Jobs (October 2011)

For the congressional supercommittee established by the Budget Control Act to truly succeed, it must define success in terms that really matter to working Americans. I am disturbed by the Washington groupthink that defines success narrowly in terms of maximizing deficit reduction. Members of the supercommittee need to embrace a broader and more powerful definition of success that includes boosting the economy and creating jobs.

Washington seems to have finally woken up to the jobs crisis facing our country. Both parties have a wealth of proposals and perspectives for how the government can create jobs. Some of these proposals will do some immediate good, some will pay long-term dividends and some miss the mark completely. The trouble is that whether it is a new free-trade agreement or another temporary hiring incentive, none of the ideas being debated address the root structural problems facing the economy.

Every generation has an American hero — an individual who perseveres, failure after failure, but then ultimately succeeds in making his or her vision a reality. We love these champions because they experience the same trials and tragedies of life but overcome them in ways that seem super-human. Steve Jobs embodied this American dream, and his success can teach us all about the fundamental American qualities that lead to innovation, prosperity and jobs.