My wife and I took turns going to night school (while the other stayed home with the kids in the evenings) for five years. We both changed jobs multiple times. We don't have employer pensions but do have 401ks. My point is anyone can make it if they're willing to work hard.
Absolutely!
Others have made the point that the days of union-backed secure lifetime jobs (sinecures?) are gone.
OK.
Others point out that the economy is strong. Yes, it is!
The recovery started in Nov., 2001 and about 18 months ago it started performing like a classic recovery. Great! Though reply #71 (not mine) raises valid questions about the numbers given changes made in the "feel good" Clinton years.
Others say that MSM bias and the dopes who believe them are the problem.
Fine.
Others say that if we still worry we're just tinfoil-hat stupid. Reporting for duty.
Others simply demand that the discussion be limited to the guys in the posted article.
Here's a hint why some of us worry despite all. Here is a conclusion of one study:
"The number of new immigrant employed who came into the U.S. between 2001 and 2003 was estimated to be somewhere between 1.7 and 1.9 million in 2003 while the number of employed native born and established immigrants fell by more than one million between 2000 and 2003."
The study does not separate legal and ILLEGAL immigrants. The study is by the Center for Labor Market Studies Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts. Similar studies were released over the past couple of years by Pew Hispanic Center and the Center for Immigration Studies.
This one, "New Immigrants in the Labor Force and the Number of Employed New Immigrants in the U.S. from 2000 through 2003: Continued Growth Amidst Declining Employment Among the Native Born Population", is at
http://www.nupr.neu.edu/01-04/immigration_jan.pdf
"Cheap," taxpayer-subsidized labor by the millions and more millions on the way plus demands to take the limits off H1B, L-1, etc.
Offshore outsourcing subsidized by cheap, taxpayer-backed risk insurance for corporations.
IMO that's what it's about. Our critics can say just work hard, avoid unions, don't fall for MSM doom and gloom, smile and be happy; it's just economics. Ok, but too much of it just might not be good for the Country.
401k's are the only way to go. Who knows what companies are going to be solvent 20 years from now. They're supposed to protect workers' pensions but many of them don't. 401k's are safer.