The crux of the 2008 economic collapse was the abstract and unnatural repackaging and sale of subprime mortgages, which were sold on the false premise of being valued products. The world learned the hard way that these were toxic assets but we are now running the risk of suffering the same hardship again, says scholar John Horvat II, a sought-after researcher and scholar.

"The economic gymnastics involved in the collapse distracts many from the essential nature of what happened five years ago: sectors of our economy are frenzied and out of balance," says Horvat, author of "Return to Order," (www.returntoorder.org).

We need to address this issue, he says. Our economy is suffering from a systemic problem Horvat calls frenetic intemperance: a restless, reckless spirit that infects sectors of the modern economy and foments a drive to throw off legitimate restraints and gratify all desires.

Horvat proposes an organic solution.

"Many of us believe this problem needs to be looked at from the bottom up, which is why we propose an organic society as a part of the solution to an economic problem," he says. "We believe that when economic activities take place inside the context of society, it allows the natural restraining influence of human institutions such as customs, morals, family and community to calm markets and prevent frenetic intemperance."

Horvat says the above factors constitute the "heart and soul" of the economy, which may be revived in the following ways:

• Focus on property: Before becoming a modern commodity, private property possessed a strong intangible value. Real property, especially land, was a point of anchorage or sanctuary from which a family might develop. Wherever a strong sense of private property exists, a strong family pervades, and the family may persist there for many generations. In such cases, land and property become embedded in social relationships. They are not mere commodities; rather, they're part of the social and political organization itself, conferring the intangible qualities of honor, authority and status upon the owner.

• Social capital: There is now a field of sociological studies focusing on the value of what is called "social capital" on the economy. It's a social fabric of human relationships that serves as a kind of capital since it creates conditions for trust. Although unquantifiable, it enriches and lubricates social, civic and economic life, giving it undeniable value. It's also a source of immense security and trust - something that was lost for many after the subprime mortgage crisis.

• The "invisible" economy: Beyond individual relationships, there are also those human instituions cannot be undervalued if we're to have a healthy, organic economy. These are also innately nuanced and unpredictable. Institutions like the family and community serve as essential braking mechanisms inside an economy that prevent frenetic intemperance. In this sense, economic developments and transactions share space with other human endeavors, including literature, the arts and education. Such institutions serve the purpose of creating psychological health and stability and should not be seen as mere nostalgic musings. This "invisible" economy, a reinforced social infrastructure, in no way denies the need or importance of a formal economy. Rather, think of both as intertwined; each provides rigor, vitality and trust in the other.

About John Horvat II

Brushes with poverty, extended periods of joblessness and a reliance on welfare is part of the "new normal" for the average American worker, according to new data reported from The Associated Press.

Economic security isn't what it used to be before the economic crash of 2008; survey data points to the loss of manufacturing jobs, the globalized economy and a widening gap between rich and poor as reasons for why 4 in 5 workers in the United States will experience economic hardship in their lifetime. 
"I certainly don't envy what the average worker will likely endure throughout his or her career, but as an ambitious woman coming up through the ranks of corporate culture - the boy's club - many decades ago, I know the hardship of sustaining the career of your dreams," says 75-year-old Darlene Quinn, author of Unpredictable Webs, (www.darlenequinn.net), the newest in her stand-alone series of suspense-filled dramatic novels which are now in development for a major TV series.

Quinn is a former senior executive with the Bullocks Wilshire department store chain who went on to pursue an award-winning career in fiction writing. She started by earning a bachelor's at San Jose State University and she became a schoolteacher, later climbing her way up the corporate retail ladder during a time of tremendous upheaval in the fashion industry.

"Change is natural; change is life, and you don't have to be afraid of it," she says.

Quinn, a family woman who has also been proactive in managing beauty pageants, volunteering for charity and corporate training, offers the following career advice to struggling professionals:

• Parlay your strengths; experience and education isn't everything. Unfortunately, many workers are finding this out. Nowadays, even advanced college degrees are no guarantee of job security. It's not uncommon to find holders of master's degrees working in low-paying jobs. While a degree is still needed to get your foot in the door of most professional job openings, consider that which you most excel. As a professional, you may not be perfect in every aspect of your career, but there are activities in a job that you probably do regardless of work. Perhaps that's managing groups of people, writing or designing websites. What is your strength, and how does that translate to a more promising field?

• Shoot for the top! Of course, you don't have to be in a state of economic hardship to consider switching fields. The Internet is allowing us to be more connected than ever and permanently altering the employment landscape. Perhaps you see an opportunity in online education and, as an administrator on a college campus you know the weaknesses of today's traditional university system. If you take well to new software, are available beyond the usual 9-to-5 hours and have a stable work history, then why not make more than a lateral move?

• Is it time to trade in that necktie or pantsuit for your passion? After having accomplished so much in the corporate world, Quinn decided it was time for a new direction, so she pursued her passion for writing and has done very well, winning multiple awards. Perhaps it's time to take what you already love doing so well at home and apply it to a career. If you love cooking, for example, and others love what you create, you may want to consider a new career.

About Darlene Quinn

Darlene Quinn is an author and journalist from Long Beach, Calif., whose novels about deceit, intrigue and glamour in the retail fashion industry were inspired by her years with Bullocks Wilshire specialty department stores and are now in development for a major TV series. Her newest, Unpredictable Webs, is the winner of the Beverly Hills Book Awards for Excellence in Fiction and was selected as the number-one President's choice before publication. The novel continues her series, including Webs of Fate, which won the 2011 Reader's Favorites Award before it hit bookshelves; Webs of Power, winner of a 2009 National Indie Excellence Award, and Twisted Webs, winner of the 2011 International Book Award for General Fiction and the 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards for General Fiction.

An alarming Gallup poll published earlier this year is still sending shockwaves throughout the business community: Most American workers either hate their jobs or don't care one way or the other about them.

Less than a third of Americans are actively engaged in their work, meaning they're passionate about it, enthusiastic and energetic. They're consistently productive, and high performing.

Gallup estimates the 20 million who are "actively disengaged" - openly negative and unhappy have a staggering effect on the economy, costing the United States $450 to $550 billion each year in lost productivity.

"To engage the 70 percent of non-committal or 'actively disengage' employees,  business managers need to change how they view human capital," says Trevor Wilson, CEO of TWI Inc., a global corporate speaker, human equity strategist and author of "The Human Equity Advantage," (humanequityadvantage.com).

"Engaging employees is an issue I've been working on for more than two decades, and there is a solution. I call it human equity -- the unique assets each individual brings to the workplace that are often unrecognized. Recognizing and leveraging your own human equity, as well as that of your employees, addresses not only the incredible waste of human capital illustrated in the recent poll, but also related concerns business leaders share, including the constant need for innovation. These challenges are not unique to the United States."

There is a reason why executive royalty, such as Warren Buffet and former General Electric CEO Jack Welsh, sought talent beyond traditional criteria like knowledge and skills, which are also important, says Wilson. He offers a method for uncovering valuable intangibles in employees; he calls it the SHAPE V Talent model:

• Strengths: Consider strength as defined by the 1999 Gallup StrengthsFinder study, which includes "consistent near-perfect performance in an activity." The study identifies 34 qualities, which can be innate and, unlike skills, are not learned. Individual employees and managers should not force a square peg into a round hole; if an employee's near-perfect, near-effortless strength is in research and analysis, but not so much in data management, managers should allocate this resource accordingly.

• Heart: Have you ever wondered what comes first, whether you're good at something because you like it, or you like it because you're good at it? The chicken-or-egg question aside, what matters is the passion one has for a talent. This includes activities a worker would do even if he or she didn't have to do it on the job. If a talented manager won the lottery and decided to quit his job, for example, he might be inclined to manage people in a local political campaign or take the helm of his son's little league team.

• Attitude: There are three general attitudes an employee might have, according to a branch of study in positive psychology. First, there are those who approach their work as a job, who seek only a paycheck and benefits. The second group includes those with a career perspective who seek advancement. The third group views their work as a calling and deeply connects with what they do every day.

• Personality: In 2009, nearly $500 million was spent on personality testing in North America alone. A reliable test isn't valuable in so much as it reveals differences among workers, which are most likely already apparent. The value of these tests is in showing how and where differences lie. Understanding differences can lead to an appreciation for how and why coworkers perform and improve the synergy of teams.

• Experience: Who is the person you're sitting next to at work; who is she when she's not making business-to-business calls, scheduling meetings or troubleshooting technical problems? How does her race, religion, economic background, family situation and overall lifestyle influence - or not influence - her work life? More importantly, how might her life beyond work offer diversity of thought in the workplace? Life experience should not be overlooked when assessing talent.

• Virtue: "Value in action, that's virtue," Wilson says. Candor, temperance, courage - these traits preempt problems like public scandals, harassment and discrimination and foster a positive moral pragmatism among coworkers and practical wisdom among leaders. With social media continuing to expose bad behavior and employee morale revealed to be at a stunning low, this is a significant quality in the on-going search for the best talent.

About Trevor Wilson

Trevor Wilson is the CEO of TWI Inc. and creator of the human equity management model. He is the global diversity, inclusion and human equity strategist who regularly speaks at corporate functions. TWI's clients include some of the most progressive global employers in the world, including Coca-Cola, Ernst & Young, BNP Paribas and Home Depot. TWI's trademarked human equity approach was instrumental in catapulting Coca-Cola's South Africa division to the top performing division worldwide.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the number of furlough days civilian employees, including Rock Island Arsenal employees, must take was reduced to six.  Earlier this year, the Secretary had set the number of furlough days at 11 due to budget cuts that were created by sequestration and other budgetary factors. Loebsack has been opposed to these drastic cuts since they were created by the Budget Control Act, which he voted against.   He has repeatedly called on Congressional leaders to work to find a balanced, commonsense way to replace sequestration and responsibly deal with the fiscal situation facing the nation.

"While today's announcement by Secretary Hagel is encouraging news for the men and women at the Rock Island Arsenal, it is unconscionable that civilian workers were forced to take a pay cut because of dysfunction in Washington. I opposed the creation of sequestration and I adamantly opposed the decision to furlough any dedicated individuals who work every day on behalf of our troops and national security.  I remain committed to working on a bipartisan basis to replace sequestration with responsible deficit reduction that grows the economy and creates job.  I will continue to fight for the hardworking men and women at Rock Island Arsenal and the people who sequestration has affected most."