By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud
"The U.S. is terrible now... I have more opportunity in Haiti."
Now that's a sentence I never thought I'd hear. But the guy who said it backed it up. He was my cabdriver in Miami over the weekend.
"I started a grocery store back home in Haiti a couple years ago. My wife already moved back to Haiti to run it."
"But what about the crime and the government there?" I asked. "Aren't you worried?"
"Where I grew up... it's quiet," he told me. "It is NOT safe in the capital city. But I live a long way from there. I have to take a flight from the capital to get to my hometown. To answer your question... Put it this way, Haiti can only get better from where it is now. But the U.S. seems to get worse every day."
Then he went on a Rush Limbaugh-style tirade about undeliverable government promises on health care and the environment and out-of-control government spending. He finished with: "At least the Haitian government knows it is out of money."
Ouch.
He's right... Technically, a U.S. government default on its obligations is way closer than you think. Check out this Reuters news headline and story from yesterday (emphasis mine):
"So where do you get merchandise for your store?" I wanted to change the subject a bit. This guy was getting a little too intense for comfort.
"From here in the States," he said. "Say a 50-pound bag of rice costs $30 here. By the time it gets to the grocery store in Haiti, I've spent a total of $60. But I still make a little money on it. And it's a better living than here in the States."
"You mean you can make more money with a grocery store in Haiti," I asked him, "than you can by driving a taxi in Miami?"
"Not really. What I mean is, my money goes much farther in Haiti, so my quality of life is much higher there."
Gee. The guy made sense. All around.
What has America come to when a cabdriver wants to leave "America, the land of opportunity" to become an entrepreneur in Haiti?
Guys like this cabdriver – young entrepreneurs starting with nothing – are what has made America great for generations. But now, instead of staying here, they are going back to their home countries to get rich.
America was made great because you've had the freedom to become whatever it is you could become... not because the government spends trillions more in taxpayer dollars than it takes in through taxes.
"Where I grew up... it's quiet," he told me. "It is NOT safe in the capital city. But I live a long way from there. I have to take a flight from the capital to get to my hometown. To answer your question... Put it this way, Haiti can only get better from where it is now. But the U.S. seems to get worse every day."
Then he went on a Rush Limbaugh-style tirade about undeliverable government promises on health care and the environment and out-of-control government spending. He finished with: "At least the Haitian government knows it is out of money."
Ouch.
He's right... Technically, a U.S. government default on its obligations is way closer than you think. Check out this Reuters news headline and story from yesterday (emphasis mine):
US House to vote on short-term debt limit hikeYes, the Haitian cabdriver was right... At least the Haitian people know their government is broke. Americans have no idea. It's not a crisis until... well... it is one.
WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of
Representatives will vote on a short-term boost to the debt
limit this week to avoid a government default, House
Democratic leader Steny Hoyer said on Tuesday.
US Leaders are considering a hike of roughly $200 billion to
$300 billion. "Essentially that will get us an additional two
months of fiscal ability," Hoyer told his weekly news
conference.
"So where do you get merchandise for your store?" I wanted to change the subject a bit. This guy was getting a little too intense for comfort.
"From here in the States," he said. "Say a 50-pound bag of rice costs $30 here. By the time it gets to the grocery store in Haiti, I've spent a total of $60. But I still make a little money on it. And it's a better living than here in the States."
"You mean you can make more money with a grocery store in Haiti," I asked him, "than you can by driving a taxi in Miami?"
"Not really. What I mean is, my money goes much farther in Haiti, so my quality of life is much higher there."
Gee. The guy made sense. All around.
What has America come to when a cabdriver wants to leave "America, the land of opportunity" to become an entrepreneur in Haiti?
Guys like this cabdriver – young entrepreneurs starting with nothing – are what has made America great for generations. But now, instead of staying here, they are going back to their home countries to get rich.
America was made great because you've had the freedom to become whatever it is you could become... not because the government spends trillions more in taxpayer dollars than it takes in through taxes.
When there's more opportunity in Haiti than at home for a young entrepreneur, then America has seriously made a wrong turn.
Good investing,
Steve
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