I had one if these not work because the usb port it was connected to didn't provide enough power. Try connecting it to an externality powered USB hub if you can.
If it's really broken I would open it up and connect it directly to an SATA port. If I remember correctly, inside is just a USB to SATA converter and a pretty standard drive.
LoL, Thanks captain obvious. The united states don't have a stable economy anymore. Investing anything there has become a much greater risk, be it bonds, stocks or suppliers.