What do you think is the greatest economic issue today?

Question

In the U.S.

thanks =)

Answer 1

Not enough people knowing how to live within a budget. Too much debt.

Also brain drain. We are losing our technological edge to other countries because our culture is to entertainment based.

Answer 2

Our low saving rate is our most intractable problem but it is not really an issue because no one has a clue of what to do about it. Economist use to think that rich people saved a larger fraction of their income so giving tax cuts to high income people would help, but our overall savings rate has fallen over the last 30 year as the rich got richer and their taxes were decrease, which contradicts the theory.
The low savings rate is at the core of much of our economic problems ranging from trade deficit, the falling dollar, mediocre grow rates and long term problems with the retirement of the baby boom generation. The US economy is selling assets to foreign investors to pay for current consumption.

Answer 3

Perhaps the most serious problem with a capitalist economy is that the capitalists attempt to use the power of the state (government) to enrich themselves. Most importantly they influence the government to restrict competition so that they can charge higher prices and earn higher profits. The most successful "capitalists" are those that can manipulate the government rather than those than can produce high quality products and services at reasonable prices.

Examples in the US are numerous. Banks joined together to stop Walmart from getting a banking license because they were afraid of competition from a famous low cost supplier. Many small dry cleaners in the city where I live convinced the local government not to allow a company to build build a large store that would charge a single low price for any garment. Much of the opposition to free trade and globalization comes from US labor unions who are afraid that competitive pressure will force them to accept lower wages even though consumers will benefit.

Answer 4

That USA has now become a debtor instead of creditor, that it used to be in the past, plus China, its biggest rival and the fear of it overcoming US and becoming a superpower within the next years, both economically/financially and militarily.

Answer 5

the credit crunch affecting the US would be the number issue nowadays.

Answer 6

the interest rates of our banks and interest rates of pretty much everything. they dont know wheather to lower of higher them