Posted on 01/17/2006 8:02:19 AM PST by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
Inspired by a reader who sent a list of once American corporations who's profits are no longer funneled to the hard-working American employee, I investigated the subject.
The clip that landed on my desk was from "America is Selling Out," published in The American Conservative, December, 2005. As I digested, emotionally charged from the publication's Web site at www.economyincrisis.org, I agreed with some of the information, discarded the sensational propaganda and extrapolated my take on the issues' raw facts.
From what I've experienced and witnessed first-hand, I consider the current state of the American economy as a politically driven "the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer" economic model.
There are too many alarming signs in our country for the politicians to actually be blindly racing the mad horse into the flaming barn as it might appear. The social-economic gaps in our nation are at record heights. In recent years, there have been more billionaires than ever, more fresh college graduates filing bankruptcy than ever and increasing numbers of the middle class economically sinking.
Sadly, this is all by design, not some directionless fluke. Since the rich are richer than ever and the most profitable corporations are breaking records, the misled reports boast positive economic growth that are not a true reflection to what has happened to the nation's work force as a result of active globalization.
The weight has gotten heavier for those who pull the load - the American population - because it's the increased sweat that fuels the skyrocketing extravagance of the filthy elite few. This is the reversal point of the American Dream into the American Nightmare.
The current American economic model seems like a reversal of Robin Hood. The big and powerful are profiting and becoming even more powerful as the comfortable livings of the endangered middle class are reallocated for the increasingly exclusive and isolated pockets of wealth hoarders.
No one who is aware will deny that the corporations who apparently are running this country are outsourcing our jobs. The rationalization for the mass outsourcing is to provide American consumers with cheaper products. It almost makes sense that consumables should be cheaper since the displaced workers no longer have the higher-paying jobs to afford historically high-quality, American-made products.
The American Dream - the belief that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity - has vanished in the atmosphere of this greed and power driven frenzy.
These days it's looking more like the American Dream is being outsourced in exchange for the American Nightmare which the vast majority of the nation's population is waking up to in this cheaper reality.
Only about $2.5 billion a year. We pay 2 to 3 times the world price. Would you also like us to pay 2 to 3 times the world price for oil? For gasoline?
What makes you say that we would pay more? Your word? I pinged in Hedgetrimmer's article to you.
You apparently have no problem with the fact that we pay 2 to 3 times the world price for sugar. Anything else we should pay more for in order to make you happy?
Well, the sugar price never affected me. Sometimes paying the lowest prices ain't the answer, as Mom says, "you get what you pay for." Take TV's for example, they are cheaper not but don't last as long. The last TV we bought was in 1983, our 1982 Zenith for $650 or so and it's been used daily to this day. 23+ years for a TV, that's a bargain in the long run. My aunt had a 1962 color RCA that she used until the early 1990's, had a round screen (I love those TV's, "roundies" have class) too. I have a 1970 Zenith, our first color TV, I plan to bring back to life and use as my TV but that's for another time.
Great examples, but you realize that sugar is a commodity? And cane sugar is better than beet sugar. So, any other commodities you want us to overpay for?
Well, the sugar price never affected me.
What about the candy manufacturers in Chicago that moved to Canada? Probably a couple of thousand workers lost their jobs. Why don't we double the current price of sugar? It won't affect you.
How has Bush's attitude regarding what was said in that quote changed? Has Bush made any changes from the executive branch regarding the preservation of our culture or has he continued, albeit at a slower pace because of 9-11, to continue to try to find a way to reward millions of illegal hispanics?
Why are we going easy on Mexico and propping up their economy? In a single word, I think the answer is: Venezuela, i.e., we don't want Mexico to become another Venezuela on our border. See post #87.
Eamil message received from the author:
Responding to my posted article comments
Wow! I'm impressed that so much discussion was generated from my article "Outsourcing the American Dream for a nightmare."
Being a journalist, I have thick skin, so critiques don't bother me, but I would like to respond, but I don't want to become a member.
Again, I'm flattered to have even been influential enough to receive this level of response. Thanks!!
To:
in hoc signo vinces ("Houston, TX...a waiting quagmire for jihadis.")
And from the Sydney Herald no less...a great empirical resource on all economic happenings within the US.
It's the Sidney Herald - not Sydney. It really is a great empirical resource for the oil industry economics as we're producing upwards of 70,000 barrels of oil a day of the nation's sweetest crude. But I'm sure you are smart enough to know all that.
and To:
Good god what nonsense. Does the writer have any facts?
20 posted on 01/17/2006 8:39:20 AM PST by agere_contra
-Yes I have facts. This was an "opinion" piece.
Living in the most productive oil field currently in the U.S., interviewing international energy executives, climbing the oil rigs with special badges, having coffee with some of the largest high quality black angus beef producers in America, hanging out in my off-time with president of the American Beef council who just got back from a 3 week political summit in Japan; here in the bread and beer basket of the nation we do know a little bit about the current economic crisis.
As the nation's Sugar Beet capital, we've been hit hard by CAFTA and NAFTA as have other agriculture producers.
Wheat farmers were getting $9 a bushel in 1996 and in 2006 are lucky if they can scrap $3 a bushel. At that rate it costs more to produce wheat than the return. This is an example of the continuation of the forces that are pushing farmers and ranchers off the land.
No we don't know anything about outsourcing since my partner was a "miss-placed knowledge worker" after the IT bust in the Pacific Northwest. Watching the very real economic collapse and the massive layoffs of white collars in Los Angeles County in post 9/11, could possibly give some real life insight to a journalist and a Seattle native IT geek.
And yes, even journalists who write "opinion" pieces make mistakes such as "who is" instead of the correct "whose." But hey, I bet those who notice things like that are perfect in every way, never making syntax errors, or mistakes at work, even late on Fridays. I'm sure they are 100 % perfect in all that they do at their job all the time.
One last question; since I've never considered myself a "commie" - is it "commieish" to be against outsourcing?
Thanks again for even reading my article. I like what you guys have going here. Keep up the good discussions.
Thanks!
Ellen (;
Ellen Robinson
Journalist
Thanks for relaying the message!
Ping to reply #148 from the author.
(I realize that there are many "Robinsons" in the world,
but I thought I'd ask just to set the record straight.)
No relationship unless long lost cousin.
ping
OK. Thanks again!
"Hey we are all economic citizens of the world now."
With different mandates that make us not competative.
Manufacturing causes a snowball of economic activity of companies and employees contributing to the end result.
That economic activity is now replaced by a phone call (soon from India)to China to place an order.
Thanks for the ping.
Pure super-capitalist drivel. As if computers and tvs were more important than wheat.
I'll gladly trade you one bushel of wheat for your computer and your TV. Oh, whats that, you would rather have the computer and the TV? I thought you said wheat was more important.
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