California Connect|Regional Economic Alliances|Business Resources|Careers|Health News|Energy/Environment|Travel|Entertainment
Search: 
more sections: 
Featured Advertisement
Whatever Happened to the American Dream?
By: G. Web Ross,

G. Web Ross, author of Rescuing the American Dream: The Entrepreneur’s Way says Americans today have a greater sense of entitlement and a lesser sense of values, and that combination is dragging the country, and the dream, downward. For him, it’s all about character.
 
“For more than 500 years, people have risked it all to come here for one simple reason: to make our most precious dream come true; a life that realizes its fullest potential, and the chance to carve out one’s own destiny,” Ross said. “Chance. Not a guarantee. This is the definition of freedom. It is not the stuff of Democrats or Republicans, or any party or movement. Freedom is the American character. Right, left, or center, the American Dream is our national treasure. But it is not in programs, or cash infusions, or sweeping political reforms. The ultimate answer to the current American economic crisis lies in one timeless value: Character.”

“Our economy, our business and corporate cultures, and yes, even our government have all turned their backs on the fundamental truths and realities that every small business must live out in the marketplace every day,” Ross said. “The building blocks and fundamentals of success are no different for GM and Citibank than they are for a one-woman shop. And they’re as fundamental in the 21st century as they were in Solomon’s day. Follow them,you will succeed. Ignore them, you may prosper for a while, but your temple will eventually come crashing down.”
 
“We keep reading about scandal after scandal in the business section,” he said. “If I had to point to one primary crisis in business today, it wouldn’t be the lack of stable economic footing – it would be the lack of honesty,” he added. “Whether it’s the middle managers who lie to their bosses to save their jobs, or the CEOs who lie to the board of directors and the press, it seems that we are discovering that the foundation of many large corporations has been built on lies. In all my years, I have never seen it this bad. But if we can find our character again, we can make it better.”
 
G. Web Ross, author of Rescuing the American Dream: The Entrepreneur’s Way (www.rescuingthedream.com), has charted more than 40 years experience in the paper industry, eventually retiring as the CEO of a large newsprint manufacturing company.
 





Advertisement