Those jobs were shipped out because the foreign countries (China) would do the same job for peanuts. Union wages were as high, in some places, as Ph.D. wages.
My family was always blue collar and union wages were what we lived on. But, skilled/unskilled workers went too far and they lost their jobs. NOW what did they have? Unemployment, food stamps and welfare. THAT doesn't last forever.
It was a sad situation.
My parents made sure that we children had the university degree and would be able to take our profession any where in the world. And we did.
Automation was BOUND to replace people. MOST folks knew it was coming. Their best choice was to go to an institution of learning and get a degree in "airline mechanic" or some such thing. Those jobs are STILL in demand.
Another huge problem for Americans is their lack of basic reading and writing skills. The "feel good" attitude was in vogue...so one can ask: "Do you 'feel good' about being a 20-year-old illiterate?"
The primary schools FAILED in that but make their illiterates feel VERY good in the "self esteem" department. Oh, if there were jobs at that!
The community colleges USED to have one or two "remedial" reading and writing classes. NOW there are dozens and dozens of remedial reading and writing classes that go ALL the way back to "Dick and Jane." I know this because I taught at the CC level for 27 years.
BOTTOM LINE: there is no escape from continuing education.
Because destroying our industrial capability, long term, was worth it to destroy the unions.
Right.
The big question is this. 50% of people have IQ’s less than 100. What do you propose to do with those people? They have been automated out of having stable family supporting jobs. The rest have gone to China. Do you sterilize the lower IQ people? Let them starve? What, precisely do you propose to do with them. Because right now they’re the FSA and they’re voting against your and the country’s best interests.