Vision - November/December 2008 - (Page 2)

SHAPIRO’S SPECTRUM ON THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS HORIZON The U.S. needs to be a beacon attracting those with the best ideas who want to live the American dream. Our Challenge T he new U.S. President in January will be challenged by an economy hampered by its debt to a mortgaged future. As of press time, the federal deﬁcit in 2008 exceeds $400 billion and Congress added a $850 billion “recovery” package. The lame duck session may add another economic stimulus package, a $25 billion bailout of Detroit, and who knows what else. The presidential political campaigns avoided the big issues of our growing deﬁcit, crumbling infrastructure, overextended social security system, soaring medical costs and excessively litigious society. Instead, the candidates played “gotcha” on lipstick, home ownership and experience. To succeed, our nation and our industry need strong leadership on a range of issues: trade. Congress must pass pending trade agreements (Colombia, Korea and Panama), return to the President’s authority to negotiate agreements and encourage multilateral negotiations. John Lund/Getty Images some interest group (crop subsidies, welfare). Entitlements need to be revisited. Protect Entrepreneurialism Congress needs to reverse our primacy as a litigation society. We need to encourage capital formation and investment. We need to attract the best and the brightest from around the world. Over half of Silicon Valley IT companies (including Intel, SanDisk and Qualcomm) were founded by immigrants. The U.S. needs to be a beacon attracting those with the best ideas who want to live the American dream. U.S. citizens can no longer assume that growth, domination and success can continue by borrowing against the future. We can succeed as a country with strong policies that encourage innovation and investment. It will take a major change in course and a willingness to make tough decisions favoring investment which do not appear to be the political sensibility today. • www.CE.org Resist Union Intimidation The so-called check card legislation favored by unions would eliminate worker privacy in union elections. It would encourage creation of a union in every American work place by allowing intimidation of workers to sign unionizing petitions. Our industry and every other will lose the ability to reward excellent workers. This one proposal, if enacted, will set back the U.S. competitively. Invest Strategically in the Future Every part of the federal budget should be reviewed as to whether it is an investment (infrastructure, education) or a sop for Pass Trade Agreements For those wishing us back to self-sufﬁciency with Americans ﬁlling unskilled, highpaying factory jobs, I proscribe a dose of reality. The world has changed and almost every growing nation has embraced free 2 November/December 2008 http://www.ce.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vision - November/December 2008

Vision - November/December 2008 Contents Shapiro's Spectrum In this Issue The Economist C4 Trends Going Global Visionary CES Unveiled Eco-Intelligence Is Vital in a Sustainable Global Market XGP— A Game Changer Enhancing the Tech Experience High-Definition Decade Public-Private Partnerships CEA Newsline Tech Speak Tech Policy Eye on Business Market Insider Just the Stats

Vision - November/December 2008

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