Fwd: [MargiesWin] The economy and jobs today - woeful future in store

[Guest guest]

This is an excerpt from a longer letter from a friend who worked for 27 years

at the Department of Labor and watched helplessly since the Reagan days as

changes were made to the detriment of the American worker. Things such as

constantly changing the way the unemployment rate was calculated, to the point

that the figures now are totally meaningless. And of course laws that

disadvantage workers at every turn, until they're helpless pawns of a merciless

corporate class. Read on for his explanation of how things have changed, and

why it

looks so hopeless for the American middle class and poor. This guy's an expert

on these things, and his comments are well worth reading. I'd say that

basically, the GOP is doing, more slowly, to America what they tried to do as

" shock therapy " in Iraq. Margie

----------------------

 

Even when I look at the job market today, it has been

so thoroughly twisted and contorted that I could not

tell anyone what you would even prepare yourself to

do. When Bush makes his " snide " little comment about

" structural change " in the job market it is the it is

the most gargantuan understatement imaginable. In

fact it is a complete misstatement.

 

If workers understood what he was really saying they

would just completely " freak out " . If they even had a

sense how they have been completely gassed, they could

not wait long enough to get to the polls to vote him

and the GOP forever. And as far as I am concerned

they have smashed, trashed and crushed the job market

as I knew it to dust. Even in the seven years since I

retired, I find what is going on to be totally

unrecognizable. It is like a completely face so

disfigured by accident or fire that the original

person no longer exists.

 

And I know a number of people who are in a totally

hopeless situation in the long term. And that is

because of Republicans deliberate attempts create the

market to their liking. It is a market that puts

every single worker at the mercy of global economic

forces. It is a gaunlet that will eventually erase any

semblance of nation states in the future.

 

I know we have talked about this subject a lot, but

here are what I see as the crucial changes that mean

no future for younger Americans. And to add to the

gall, the GOP is blaming us seniors for the fact that

these kids cannot make it financially.

 

Here are the structural changes the GOP and its

business allies have made:

1. There are no longer careers there are short term

minicareers. Average time on a job is under three

years now.

2. There are fewer and fewer $30,000 to $60,000 a

year jobs. They will cease to exist in suffcient

numbers or even significant numbers. The new job

distribution 10% living pay and benefits at the top.

90% bare subsistance at the bottom. No safety net.

3. 90% of the jobs created are in the under $10.00

and hour and pay NO benefits.

4. 60% of the jobs to retrain for are being

outsourced and offshored and will be gone before

anyone is ready.

5. Most of the jobs remaining are being taken by

immigration visa holders, legal and illegal

immigrants. Americans are being replaced as too

expensive.

6. Jobs lasting over 20 years are gone.

7. Employers no longer train their employees.

Employees are responsible for all the time and expense

to totally keep them selves updated. They are on a

" training treadmill " that is impossible stay on or

evenpay for.

8. In this new " work at will " environment you are a

free agent whose highest earning years end before 40.

After that you are in the " after job " job market

condemned to make do for the rest of your career.

9. Retirement plans as defined benefits are extinct

to be replaced by retirement vehicles that will not be

there in the future. It will be work until death.

Except for the wealthy.

10. There is no longer upward mobility, but

stagnation and downward mobility for 70% of the work

force.

11. It is a labor market where the employer holds

" all the cards " and has all the rights. Employees

have none.

12. There will be no civil service system. All jobs

will be political patronage or contracted. The entire

government infrastructere will be a patchwork of

thousands of contractors accountable to no one.

13. Ultimately in Bush's new ownership society all

workers will be contractors. There will be no formal

or legal connection with employers. Workers will be

" associates " with no arbiter of fairness. They will be

totally at the mercy of a free market competing

against the lowest bidder. Corporations will not have

any employees in the traditional sense.

14. On the benefits side they will be responsible to

buy their own medical care, unemployment insurance,

disability, retirement insurance, training and

retraining, etc as an individual business of one.

15. Full time jobs will continue to dwindle. They

will end in the traditional sense as will all jobs.

Presently full time jobs will drop to below 50% of all

jobs. There will be full time jobs for less than 50%of

th work force and it will fall even further.

16. Government will shift to protect the interests of

the business at the expense of a global work force.

 

Many of these " structural changes " are happening as we

speak. And I believe there are changes even beyond my

imagination. Reagan started all this change. I

believe it is the " new world order " Bush senior was

talking about. I also believe that the idea of world

government was going to be massive economic change.

The political part was the last to come into play.

 

Workers have been slickly manipulated and tricked into

accepting incremental shifts in labor policy since

Reagan that lead us to where are. And if you saw that

GOP ad " Agenda for America " all the elements that I

just mentioned to you are there in " pretty little "

words. Voters are clueless as to what that ad is

really telling them. It is economic " strychnine "

passed on as " honey " in the " ownership society " scheme

Bush touts every day.

 

I have told you this before, but the DOL employment

and labor numbers are completely meaningless. I

realized how meaningless just a few days ago. The

reason I say that is that there is abolutely NO

MEASURE of the mix and value of jobs anywhere. I know

from my experience that our employment market is so

radically screwed up that it would just terrify you.

 

The real problem with what is going on is that it is

crashing our tax base everywhere. We could be

reaching the point where we can't pay for anything

even our defense.

 

Bush has totally eliminated a lot of reports. It is

like a plane with no windows in the cockpit and no

instruments. My guess is that in 4 years Bush has

trashed and distorted everything.

 

The real truth is that in order to survive the

Republican party itself has to be completely

destroyed. Or at least we have to politically kill

off all the conservatives. What is going on with these

goons looks more serious every day really.

 

 

The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance

Keep learning, teaching, writing and talking about US and world politics today.

Our nation is in trouble, and needs our efforts.

 

 

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" The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. " --

Plato

" Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing

health care to all Americans is socialism. " -- anon