Wake Up, America: Our Economic Future Depends On It!
We Are On An Unsustainable Path
As an executive coach and former Vistage CEO facilitator, I’ve spent decades listening to top economic forecasters, including the Beaulieu brothers—longtime Vistage speakers known for their data-driven insights.
I still remember their warning to CEOs back in 2005:
“Make sure you have a house big enough for your grown kids and their families to move in with you by 2030.”
At the time, that prediction drew chuckles. Today, it feels more like prophecy.
A recent editorial in Charleston’s The Post and Courier reignited my sense of urgency about our nation’s fiscal trajectory:
👉 U.S. Faces Bleak Economic Future: What’s the Solution?
As writer Les Rubin emphasizes, this is not a partisan issue—it’s a matter of fiscal responsibility and collective courage. Yet, few political candidates seem willing to tell the hard truth to the American people.
I remember Jimmy Carter didn’t fare so well when he told the American people they may have to face some suffering to overcome the inflation and post oil crisis known as stagflation in 1977. He was applauded for his honesty and integrity. However his popularity quickly diminished as he talked about difficult decisions and tradeoffs.
My friend, John Townsend is oft quoted with Reality is your friend. But the American people did not regard this as friendship.
Confront the Brutal Facts!
Jim Collins in his groundbreaking book, Good to Great, tells leaders that facing reality, no matter how harsh, is the foundation for breakthrough success. But are we really willing to do the hard things it may take to turn things around?
So What Can We Do?
Every credible economist points to one clear directive: be prepared. But preparation alone is not enough. Being prepared often equates to a bunker mentality of self-protection, self-preservation and a lack of compassion for those outside your walls. Folks, we are all in this boat together!
Putting on a life jacket is important. But if your boat is headed towards Niagara Falls, a life jacket won’t save you. Did you know there are numerous signs on the Niagara River just a few miles from the falls. The signs say things like, Danger! You are getting to the point of no return. and This is not the place to take a dip!
Sadly, there are reports of people who died because they did not heed the signs or in some cases, were foreign visitors who could not read the English language, warning them of the danger.
This is a close analogy to where we are at economically. People need to learn to read the economic signs. We must be prepared but we must also take action.
Mr. Rubin’s organization, Main Street Economics, offers accessible, fact-based resources and simple tools to contact your government representatives. His proposed solution—a bipartisan, expert-driven commission to restore fiscal sustainability and educate Americans about what’s truly at stake—deserves broad public support.
Awareness is Curative
But that’s just one man’s efforts to find possible solutions. We need many more ideas and more than anything, we need awareness for what’s at stake.
While I usually write about awareness as it relates to Emotional Intelligence, here I’m talking about Economic Intelligence. Interesting that the prescription for building one’s Emotional Intelligence is Self-Awareness. I often quote the late Dr. Paul Warren, Awareness is curative.
What if awareness is also a good start towards building Economic Intelligence? Of course it starts with first making a decision to want to make a change, as in any type of personal growth work.
Yet, action must follow. I invite you to read some credible sources of information. This will help you see for yourself and be informed about what you are backing, what you are voting for, and how it impacts the longer view.
Build Your EQ (Economic Quotient)
Here is Les Rubin’s non-profit website, rich in resources. https://www.mainstreeteconomics.org/post/our-current-finances-are-unsustainable-what-does-that-mean-vol-181
Read more about the trends and the facts behind the research the Beaulieu brothers have done for the past 30 years to help business thrive through the ups and downs of economic cycles. https://itreconomics.com/2030s-great-depression/
If we continue to look the other way, the consequences will fall squarely on our children and grandchildren. Our economic future—and theirs—depends on it.