What is the USA going to be like in the next few years and here are some OPPORTUNITIES for you too.
 

President Bush has asked us to continue on. I've said my piece on why we will Carry On during the war. Make no mistake, it is a war.

What is America going to be like in the next few years?

I'm going to offer my opinion, and of course if you have an opposing view, feel free to offer yours. Dien Rice, owner of this forum, encourages civilized debate.

I'm going to tell you about some incredible opportunities too.

Before you get your knickers in a knot, at least give it a read...if you are new to the board, I've been known for controversial positions on many things.

First up...what is America going to be like during the war.

Two words will identify the future, Caution and Discretionary Spending.

The World Trade Centers were the first of many dominoes that will fall. There will be a rippling effect throughout our Nation.

Of course we are experiencing the future in some ways, Air Travel will never be the same.

But the Air Travel INDUSTRY will most certainly be thrown into turmoil, with bail-outs probably required from many countries.

It will be harder to travel by air, more restrictions (and none of us will argue or should we about having SAFETY over convenience, those days are gone).

This will mean several industries will change...the vacation destination industry, foreign travel, business travel, and alternative modes of travel.

The bus lines will have an immediate increase in traffic, and if you don't know this, that industry which was ALMOST dead before, is operating on very "ancient" equipment...there will be a need for newer buses, and more routes.

Likewise there will be more travel by Train...and we'll probably see heightened security here as well. We may see a National Government sponsored PASS, like an Eurorail Pass, as more people choose to make short train trips to conduct business.

Now let me say, this is all SPECULATION, I haven't interpreted any of Nostradamus' predictions, I was never that good at figuring out what poems meant anyhow. This is all from what I believe to be a "common sense" approach.

It makes sense to me at least if fewer planes are in the air, and people want to travel, then the alternative methods will pick up...but, I may be wrong.

Speaking of WANTING to travel, Americans will start to spend more time at home, and maybe even vacation nearby, or take mini-vacations, regional trips as opposed to Expensive Destination sites like Disney World.

Also, I don't think the islands of the Caribbean will fare well during this time, as Americans exercise CAUTION in their daily lives.

There are many nutcases in this world, many little terrorist groups that would love to destroy the USA. We are going to be at war with all of them.

There will be other attacks. I'm sure most of us can think of a 1001 "targets" some cowardly monster could pick to make a point.

We'll probably stay within our own communities for entertainment, and venture less to the "big" city, even if it is only Akron, Ohio. The watchword will be caution.

And those with children will be the most cautious of all as they should be to protect their kids. So you might see more at-home celebrations, more small parties, more use at home type gifts, like video games and the such.

Surely our restaurant industry will have to fight hard to keep people coming in.

In a war, the butter does not get churned, and plow shares are turned into guns. The economy is going to suffer, in many ways.

But there need be NO panic, for what can panic solve? One form of panic, of responding to the threat of terror, is to start hoarding...a sign of short sightedness and selfishness.

I see America changing, and changing very rapidly. We'll know tomorrow about the economies, probably be an initial rally to show support, but you don't have to be a genius to see how all this is going to effect the economy.

Of course the religious landscape of America is already changing, as Apocalyptic Fanatics try to convert the masses to their way of thinking...

we will see both a more TOLERANT spiritual happening and a more devisive "righteous" group that knows the truth and what is coming. The "holy war" will not only be fought in the hills of Afghanistan, but in the minds, hearts and souls of every American city, village and town.

One possibility will be that communites may become more isolated, more rigid, more unified in their thinking and more likely to NOT tolerate those with opposing views.

In the coming weeks we will feel the waves, and they perhaps will be overwhelming...and we will come under attack again.

Business in the USA may be done more and more by VIDEO, as opposed to being in person. With new technology available, giant size LCD wall screens with panoramic views may help, as it will seem that your business associate is right in the room with you. Businesses that have had frequent flights to foreign lands will look for ways to prevent their people being put at risk.

Resources are going to come into play as we start to ramp up for a sustained war effort, more and more resources will be comitted to the war.

This historically has meant movements back to Nature, with home gardening and canning and freezing of foods, more "independence" from our grocery store. This is a trend that you can see coming.

What about those INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES I mentioned?

Here are a few.

Some of you are going to be disappointed, others delighted. Oh well.

Crisis gives us a golden opportunity. We have witnessed this for the past week, it is the opportunity to let the GOOD side of us out and to extend ourselves to others.

You have the incredible opportunity of uniting your community. You can come together like you never have before.

If your church, synagogue, temple, mosque or place of worship, including you who belong to service clubs...

if your place has a kitchen and a dining room, you should once a month offer a FREE meal. Don't call it a soup kitchen, or a place for the homeless.

Open your doors to anyone who would enter. Don't distinguish between the homeless man and the richest man in your community, invite them both in one day a month.

It is an opportunity to work with people of other faiths, other beliefs, in a joint venture the likes of which can't be compared to in the business world.

You can go out and bring the homeless in, go fetch the elderly, go grab the politicians and for one day a month, FEED your community.

I'll have more on this as we go along. I've helped establish two "soup kitchens" although I don't like them to be called that...call them nutrition cneters or don't call them anything, better yet just get a cooperative effort going to bring YOUR COMMUNITY together every week.

You only need four locations and there is plenty of food to be had to use. In the beginning you can have POT LUCK dinners.

We Americans are flashing our pride right now, and we have a strong sense of the American Communtiy, but with time, and as we get deeper and deeper into the war, it is going to be you and the people around you that will make the difference.

This is ONE opporutnity you can't afford to pass up. To win the war against terrorism, we must fight it on the home front of racism, bigotry and religious hatred.

FEED your community is one small way you can bring everyone together for a worthy and common cause.

Another opportunity is for your personal development. You can NOW learn that foreign language. You can learn sign language, to open the lines of communication with others. You can
VOLUNTEER.

YOU are needed now more than ever. It is easy to give a pint of blood. Can you do more than that for the effort?

Can you go to a nursing home and read a book to one of our Seniors? You may find one that lost a son or daughter or served his/her country...maybe you'll meet Rosie the Riverter, or just someone who is as lonely as all get out and your weekly visits mean everything to her.

Can you coach a Special Olympics team? Or join the PTA and help your child at school? That is every bit as much a war effort as crawling through jungles is.

See, the OPPORTUNITY you have is to be more than a Crisis Patriot...you can show your love of your country by helping it to grow strong hate free children. You can counterbalance the religious fanaticism that has engulfed America. By being in the class room, or at the school play or assisting the teachers.

In 1001 ways you can seize this opportunity to make your community stronger, and in so doing you are the fiber that gets woven into the fabric of American Freedom.

As for making money and doing business? Well, you have to first decide to GIVE...and it is an old refrain of mine...

to GIVE first, then you'll get... many times over.

In the coming weeks, I'll be discussing the changes in America as they occur and talking more about business and the opportunity of Compassionate Entrepreneurship. Simon posted about the CEO who gave away the software, well, he couldn't have done that if he hadn't first been successful.

There will be much talk about morality, religion, and the economy. There are those that believe it is in bad taste to talk about the economy. I don't believe we show any disrespect to those that have died or will die in the war against terrorism by carrying on our lives.

I do know that the wealthy people of my community were and are able to give more and to contribute more to the efforts BECAUSE they do take care of the economy...it is not a forbidden subject.

For those of you that may think your religious beliefs come first and foremost, I wouldn't argue the point with you, but I would point out that is the exact attitude we are fighting against in the war on terrorism.

SOWPUB is a different kind of forum, as Dien Rice notes above: Post your stories or articles, or ask anything related to
entrepreneurship, self-improvement, or inspirational stories..... (and he adds)...Also, please no insults or personal attacks."

In the coming months there will be a need/want for people who know how to Can/Freeze/Store foods.

There will be a return to the home garden, not as a nice little Martha Stewart activity, but as a way to feel a little independence upon the rest of the world for our supper.

Home made gifts and crafts will be wanted as we become cautious about going out in large crowds.

Home entertainment, especially for children will be a boom market.

Packaging for foods/pharmaceuticals/consumables will grow.

Video telephones, like the ones used by CNN in Kabul, Afghanistan will become more and more popular as ways of staying in touch.

We are facing trying times. We will be tested in every way possible.

We will never forget the men, women and children who were slaughtered.

Tighten the belt and get involved in YOUR community, and do what you can, WHEN you can, one day at a time.

Thanks for your time and attention,

Respectfully,

Gordon Jay Alexander

PS. Your comments and criticism is welcome, as long as you keep it civil, I'm a fanatic myself when it comes to deleting crap...and I can't always tell you what it looks like, but I know it when I step in it and smell it. I'm also quick to delete rants and raves...but then, I've been deleted here myself, so we are on a level field here at Seeds of Wisdom Publishing.