D-DAY, CHOOSE SIDES

TO WHAT EXTENT DO MOST AMERICANS THINK ABOUT H-P NOWADAYS? DO MOST AMERICANS KNOW THAT H-P REPRESENTS HEWLETT-PACKARD? CAN MOST OF US NAME H-P'S PRODUCTS? OR CAN ANY OF US RELATE TO TWO STUDENTS STUDYING ENGINEERING AT STANFORD, EXPLORING POSSIBILITIES OF TECHNOLOGY WHO FOUNDED THE COMPANY? WHAT CONNECTION DO WE HAVE TO BILL (HEWLETT) AND DAVE (PACKARD) WHO IN THE 1930'S GOT THEIR BREAK WHEN THEY SOLD AN AUDIO OSCILLATOR TO WALT DISNEY FOR USE IN HIS MOVIE 'FANTASIA'? HOW MANY AMERICANS CAN APPRECIATE THIS INNOVATION? OR IN SPITE OF OUR PROTECTIONIST SENTIMENTS TO KEEP JOBS HERE AT HOME, WHICH AMERICANS KNOW THAT IN 2006, 161.5 BILLION DOLLARS OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT WENT INTO BUSINESSES IN THE UNITED STATES. UP 77%, THIS REPRESENTS A 6 YR. HIGH. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF PERCENTAGES? HOW MANY CITIZENS WILL AMASS A MILLION DOLLARS OF EQUITY IN A LIFETIME MUCH LESS COMPREHEND A BILLION? CAN THE TYPICAL AMERICAN DEFINE EQUITY?

FEW. YET THE CRUCIAL LESSON OF THE TODAY SHOULD TEACH THE DEFINITIONS OF REGULATION AND INNOVATION. THE IDEOLOGICAL DIVIDE BETWEEN THESE TWO NOTIONS HAS FOSTERED OR IMPEDED PROGRESS N AMERICA. BOTH WALT DISNEY AND HEWLETT- PACKARD ADVANCED AND IMPROVED AMERICA BY THEIR INNOVATIONS, THAT IS MAKING CHANGES AS NEEDED. THE GOVERNMENT HAS IMPEDED PROGRESS OVER AND OVER AGAIN BY BURDENSOME REGULATIONS. SOMETIMES GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO; OTHER TIMES IT AIMS TO STIFLE COMPETITION. LUCKILY, THE GENERATION OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WERE NOT IN IDEOLOGICAL LOCKSTEP. EVEN THOUGH THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS CONFLICTED WITH EACH OTHER, THEY DEBATED THEM.

A TYPICAL AMERICAN ALREADY HAS CHOSEN SIDES. WHAT KIND OF AN AMERICAN ARE YOU? CONSERVATIVES TEND TO INNOVATION. LIBERALS LEAN TO REGULATION. IGNORANCE MAY BE AN AMERICAN'S STRONG SUIT (AS IN A GAME OF CARDS) BUT DYING IN PLACE IS NOT. REMEMBER D-DAY DEC.6, 1944.