These headlines reflect a range of significant events and issues affecting the United States and, in turn, your company and your career. We will look at an overview and deal with these issues more broadly. A presidential candidate today must find out where they stand on the key issues of the day and form a message that will appeal to their voters; whether they are true to themselves is another matter. The object is first to win and then determine if their promises can and should be lived up to. This message should demonstrate why their solution is better for the nation, its voters, and the health of the corporations we rely on to remain competitive and increase our GDP. One new and very consequential factor is artificial intelligence coming on faster than most knowledgeable people predicted and what we will do with 10’s of millions of excess and bewildered workers, from the factory floor to the CEO. Who has always associated their work with their value? Some folks will be happy to get a check from the government, assuming we can afford it, and enjoy their permanent vacation, while perhaps many more people will not be in such a good mood. This must be considered before it is upon us And where society may hang in the balance. Get involved or suffer the consequences. You may recall or have been told about the LA riots of 1992 and the immortal words of a Black man named Rodney King, who was mercilessly beaten yet said, “Can’t we all just get along?” The concern is that if the 2024 election does not go how the one team wants, all the talk about retribution will be more than words. This could lead to the new Great Divide.

As you think about your answers, remember we are in the staffing business, and those organizations we staff could be controversial. It follows that the people we put on temp or contracting assignments, who are our employees, may reflect, however unfair it is, on our name and reputation for better or worse.  

1 Consequences of Reducing the National (Sovereign) Debt. A sovereign country defaulting on its debt differs greatly from a corporate or individual default. Firstly, we are different from any other country. The US is considered an island of stability, and as the saying goes, “If we sneeze the world, get a cold,” If we defaulted, it first would signal to the world that we are not as stable as everyone thought and then starting thinking of placing their money in a safer place, that would be the world’s economy and topple the UD $ and the worlds. Then inflation would soar, traditional exchange rates for gold would be in flux, and everyone would look for a safer place to keep their money, like gold, or even re-reconsider electronic currencies like El Salvador as the Central African Republic. Those who now use Bitcoin as legal tender there, the bastions of stability and trustworthiness 

Message: The economic stability of the world is at stake if we default on 

Approach: Have a bipartisan resolution to cut unnecessary spending and increase revenues through fair taxation. Really?

Consequences of Inaction: Without addressing the debt, inflation could spiral, reducing purchasing power and risking default could undermine the world economy.

Examples: Greece, Mexico, Russia, and Iceland had the largest defaults recently. However, countries that have not defaulted are many times larger than those that have. A company or a person can go bankrupt and have their assets liquidated and taken away. A nation can have the IMF rescue its current during a crisis and the highest defaults in the twelfth century.

2 Supporting Our Allies

· Message: Strengthening alliances ensures global stability and protects national interests. But first, will NATO hold under a new administration? A new “anti-US axis” is formed with Russia, China, Brazil, India, N. Korea, Turkey, Hungary, and others.

· Approach: Reinforce commitments to NATO, aid Ukraine against aggression, and maintain strong ties with Asian and European allies. South America and Africa are the new prizes for geopolitical and natural resources for our alliances vs the anti-US ones.

· Consequences of Inaction: A weakened alliance could embolden adversaries like Russia and China, destabilize regions, and threaten global security.

· Examples: NATO seems to stave off Russian expansion, current support for Ukraine, and the simmering war in the Middle East.

3 Promoting Realistic Solutions. A winner-takes-all approach leads to Retribution.

· Message: We can only hope that Bipartisanship will occur once we look over the cliff. Too many politicians put self-centered interests and ambitions ahead of the country. 

· Approach: Promote dialogue and compromise, working to form a consensus.

· Consequences of Inaction: Persistent partisanship risks civil unrest and undermines a democracy. Compromise is reality, not cowardice; don’t be manipulated by others.

· Examples: The bipartisan success of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, compared to the gridlock seen during the government shutdowns.

4 Checks and Balances on the Supreme Court

· Message: The Supreme Court has occasionally moved from settled law to naked political partisanship. This is not good for democracy or for binding a nation together. It is said that those who are ignorant about history are bound to repeat its mistakes.

· Approach: Term limits and a balanced appointment process to prevent ideological extremes. When the farmers of the Constitution wrote it, life expectancy was 57 years, and the age of those appointed then was 53. So, they had 4 years to serve on an actuarial table basis. Today, the age of those appointed in the US is the same, while the life expectancy is 80, which could serve for 27 years or seven times longer. I do not think those same farners anticipated this. As well as many other things they could not have figured out, all of the factors the Amendments were supposed to address, from the power of campaign contributions to the role of political parties. We badly need a rewrite, but this will not happen, or should it, given all the things that could go wrong. The best we can hope for are checks and balances of the three branches of the government. But when all of these are of the same party, watch out! 

· Consequences of Inaction: A politicized court erodes public trust and judicial impartiality. This was never the intent, but we are talking about it. 

· Examples: Controversial decisions, such as the Citizens United case and the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. And what about the Second Amendment, which was clearly written to defend citizens from invaders? We did not have a standing army, so a militia was the next best thing for men to grab their trusty muskets and defend the nation. It is now mainly represented by the tourists we saw, like the friendly tourists on tape on Jan 6^th. 

 5 More Fair Electoral Voting System, 

· Message: Reform the electoral system to ensure fair representation for all citizens. For example, a vote in Wyoming is valued at 3.2 times more than in California. We have eight swing states where the red and blue parties have about the same number of voters. These states, therefore, determine who is elected president. State gerrymandering of voting districts has the same effect in state elections. 

· Approach: Advocate for measures like the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and proportional representation. These are within reach, but they are not a done deal.

· Consequences of Inaction: Continued disenfranchisement and political alienation in non-swing states, where one’s vote is devalued.

· Examples: In the 2000 and 2016 elections, the popular vote diverged from the electoral college outcome.

6 Freedom Over One’s Body and the Right to Life conflicts with a woman’s right to choose. The Supreme Court settled this law nationally in 1973, but it was overturned in 2022.

· Message: Uphold individual rights while respecting diverse views on reproductive health approach is murky because it is such a divisive issue. Pitting the religious beliefs of some over the autonomy of others.

· Approach: Support comprehensive healthcare policies that include reproductive rights and education, but this is still divisive. It says that not only can I choose what to do with my pregnancy, but I get to choose for you as well because this act is murder.  

· Consequences of Inaction: National abortion bans could lead to unsafe procedures and infringe on personal freedoms. Sometimes, it will determine where one chooses to live and work. 

· Examples: In every state where this was put on the ballot, “the right to Life has been defeated, even in deeply red states. It will likely be a major factor in this year’s presidential election.

7 Freedom of Religion, Ensconced in the Constitution, is back on the agenda, and no one, less than the prior president, has proposed that the United States be a Christian nation. The Constitution specifically disagrees with this. 

· Message: Protect religious freedom for all, as enshrined in the Constitution.

· Approach: Oppose efforts to establish a state religion, ensuring equal respect for all faiths. The Constitution says in the First Amendment, “That Congress cannot make laws that establish a religion….or the government will not favor one religion over another or prefer religion over non-religion…. The intent of the Constitution clearly says, “This is not a Christian nation clearly.” We are not a one-religion country, which has made us better. This was learned from the collective experience of early European nations who did exactly the opposite and drove away some of their most talented people unless they converted to the religion of the state, often offered under pain of death if they refused, or as it would be said today, “go along to get along.”

· Consequences of Inaction: We don’t have a state religion as it violates the Constitution. And it would drive away some of their most talented people.

· Examples: The Founding Fathers’ emphasis on religious freedom and the issues faced in countries with state religions like Iran and Malaysia.

8 Freedom to Carry Arms The freedom to carry arms has gotten out of control, where we have an armed military ready to do battle with the US Government if things move in a way that they disapprove of. The Second Amendment plainly states, “a well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms that shall not be infringed.”. As there was no standing army at the time the Constitution was written. Each citizen needed to have their musket ready to protect the new nation. Gun proliferation, including assault weapons of war, we were number 1 globally until the Latin American country’s armed gangs took over the illegal drug trade, and the US to #2 just after Brazil. This is a hot-button issue like item seven and, next, item nine.

· Message: People who want to have guns should be properly vetted, and those who should not have them turn them, as well as no one, should have weapons of war and be fairly reimbursed. If an M1 Abrams is not legal to own, why is AA-12 semi-automatic?

· Approach: Implement common-sense gun control measures like background checks, assault weapon bans, and very long incarceration periods.

· Consequences of Inaction: Unchecked gun proliferation leads to higher homicide rates and mass shootings. Guns can now be made security-free 3D printers

· Examples: Recently, ex-president Trump was almost assassinated. How many high-profile or high mass shootings are enough before we take serious action? The answer may not be until the corporate campaign contributions are eliminated, which will also impact many other areas.

9 Immigration Reform. A certain amount of immigration is healthy and necessary, so how do we best solve this issue and make this work for most people? The answer lies in treating people with an understanding of their plight in their country of origin and helping as many as possible. US citizens are frightened of strangers, and an efficient immigration system bolsters the economy. And frankly, there are jobs our citizens don’t want to do.

· Approach: Ferret out those who do not meet our standards and provide strict pathways to citizenship. This will take an honest effort to create something that both parties can agree to.

· Consequences of Inaction: Ineffective policies have led to labor shortages worldwide. Too many workers with the skill set needed are in their prime today. For the low end of the labor pool, we have desperate people crossing the southern border, seeking jobs Americans don’t want, like stoop labor, picking crops in the field, unskilled manufacturing jobs under unpleasant and dangerous conditions, and menial jobs like trash removal, emptying bedpans at a hospital, and sweeping or mopping the floor. But, at the other end of the spectrum are skilled jobs in technology and healthcare. All people entering the US need to be vetted, no matter their skill set; if accepted, they are filtered through at a rate that can be absorbed. Those who break the law will send them back and not be allowed to return. If this is done right, it will add to our GDP and solve our labor shortage. All immigrants generally want to be assimilated and be part of the American dream.  We need a plan to make this work for them and our skeptical citizens. One reason this is unfavorable is that the red team, who fear the lower end of the job train, are more potential blue-leaning voters. They can do well here by appealing to their religious and family instincts. However, they think they fell short and became anti-immigration, particularly at the lower skill set.

· Examples: Canada’s successful points-based immigration system has been a winner, but then again, they did not have to wrestle with their original sin of slavery.

10 Returning to Civil Society

· Message: Foster a culture of respect and collaboration to address national issues, particularly the tough ones, as noted herein. If you lose a vote, you could try again next time. But this election is decidedly different. If the red team loses, the head of this party may lose his freedom. This sets in motion a whole new strategy.

· Approach: The red and blue teams must learn history and the facts together and resolve their issues.

· Consequences of Inaction: Continued polarization must stop, or the US will fracture.

· Examples: After WWII, our 2 most bitter enemies, Japan and Germany, are our allies, while Russia, our ally then, is our adversarial today.

Summary. Like the proverb says, may you live in interesting times. We surely are right now, but the word interesting can have positive or negative connotations.

Then, consider how your company might respond to these 10 items regarding your thoughts and how they may affect your career path.

Read more by Mike Neidel