Reclaiming the American Dream Through Private Investing by The Patria Company, 06/07/10 22:08:52

Responsibility, duty, taking initiative, making a difference, facilitating change, integrity, pride & hard work. They may evoke initial thoughts regarding a U.S. Army commercial, qualifications or call to action, but these characteristics should also be entwined in our view of The American Dream. Would you agree that it may be a sign of National complacency, when we no longer attribute the opening statements to the way we conduct ourselves on a daily basis?   If these same distinctive entities have elevated lives and built much of what we believe epitomizes an outcome of success, what has changed when our economy encounters extensive depletion?  

Now that a crisis is upon us, I believe the focus needs to be towards future economic reform, rather than dwelling on past transgressions that accompanied our current unemployment and market levels. Where does the responsibility lie? Quite frankly, it lies with every one of us. In terms of economic revitalization, we all have diverse individual and financial restrictions and abilities. While the economy has brought detrimental times for Americans and American business, our resiliency needs to come from a mentality to overcome this adversity, instead of sheltering ourselves from future misfortune.

From the standpoint of a high net worth individual with a great deal of monetary wealth at their disposal, would it be wiser to shift assets to the sidelines and mitigate risk, or privately invest in an opportunity that stimulates our economy? I think it is safe to say that our public markets have been very volatile, slumping below 10,000 points this past week. Meanwhile, if money is transferred from public markets to sit a few plays out on the sidelines, does heightened taxation on this stagnant income seem to be a more agreeable alternative? Will this money be able to create more jobs and rejuvenate our economy when it is sitting collecting minimal interest in a bank that maintains to be unable to provide business loans to hard working Americans? These are all personal AND collective national choices. They affect our nation as a whole, but predominantly hit home far more at a local community level. 

From the standpoint of the small business owner or entrepreneur looking to launch, expand or refinance debt collected through business credit card use, where are they to turn?  Banks are restricted in providing business loans making it nearly impossible to obtain needed funding. Business owners are seeking lenders, but there seems to be a misconception or lack of familiarity with the private lending sector. In a nation dependant on a banking system predicated on much of our current economic hardship, shouldn’t American business get an alternative? If money is sitting on the sidelines both from banks, individuals and prospering businesses, while America’s small business and entrepreneurial sector are deteriorating, what does that say about our collective national character?

For our nation to rise and overcome from our economic disparity, it will take a team effort. From small towns, to capital cities, from aspiring entrepreneurs with the spirit of the American Dream, to large businesses choosing to act corporately responsible, this will take both time and effort. The value and identity of small business America must be stimulated for an economic renaissance to become achievable. Privately investing in American business will encompass responsibility, duty, taking initiative, making a difference, facilitating change, integrity, pride & hard work and a rebirth of The American Dream.