The single most important factor that made the US of A the US of A is this map.
There are a half a dozen reasons more of course. People looking for liberté, égalité, fraternité. Well, they were looking for this in Latin America as well. Those that left Europe for the new world tossed a coin where to go, so to speak, to Buenos Aires or to Massachusetts. Mental midgets went everywhere and not only to Latin America. The geography made the difference.
This natural cheap, water communications freeways, highways, road-to-market ways made all the difference in the world. It made trade easier. It allowed the dreams of liberté and égalité and fraternité to be achieved. It allowed people to penetrate the frontier.
It was natural capital. It was the right kind of inherited natural wealth. The kind that builds. Oil destroys. Then came the railroads that could be financed because there was a market growing. The government did not have to run deficits to build these trading, developmental, et. al., highways. They were there.
Africa did not have it—where are they?
Latin American does not have it—look where they are.
With that river system came plains to plant.
Then man comes in with railways and the rest is history.
In that one photo we see what we need to do for the Philippines to be a trillion dollar economy by 2030, or earlier: Let the private sector build infrastructure starting with the end of Manila traffic.
Just the building of two connector roads, Cavite-Laguna Express, the Laguna Lakeshore drive continuing all around, and the Cs, we have a great start. Then come, simultaneously, the elevated mass transit systems—MRTs. And, of course, the overpasses, widening of roads, and so forth.
PUT PRESSURE ON EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO PRESS THE ADMINISTRATION.
That is Metro Manila, then comes Cebu, which needs a third bridge and a mass transit system.
THE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM WE NEED IS DIGITAL—A FAST INTERNET SYSTEM. Watch Apple WWDC video of Tim Cook on You Tube and get an idea of the future. Those private and public actors that hold us back from this wonderful world of Siri, Waze, Maps, etc. are saboteurs. They are productivity drivers. They are life enhancement drivers.
They save us our two most precious assets: time and energy!
LET’S FOCUS ON JUST THE ABOVE TO START AND NOT WORRY ABOUT ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA THAT HAVE OIL THAT WILL BE WORTHLESS BY THE TIME WE ARE A TRILLION DOLLAR ECONOMY.
LET’S FOCUS ON MORE AND BETTER JOBS THROUGH THE EXPANSION OF TOURISM, MANUFACTURING, AND AGRICULTURE.
LET’S FOCUS ON ADAPTATION TO CHANGE THAT IS NECESSARY IN THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY—ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND APPS ARE A VERY REAL THREAT TO OUR NUMBER TWO, SOON TO BE NUMBER ONE ECONOMIC PILLAR.
We think we have an abundance of natural resources. Well, we do not. We do not have the fertility that the plains and the Mekong give. We do not have oil. We do not have large rivers. We are an island nation. Well, let me tell you: We do not need those natural resources because we have a people that speak decent English. We have a people that are decently educated across gender. We are a people that is naturally friendly, open minded, creative, and service oriented. Japan has no natural resources. Natural resources make you lazy.
Now to maximize the talent of our 100 million Filipinos, we need physical and digital infrastructure to be a trillion dollar economy by 2030 or pay dearly.
GUESS WHAT WE LOSE BY 2030 WHEN WE HAVE A TRILLION DOLLAR ECONOMY. POVERTY!
GUESS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LOSE POVERTY. YOU DECHRISTIANIZE!!