By popular demand, the article formerly known as The Hollow American Economy has been given a new name - A Clarion Call For Leadership - one a little more positive and motivating.
It also has been put into one column, expanded to include more specific examples of lean companies, also includes more specific recommendations for action, is tightened up into fewer words, has lost some of the mud slinging aspects that were so near to my heart (it was with great pain that I hit the delete key and got rid of the part about the Republicans being bought and paid for by Wall Street), should be typo free, is more accurate with regard to Eastern Europe, and has incorporated dozens of other very valid improvement suggestions sent to me over the last few days.
I am still working on the Executive Summary version - it is actually much more difficult to write less than more. I hope to have it posted yet today.
Please read what I consider the final version - at least in this format. As I mentioned, I will also crank out a summary version. And I have received very good suggestions that I also create an expanded version that explains things in more depth, that can be spoon fed to people at few pages at a time as they wrap their minds around what will strike many as radical, difficult ideas.
Thanks again for everything the entire Evolving excellence community did to make it happen. The next challenge is to get it out to the people who should read it. I am going to work on that over the weekend, once the summary is complete.
In the mean time, I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth, but if you agree with the principles in the article, please feel free to spread it far and wide. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to get it more widely read throughout the manufacturing community, and to blast it around the internet quite a bit, but everything anyone can do to broaden the base of people who can engage on the issues will be positive.
Thanks again - have a great weekend.