# A National Reflection By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-07-18 The wealth of the United States (US) cannot be overstated. We've only begun to tap into the potential. Compared to other nations, the US is hardly efficient in processing its natural resources and geopolitical power. And yet, it is still an economic and global superpower. For example, the US exports more energy than it consumes and doesn't fully leverage its massively efficient waterways to transport goods. Entire regions of the country with direct access to the globe via rivers and bays sit underutilized today. Other nations would love to have access to such natural networks. In large part, these natural resources and transportation networks help to position the US as an economic power. Think coal, oil, and steel. The US could produce things cheaper than everyone else. Today, the US has outsourced much of this work to focus on global defense and trade and to deploy American culture, government, and economic values as much as possible. But as the world changes, so too does the US. It wouldn't happen overnight, but the US could turn all these "old time" systems back on to be more self-sufficient and economically powerful. While it's been known for decades that the downsides of the global outsourcing of critical supply chain items could cause significant problems, COVID-19 made the problem widely tangible. Slowly, the US is retreating from the worldwide protector status and is instead focusing inward. The government is providing funding and tax breaks to bring more high-tech manufacturing onshore while closely building trade relations with Mexico so that they can manufacture low- and mid-level products. While the reality show of US politics continues to swirl, the geopolitical policies remain steady. The question for Americans, who have always been a bit wary of other nations while also championing democracy and capitalism, is whether this is concerning or welcomed. Does a return to isolationism and self-reliance mean Americans take a step back on the road to global human solidarity? Or, do Americans become more authentic in their support because they have their house in order and can better ride the ebbs and flows of the global economy to provide more tangible support? What one believes depends upon how one thinks about the outcome of self-reflection and self-actualization. Does it generate selfishness or solidarity? Does it create better intentions or worse ones? Does wealth create more prosperity or poverty when those with wealth develop an understanding of who they are about the world? The path forward splits in many directions. Which one will the US and the world choose? #### Related Items [[American]] [[Economics]] [[Geopolitics]] [[Politics]] [[Capitalism]] [[Reflection]] [[Self-Actualization]] [[Progress]] [[Wealth]]