Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist, Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman is one of my favorite writers in the political-economic arena. Probably because he’s a great thinker. When he writes a column you can be sure it is well thought out, well researched, and to the point. He also has ideas — he goes beyond reporting. Yesterday he wrote a New York Times Op-Ed piece suggesting that what Obama should do is create a new initiative to create millions of young entrepreneurs and jobs. Friedman calls it “Start-Up America.”  It would be Obama’s “moon shot”

It’s a great piece, and a great idea, read it if you have an interest in entrepreneurial visionary thinking.

So many people get caught up in anti-tax, anti-big government BS that they forget you have to be for something, not just against something. If deregulation, tax cuts, and laissez faire government were all that were necessary for prosperity wouldn’t the USA be in the pink after 8 years of it?  The USA is in the red financially because value and wealth are not being created.

Getting young people inspired to create, invent, and start businesses is what will turn the economy around. It’s what has always changed things, prosperity is created by starting businesses, it’s just that simple.

We need lots of young Steve Jobs types out there. So, get behind National Lab Day or the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) as Friedman suggests, or get behind Junior Achievement, or get behind Dean Kamen’s FIRST competition.  All of these initiatives are worthwhile, positive, non-partisan ways to educate and inspire young people to create, invent, and contribute.

And what could be wrong with that.