ONLY AMERICA CAN.

The weak economy in the United States is being exacerbated by outside events, such as the financial upheavals in Europe and other related circumstances that are making the world monetary markets to respond negatively.

The Dow Jones Averages fell by more than 400 points yesterday, which made the fears for a double recession to become more surreal. With that in mind, the only place left for investors to show interest would be in the gold market, as the price of it (gold) kept rising. It was about $1800 dollars an ounce, and it could go up even more, and that could render the field for capital investments almost desolate.

That would surely affect the unemployment situation and make it unmanageable to a greater extent, as the private sector and other businesses would be struggling to maintain smaller numbers of personnel, and be able to avoid losses in profits from hiring excess workers they did not need.

They would just use the number of employees that would be enough to keep them afloat. Instead of employing more people, they would be laying off workers by cutting down on the overall expenditures of a whole lot of companies. The realities of economic hardships would be prevalent, and they would be felt all across the nation, leaving nobody out.

As President Barack Obama is getting ready to unveil his new plan to create employment, let us be hopeful that it will not end up in short-term programs that will keep people working only temporarily; for example, in construction, where contractors will enter into short-lived government contracts, and then wait for more (contracts) later.

That will bring lapses between contracts, which will not be convenient for workers. Also, that kind of circumstance can cause workers to be laid off periodically on short notice, or their work can be considered as dead-end jobs in many cases, if no more contracts are won by their companies.

Although, the infrastructure of the country, which would require the administration's full attention, could absorb large numbers of workers, who would be employed by many construction companies that would have extensive contracts over longer periods, for their workers to expect or anticipate full-time employment.

With short contracts, people were not sure of what could happen next. Workers could be in a circle, and be able to work; and then they could be back to "square one" of no work. They have suddenly been cut from their livelihood in the next instance, when that should occur.

It will be a good idea for the president to involve the National Association of the Chamber of Commerce and all its branches, in his effort to come up with a new plan that will embrace the whole nation.

In fact, it must be one with big corporations and small businesses cooperating with the government to attain a stronger economy; an all inclusive economic package that will bring employers, unions and private people together; with each and everyone working in unison for the common good.

At the moment America is hurting; and therefore, something drastic is needed for it to reclaim its economic strength of the past. It will relieve itself from the throes of a severe recession.

It will also bring stability in, and certainty to, the financial markets around the globe, because they seem to have lost the leadership only America can provide.