Saturday, March 20, 2010

Our Economic Down Fall


Back in my day, we had a notion called the peace dividend, which was supposed to foster a new world of opportunities and improved quality of life. Of course, this never happened.
Automation is making way for reduced employment and the de-skilling of labor in the blue-collar community. Many of the manufacturing jobs go to illegal immigrants because they will not unionize and they are easily underpaid. There is a mission among corporate CEOs to reduce salaries and work hours. This prevents wage increases, unionizing and benefits.
The average CEO makes 800 times more than the average employee. Many get million-dollar bonuses a year and pay fewer taxes than most workers.
Back in the day, we were supposed to have something called the peace dividend. After the Cold War, there was supposed to be good-quality, paying jobs and a goal of full employment. The meaningful jobs, such as maintaining infrastructure, the so-called green jobs (recently outsourced to India) and many other sustainable and livable community jobs that paid a decent wage, never happened. Instead, we got George Bush I's global hegemony, Clinton's NAFTA and GATT and George Bush II's endless wars, which cost us billions of dollars.
The notion of full employment comes from the universal income and public works jobs. The universal income or basic income grant would have stimulated the economy and produced more jobs for everyone who wanted to work. This also would pay for volunteering and public works programs, not just handouts.
This was a farce since the 1970s. Our lives have been undermined by shortages and inflation, Reagan's war on workers and the poor, and decades of presidents, congressmen and senators who have betrayed us. We have the best government money can buy, and the government gives to the rich nine ways to Sunday.
The prosperity of the 1980s brought in a wave of insensitivity, uncaring and elitism by the yuppies who had no respect for anyone below their income, creating a new caste system, rather than a democracy where everyone is free and equal.
Even today we see even the Democrats don't understand us or even know who we are. The struggle of workers means people fall through the cracks with a temporary and horrible safety net.
The long mean season continues today, and the liberals in office are only offering half measures and bury anything and any idea that can save us.
So, you see, that is why good-paying jobs are disappearing.