Replies

Re your post #7.

I know great kids who have graduated from college over a year ago with engineering degrees (Virginia Tech) and have yet to find a job. Talked to a friend of mine whose daughter just graduated with a teaching degree -- hasn't found work. The smaller communities where her daughter would like to teach, cannot afford more teachers. One person out of that graduating class has found a job so far. Many of these kids are continuing their education simply because there are no jobs.

The lack of jobs for college grads is going to be pretty much permanent. It won't be very long before Americans realize there will be no point in spending the money to obtain a four-year degree which will have no practical value.

There is a fundamental misunderstanding about global free trade. It is not about the Chinese or Indians being better workers. Free trade is about every country having access to markets in other countries. In theory, America wins. The trouble is, America is the only country allowing mostly complete access to our markets.

Also, we have serious labor and work safety regulations for very good reasons. We have child labor laws, for very good reasons.

Americans are simply not competing on a level playing field with the workers of other countries. Companies outsourcing all of their work to foreign workers are de facto foreign companies. Corporations demanding the business, legal and security protections of the United States of America should be defined as those having a majority of their workers working within the United States.

Corporations want all the benefits of protection from the American system of justice and government but the ability to screw the America worker out of work opportunities.

Corporations calling themselves American DO owe an allegiance to the United States and its working citizens.

The continued sovereignty of the United States depends on our ability to manufacture within our own borders.

A country that makes nothing it needs within its own borders will end up being nothing.

I know great kids who have graduated from college over a year ago with engineering degrees (Virginia Tech) and have yet to find a job. Talked to a friend of mine whose daughter just graduated with a teaching degree -- hasn't found work. The smaller communities where her daughter would like to teach, cannot afford more teachers. One person out of that graduating class has found a job so far. Many of these kids are continuing their education simply because there are no jobs.

There's a guy I know who graduated with a BSEE from Iowa State, and couldn't find a job. Through a family friend, he got into an electrician program (very important... He never let on that he was a college grad, let alone and engineer!). He went through the program and his apprenticeship, and now he's a journeyman electrician. And an EE! He's got a job working for a major engineering firm, designing power systems. He's the only EE that I've ever met that I trust with a screwdriver (I've almost been electricuted by a bunch of EEs, who wired a hot ground while installing some cubicles with power!)

Mark