind), emerging countries, biometrics, Internet TV, Internet over power lines, enriched uranium, VOIP, offshore energy exploration, and The Wellness Revolution.

If you don’t know what these industries and innovations are, ask any tech savvy teenager or start reading business publications more often.

America’s best years are always yet ahead, and these innovative new things will get the United States, and you as a self-employed person, positioned as a successful 21st Century player.

Network marketing, using "intellectual distribution," will be one way many people will thrive as self-employeds in the 21st Century, building global distribution networks at home, using the Internet.

What do I forecast for 2006?

Answer—gas at $5.00 to $6.00 per gallon, crude oil at $75 to $100 per barrel, the increasing irrelevancy of Ford and General Motors, a surge in prices of key commodities (gold, silver, platinum and uranium), a continued rise in US interest rates, a softening of the housing market, a decline the value of the U.S. dollar, and continuing violence and political turbulence in the Middle East OPEC states and from oil producing nations in Africa and South America.

Is this gloom and doom? No way. America has 5% of global population, but 31% of the world’s global economic activity, a gross domestic product per worker 30% higher than Japan and Germany, 600 pet chiropractors, numerous Starbuck’s stores, and households headed by a college graduate earning on average of $72,000.

What a country!

If you befriend and welcome change, embrace self-employment, think outside of the box, view everything globally, and work hard and consistently, you will do very well and enjoy everything even more.

Wherever you are now, follow Horace Greely’s “go west, young man” editorial directive. Applying Greely’s quote to modern times, it means to to get yourself moving, going "west," wherever the 21st Century opportunites are.

John J. Alquist owns and operates Alquist Enterprises, a firm offering business consulting, professional speaker, and business writing. Learn more about John online at http://www.tell-it-well.com and contact him at john@tell-it-well.com.

Article source: Expert Articles