Home / Juan Enriquez at Pop!Tech 2008

Juan Enriquez at Pop!Tech 2008

Discussion Wiki
NOTE: Sign up required to edit this wiki (see top right)


This is a discussion Wiki regarding Juan Enriquez’ talk at Pop!Tech 2008, entitled “10 Commandments for the President-Elect to Save the US Economy”. This forum is a place for a rich, lively, respectful and facts-based dialog on what’s necessary to address the serious economic challenges confronting America today. We at Pop!Tech take no official stance on the substantive points of either Enriquez’ diagnosis or his prescription, but we do believe that, whether you agree or disagree, this is a critical conversation for Americans to be having right now.


First, Watch the Video:


Juan Enriquez (2008) Pop!Tech Pop!Cast from PopTech on Vimeo.

 

(download Juan’s presentation as a pdf)

Best-selling author and debt crisis expert Juan Enriquez argues that the $700 billion bailout and other recent efforts to address America’s financial crisis were severely misguided and may end up doing more harm than good.  Drawing on many different ideas and sources, Juan has drafted 10 commandments – to be implemented by the next President during his first 60 days in office – that attempt to avert what could become a decades-long economic slide. 


This wiki was created as a way to spur high-quality non-partisan thinking and discussion on the ideas presented in Juan’s talk.

Rules of Engagement:

 

1. This is a non-partisan forum specifically focused on financial policy. There are myriad other challenges the next President will need to address, from diplomatic relations to the environment. We encourage anyone interested in advancing that conversation to do so on the Pop!Tech Hub, Facebook group.

 

2. Juan Enriquez's talk at Pop!Tech 2008 and draft 10 commandments are specifically focused on action required during the first 60 days of the next administration. Given the current macro-economic context, we ask that this discussion remain focused on immediate actions that prepare the country to tackle the larger, systemic economic challenges that must also be addressed. 

 

3. The aim of this forum is to cultivate a reasonable and civil debate -- not a flame war. The goal is to develop a consensus program that everybody dislikes, but which strategically addresses the task at hand. If you are unable to engage in a respectful dialog, your comments and account will be banned. 


For more information on this effort, and to watch Juan’s much buzzed-about talk at Pop!Tech ’08, please visit:
http://www.poptech.org/juanenriquez/


Key Pages:

1. We have to save the dollar (AAA rating in jeopardy)

2. We have to fundamentally and brutally restructure debt

3. All entitlements are fair game.  To begin with...

    a. If you are 60 to 65 you probably just lost a big chunk of your nest egg.


        (we don’t want anything from you)

    b. If you are 55 to 60, we need two more years’ work from you

    c. 55 and under, we need three or four more years from you

4. Cut back military by 2% per year for ten years

5. Cap medical costs at 18% GNP (going to be a cat fight, but we need to have it)

6. We have to triage our support for companies (don’t attempt to save dying whales)

7. The program has to be bipartisan.  It has to make both Dems and Repubs unhappy

8. Simplify and broadly apply Sarbanes Oxley – apply it to government, apply it to hedge funds

9. We will invest in growing start up companies (which create the most jobs – this is where the economy is growing)

10. We will treat education as a varsity sport (and continue to recruit foreign PhDs)



 



    		 RSS of this page