Broke

Summary

Broke is a startling wakeup call and a true account of where our country's future lies, as measured by key national priorities and issues of concern.  Broke explains how our biggest problems have resulted from a lack of principled leaders.  Each chapter provides pragmatic, non-partisan action steps that will allow all business leaders-whether they are running their own small company or currently CEO of a corporation with hundreds or thousands of employees-to limit future risks, strengthen the present, and help to turn America around in our lifetimes.  Topics include DebtReaders will be astonished to see our total financial obligations $ 51.7 trillion in debt.  The solution advanced by Broke is a 1% fee on every financial transaction until public debt is repaid and unfunded liabilities have money to back them up and enable future payment. The EnvironmentMismanagement of natural resources is one of the main causes of the collapse of several past civilizations and Broke clearly sounds the same alarm for the U.S.  Special interests drove compromise in the design, implementation, and lackluster enforcement of Americas environmental cleanup record.  Principled business leaders will not allow this deterioration to continue.  They must lead with self-regulation and innovation.  They must share in the real cost burden, as well. International RelationshipsGood foreign policy is based on the principles of friendship building.  Yet for the last few decades, Americas foreign policy has focused on world domination and subversion of enemies.  Its actions were short run, and its strategy was more opportunistic than rational.  Business leaders can help to make better friends abroadone person at a timeby insisting upon local development and wage standards as a substitute for a long history of overseas exploitation.  As a consultant with more than four decades of experience, John Mumford helps clients by designing and implementing vast changes in program and process with astonishing resultsall when their situations were dire and they had no place to turn for help.  On numerous occasions, he had the lead role in saving failing businesses when hundreds of jobs were at stake.  All were in dire straits.  All were successfully saved.  Now it is the entire country that is in those dire straits.  It is time for bold initiatives and decisive action.  Broke makes the case for those bold initiatives, led by the institution most at riskbusiness.  And it will be a catalyst to rebuild a declining America.