The answer to America’s recovery and prosperity in the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic lies in America’s innovation, invention, ingenuity, change in policies and priorities.
This pandemic has shed a bright light on the danger of allowing one superpower China from controlling the production of critical national security infrastructure in medicine, emergency response equipment and medical devices — like respirators, masks, gloves, etc.
America has always led globally in the aftermath of wars, depression, recessions, and natural disasters. In fact, the United States invented 11 of the 13 greatest inventions changing the world in the last 150 years.
Here are the top 13 inventions:
- Telephone invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell (U.S.)
- Electric light bulb invented in 1879 by Thomas Alva Edison (U.S.)
- Automobile invented in 1889 by Gottlieb Daimler (Germany)
- Radio invented in 1896 by Guglielmo Marconi (Italy)
- Airplane invented in 1903 by the Wright brothers (U.S.)
- Assembly line invented in 1913 by Henry Ford (U.S.)
- Television invented in 1923/27 by Vladimir Zworykin (Russia and U.S.) and Philio Farnsworth (U.S.)
- First programmable computer invented in 1936 by Konrad Zuse (Germany)
- Nuclear reactor invented in 1942 by Enrico Femi (U.S.)
- First personal computer invented in 1953 by IBM (U.S.)
- Internet invented in 1969 by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA (U.S.)
- Cell phone invented in 1973 by Motorola (U.S.)
- Windows invented in1983 by Bill Gates (U.S.
Notice that since 1876, a great invention has come along every 7.25 years on average.
When America invents, we invent for ourselves and the world.
We often share our technology with others.
The goals of unleashing our technology is simple — to bring financial reward and to better society.
There is no doubt that because of America’s ingenuity and invention the world has been changed for the better.
Most countries on our planet have benefited greatly from America's inventions; the U.S. has prospered like no other as a result.
Our "superpower" status was attained as a direct result on our entrepreneurial superiority.
The great inventions in our lifetime have come via computers.
Future inventions are likely to have that in common as well.
There are likely to be great leaps in medicine and energy in our lifetimes making us all healthier and cleaner — though not through mandate, but through good businesses decisions and public/private partnerships.
When President John F. Kennedy in 1961 challenged America to get to the moon by the close of the decade, we did not have the technology to make that challenge a reality.
Many scoffed, but even more were inspired.
Our nation was put to the test.
Government incentivized and business delivered.
Look at how many of the products we use today were developed out of that effort.
Even though President Kennedy was not alive to see his vision become reality, he still gets the credit for having achieved it.
In the 1960s many skeptics bitterly chastised America’s investment in the race to the moon.
They argued that it was not a sure thing, thus any public monies spent were being gambled and squandered.
In hindsight, any government investment was returned through the great leaps made to computers, plastics, electronics, communications, and medicine.
Advances today still benefiting every inhabitant of this planet — one way or another.
Every great invention requires a robust public/private partnership.
We have seen it before, and we have seen it today with government, federal, state and local and businesses coming together to deal with this crisis.
When cars were built by Ford and others, they needed government to build the roads, bridges, and tunnels. When America went to war it was private sector companies retooling its factories to aid the war effort by manufacturing tanks, ammunition, planes, etc.
When computers were being developed government became a huge investor in procurement and the development of the internet through the DARPA program (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) at the Pentagon.
Now is the time to limit the dependency on others for our national security and to diversify our imports to ensure a reliable supply chain. America first is not selfish — it is a matter of our survival.
Coronavirus is a wakeup call for America.
China is a country of makers, takers, and fakers.
They make our products, take our products and fake our products. They cheat on agreements, steal technology, deal in currency manipulation, dump products on outside markets, engage in cyber attacks on our government and private sectors, as well as lack transparency in healthcare.
America became greedy with the reliance on cheap labor and China took advantage of that and more. We can either learn from history or — be condemned to repeat it.
Our challenge going forward is add to the list of great inventions by investing in America’s needed goals and objectives.
We need to think big and challenge ourselves, and our nation.
China has not made the list of great inventions because they were content to date in making, taking, and faking our products.
America’s freedom to invent and to fail is our greatest strength.
As long as China continues to limit their own innovation and invention they are at a huge disadvantage to America and the West.
We have to assume this will change in time.
The time is still ours to lead. Our goal is to continue to make the list of great inventions.
Coronavirus has exposed China and given America a huge wake-up call.
Bradley Blakeman was a member of President George W. Bush's senior White House staff from 2001 to 2004. He is also a frequent contributor to Fox News and Fox Business Channel. He currently is a Principal with the 1600group.com a consulting company. — Click Here Now.
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