President Barack Obama's Asian trip this week has provided an interesting, and perhaps unsettling, glimpse into the future. Unable to secure a free trade agreement with South Korea or develop a unified strategy with China to spur global economic growth, Obama came up largely empty-handed.

With Asian countries owning approximately $1.8 trillion, or nearly 45%, of U.S. debt, it's clear that we can no longer dictate compliance with either charm or the threat of brute force. Our inept fiscal policies have eroded our leverage on the world stage, and in order to regain any kind of leadership position, we simply can't wallow in status quo. It's time for innovative thinking.

Both sides of the aisle seem to be singing from the same sheet of music, harmonizing that the key to buttressing our general international status is to decrease the national deficit, thereby reducing our debt risk. I'm hearing a lot of political rhetoric today about implementing a magical blend of tax increases and program cuts to realize our lofty deficit reduction goals, but there is a noticeable lack of dialog around three factors that are paramount to our economic recovery and restoration of our credibility in the world.

The first factor, an obvious and significant contributor to our debt reduction, involves the elimination of our largest source of spending—foreign oil. In a sustainable future, all roads lead to clean, decentralized energy and advanced smart technology. Only when domestically produced and renewable energy becomes a genuine national priority (when politicians cease giving it lip service simply because it sounds good on the campaign trail) will we see a real, long-term shift in our national financial crisis.

The second factor is innovation. Gone are the days of U.S. widget manufacturing. Instead of trying to compete head to head with Asia in the production of commodity products, we're going to have to think 'beyond the box' and create inventive, high-quality products and solutions for a new, environmentally sensitive era.

The third factor is simplification. Consumer downsizing is spreading across the country and even making headlines. The "NBC Nightly News" recently ran a series of stories on the "culture of less," reporting that that the epidemic of accumulation is waning for both financial and emotional reasons.

We will lose a significant opportunity to stabilize our national economy and repair our international standing if we don't seize the opportunity to develop appropriate political strategies and business infrastructure that support the transformation of values occurring in our country today.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for midterm elections to be over. The endless barrage of fear-mongering political ads is tiresome at best. Let's be honest-do any of those negative messages make you feel good about our political system or give you confidence that any of the candidates can effectively run our country with even a semblance of real leadership?

How have we descended so far into the politics of scarcity, in which wannabe leaders focus on division, dissention, and conflict rather than on real issues, their own competencies, and the values that unite us? Why do we let diplomats manipulate public opinion with hatred and terror? Isn't it time that we reject those who use fear and bombast to undermine our country's free spirit and our sense of connectivity with each other?

The irony is palpable. We have created the underpinnings of a new growth paradigm through the development of innovative clean technology and advanced telecommunications, but our political polarization has rendered us impotent to build the necessary structure atop that foundation.

The vast schism that exists in our country greatly diminishes our ability to compete internationally. According to a report developed by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine titled Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, "In the face of so many daunting near-term challenges, U.S. government and industry are letting the crucial strategic issues of U.S. competitiveness slip below the surface."

The report cites that while the United States ranks sixth in global innovation-based competitiveness, it has dropped to 40th in rate of change over the last decade. Instead of working together to solve our real, everyday problems such as resource depletion, dilapidated infrastructure, failing education systems, and unemployment, we continue to fall deeper into our own phobia of scarcity, much to the detriment of open markets and our own prosperity. Whomever you vote for tomorrow—regardless of the party you support—I implore you to cast your ballot for abundance. It's time that we trump fear with self-confidence.

It's time that we take back our political system and change the way we approach our political debate. We can take an important step forward by backing candidates that we think will nurture the inspiration, education, and protection that is paramount to the continued advancement of our country.