The Little Boy Asked - WHY? The Search for Answers During the last fifty-four years in spite of political promises or party, our situation in America has deteriorated, and unless REAL CHANGE for the better occurs soon, the situation will only continue to get worse. I wrote this book for my grandchildren, and for young people everywhere. They have real decisions to make, and they will live with the results of those decisions for the rest of their lives like it or not. This book will help them not only correctly define the problems they face, but understand how to create a positive and productive solution. To Young Americans: You got a raw deal. America once provided unlimited promise to every citizen, and while still a great country, the American dream is fading. Almost half of teenagers in urban poverty areas are without jobs. Among minorities the percentage is even higher. Poorly-prepared young people are being pushed off the bottom rung of the economic ladder, by better-prepared workers who are themselves being pushed down the same ladder. Most young people - when they can find jobs - work at jobs far below their educational levels or potential. Even the most successful face a very challenging future of limited opportunity. A Half-Century of Decline In spite of political promises and regardless of party the situation has deteriorated, and unless REAL CHANGE for the better occurs soon, the situation will continue to get worse. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are living today in an alternate reality game (ARG), a parallel universe constructed of false images defined for us by the government of both parties, and the press. As citizens we are reduced to thrashing around, evaluating problems based on deliberately false information, and encouraged to support "perfectly" constructed solutions for those false problems, only to find our real problems getting worse. The Problem At best having the right answer to the wrong question leads you nowhere. It could also lead you over a cliff, to a messy end on the very real and very hard rocks below. As long as we stay in this continuous loop of misinformation and bad analysis we will never get to the real source of the problem, be able to define a practical solution, or fix anything important. We have just one real life, and it is not an ARG. You have real decisions to make. You will live with the results of those decisions, for the rest of your life. While researching this book, we found that many of the so-called "expert" sources, where people turn to verify information, are often programmed and sanitized echo chambers. A Message to the Future After many months of intensive writing and re-writing, editing, and fact-checking, the results of our research are revealed in The Little Boy Asked - Why? The book includes over fifty photographs taken during our travels. As a professional analyst and consultant, defining problems and not solutions is unacceptable. The last two sections of the book address specific actions that need to be taken to rebuild the American dream. These actions are necessarily both political and economic. They must also be sustainable, and imbued with an ethic of stewardship. Such actions will not be easy to undertake, but they need to be undertaken. A Shining City - Again I want for an America that is both free and filled with endless opportunities. I want for each and every one of you to be successful, and to continue expanding the frontiers of science while eliminating need and improving the human condition. I want the inescapable processes of disruptive reordering to result in a world where the true diversity of America - vocational, economic, spiritual, and yes political - becomes once again the fountainhead of its strength, and not its weakness. The choice is yours. Read this book, discover the truth, and take control of your future.
About the Author: Wayne Staley established Affinity Systems LLC, a system consulting company, in 1997. Educated in computer technology, business, and manufacturing systems, Wayne managed Corporate Information Technology, Materials, and Logistics, for multi-plant, vertically integrated metal processing and forest products manufacturing corporations. His experience includes Manager of Shop Operations for a complex fabrication facility. Certified in TQM, NAFTA, and Project Management, Wayne audited Mexican operations, worked on integrated supply chain programs with Chinese suppliers, and collaboration programs with Dow Chemical, developing processes and new products. He performed numerous studies on energy, products, and doing business in Mexico. He served for eleven years on the City/County information processing commission. He has managed numerous projects, including business strategy, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Lean (VMP) in manufacturing, government, distribution, and convention management. He created Phase Four Graphics LLC, phasefourgraphics.com, and CompetitiveAmerica.us, advocating for American industry. Phase Four Graphics LLC developed training materials for ERP, Supply-Chain Management, Strategy, and Process Improvement. Wayne is a member of the Society Manufacturing Engineering, and a past member of APICS and AITP. He has presented at meetings, conferences, and seminars, for all three. He has authored seven books.