After listening to the Presidential debate last night, I thought about how much of the discussion becomes unnecessarily complicated, so let’s apply some dating rules for growing the economy.

This morning I saw this article in the Financial Times and felt like slapping those who defend the spying habits of the U.S. government upside the head.   Shocker… with all the information coming out on how the U.S. government feels free to peruse any and all information it can get its hands on, people outside the U.S. want to prevent their data from ever getting near America’s shores, a serious blow to American technology firms.

The older I get the more I appreciate I learned most of life’s lessons in high school.  The U.S. economy would greatly benefit if politicians in this country learned one key rule of dating –

You cannot threaten someone into staying!

We all knew those kids in school who tried to force the object of their affection to stay with them through a variety of threats. Unfortunately for some, this strategy continues on into their adult years with intentional “accidental” pregnancies or threats of violence or some other sort of harm.  This strategy never turns out well for anyone involved, and often ends in tragedy.

Sadly the U.S. government has yet to learn this lesson.  It attempts to force businesses to keep their operations in the U.S. through either a punitive tax code or through threatening legislative or regulatory actions. You can almost hear the vitriolic tirade, “If you try to leave me, I’ll make you regret it!”

What most learn as they mature is that you are more likely to attract great people into your life, romantic or otherwise, by being attractive to them, by being someone they enjoying being around, working with, playing with or dancing with crazily around the kitchen after a few glasses of wine!  It’s the old lesson of attracting more bees with honey than vinegar.

The U.S. seems to be hell bent on pouring balsamic all over its economy and many of its allies as well.

Rather than bitching, “Why don’t you love me? I won’t let you leave me!” the U.S. ought to be working to make the country an insanely attractive place to do business.  That means an attractive tax code, legal and regulatory system, and STOP BLOODY SPYING on our allies and our own citizens without a damn good reason and a warrant!  Take a look at Ireland, here, here and here.   Now there’s a country that has done a phenomenal job of knowing how to look irresistible when going out on the global stage!

It would be a hell of a lot easier for the U.S. to solve its various problems with a booming economy than with one that is growing at the slowest pace in eons!