Every few years Americans suffer a catastrophic economic wake-up call that sends them into a tailspin. The joblessness now plaguing America would not be so devastating, if American workers were paying attention. The internet is flooded with articles chronicling credit card debt, job loss and out sourcing. William Hughes’ “Jobless in America” (2002) and Norma Sherry’s “Out Sourcing America: Job Loss and Unemployment” (2003) sounded the alarm for America’s middle class. Unfortunately, most Americans are only fired-up with what is currently in the news headlines.
Approximately thirty years ago, American conglomerates began exporting jobs to third- and fourth-world countries. They wanted to maximize their profits by exploiting the low-waged workforce there. Entire industries, like steel and clothing, abandoned manufacturing products in the U.S. Many major businesses lobbied the government to pass laws that favored them joining the global economy. Unfortunately, this was disastrous for the American workers who lost their jobs in record numbers.
Surprisingly, American workers assumed it was a short term problem. They believed other businesses would replace their old ones and the job market would rebound. In the meantime, they depended on credit cards to solve their financial- and jobless problems.
Americans are now in a state of shock. We are told that the unemployment rate is 9.8%, but we all know someone who is unemployed or partially employed. Therefore, this figure is probably closer to 20%. The multinationals’ global greed has superseded the welfare of ordinary people. Our senators are more concerned with financing their next election than solving the state of the economy.
Get used to it America! Your jobs are never coming back. It is not in the best interest of big businesses to invest in American workers. China and other Asian countries are the world’s manufacturing base, with Americans as their number one consumer. Yet, where are Americans finding the money to finance their insatiable appetite for spending? Oh yes! They are maxing out their multiple credit cards.
While America is being brainwashed into believing they need over-priced, inferior products, their living rooms are being invaded. The latest television sit-com, “Outsourced” seeps in their psyche under the guise of entertainment, while they mire in debt. Ironically, even the jobs supporting the booming credit card industry are outsourced.
Americans are literally at the mercy of financial institutions, which hide behind a fail-proof system of being entities. Sooner, than later, Americans will be living in a country where the oligarchs are fortified behind their security gates, and the rest of us, left to fight amongst ourselves.
There was a period in history when human slavery had a face. Society was held responsible for the resulting human degradation. Today, 98% of Americans are kept in financial slavery and they are made to believe that it is their fault; multinationals continue to blame the American workers for their lack of skills.
The middle class, fooled into believing that they always have an escape route, fiercely hold on to the American fairytale, “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.” Even when those boots are cheap knock-offs, made in Asia, and bought with maxed-out credit cards.
© 2011 Mouth Wired Shut
