Today is my birthday; I turned 52. With it, I wonder if I have become wise or just jaded.
No offense to those who do not live in the US, but I am frustrated that so much of the "stuff" that is for sale in stores is from China. I mentioned to DH today that if we were cut off from China's exports, we would be hard pressed to have anything. DH received a set of WWII dvds, and it talked about industry stepped up to provide so much for the war effort. I don't believe we could do that today.
Then, I think about the Civil War and the fact that the north was industrialized and the south was not, and it certainly hurt the south. I know there was much more than this issue for the war, but it is kind of scary. We, in the US, do not seem to manufacture too much anymore.
My own city has an economy that is hurting. We used to be a blue collar town with many industries. So many of those factories have shuttered and we have so many folks without work or underemployed. This has gone on in the past decade, and the recent recession has not helped. Although factory work is hard and grueling, it almost always included benefits and wage increases. Those folks who had the jobs spent the money at the stores and restaurants that helped the service industry so they in turn could buy some of the things manufactured. The circle has been broken, that's for sure. I know some are embarrassed about the blue collar image, but honest hard work is nothing with which to be ashamed.
So, perhaps my age is making me see the big picture. Or maybe I'm just jaded. I am hoping that it is leaning more towards wisdom.
Wisdom or Whining?
January 5th, 2013 at 10:28 pm
January 5th, 2013 at 10:34 pm 1357425284
January 5th, 2013 at 10:35 pm 1357425339
January 5th, 2013 at 10:45 pm 1357425951
January 5th, 2013 at 11:06 pm 1357427174
I wish more items were made here too.
January 5th, 2013 at 11:45 pm 1357429514
Happy Birthday.
January 5th, 2013 at 11:59 pm 1357430357
January 6th, 2013 at 12:08 am 1357430930
January 6th, 2013 at 02:15 am 1357438539
I now live overseas.
You fill in the blanks.
January 6th, 2013 at 02:36 am 1357439815
January 6th, 2013 at 02:59 am 1357441180
January 6th, 2013 at 03:55 am 1357444538
January 6th, 2013 at 04:59 am 1357448357
January 6th, 2013 at 03:07 pm 1357484823
January 6th, 2013 at 04:03 pm 1357488232
You're not alone in your concern. Overseas workers can make things much more cheaply than Americans, it seems. Various US governors are union-busting and while I don't belong to a union, I can see where many previously salaried positions are now being farmed out as contract jobs, sans benefits, health insurance or employee protection of any kind. Just doesn't seem morally right, but of course, American capitalism is not about morality, it's about profits.Things won't change until there are more jobs to be filled than qualified workers.
January 12th, 2013 at 02:57 pm 1358002674
In our new town, we see a lot of manufacturing, however, it isn't hard goods, but processed foods and soy bean processing for foods and fuel. We often smell Cheerio's on our way to school. It kind of grosses me out to see these big industrial plants churning out 'food'!