OBAMA AND LOW WAGES

[DGS49]

(1) It is NOT POSSIBLE or PRACTICABLE to engage in a trade war, where we erect barriers to imports. Much of our economy is dependent on EXPORTS, and the countries harmed by our import restrictions will IMMEDIATELY erect barriers to U.S. goods going there. It quickly becomes a cluster-fuck where everyone loses. Smoot-Hawley. Look it up.

(2) The logic of promoting the masses to get college degrees in the hope that they will all make more money is fundamentally flawed. We are seeing the folly of this "argument" right now, where people with non-professional degrees are working crappy jobs that a generation ago were easily performed by HS grads. About 1/4 of the population is "college material" at any given time. That is, they are capable of assuming management, leadership, or demanding technical or administrative positions in the economy or in government. Force-feeding people below this level into colleges and universities is a complete waste of time and money. Perhaps we need to work on a new or improved education infrastructure for valuable skills that are not learned in college. In Europe, waiters are considered "professionals." They are trained in the work, get high wages (generally no tipping is required), and they take pride in what they do. We could learn from that. We do NOT need a million more 22-year-olds with degrees in "Sports Management" and other such nonsense.

(3) Regarding "outsourcing": During the past 30 years I have worked for companies headquartered in France, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and England. My company was just bought out by Mitsubishi. Go figure. I wonder how people in those countries feel about "Americans taking our jobs!"

(4) If we send 20 million unemployed yoots to Community College, they won't be counted as "unemployed" until they graduate. That is Barry's secret plan. Anything to improve the apparent unemployment rate.

 

[Marvin Zinn]

What does Obama think are the reasons behind low wages? He explains here:

OBAMA: Here's why people aren't getting paid more:

Obama On Income Inequality - Business Insider

(1) -- Technology, automation, and innovation
(2) -- Corporate concentrated on profits
(3) -- Foreign investment
(4) -- Minimum wages worth less than in the 70's

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Where are the policies to reverse the low wage trend?

The only solution is for stupid customers to be willing to pay a fair amount for what they buy, instead of anything made by a slave in China, or any corporation like WalMart that does not treat their employees well. If that is not done quickly, more employees will be replaced by robots, and only that education to design replacement will obtain well paid jobs.

That's not the only solution, by a long shot. What about re-writing our unfair, unjust, and one-sided foreign trade agreements and policies, so that they become fair, equal, and balanced foreign trade agreements and policies? Why not severely penalize off-shore job out-sourcing, the importing of labor, and severely punish those hiring or helping illegal immigrants? Why not put America back to work, producing what America uses and consumes? Why not elect pro-America representatives to sit in Washington D.C.?

Because people vote to obtain their own greed instead of helping others. That applies to both the rich and poor, and that is why it is growing further apart.