Some of you will remember the old Van Halen song "Where Have all the Good Times Gone", many a Friday and Saturday night of my teen years were spent in a haze dedicated to living the revelry that song evoked. If I'm going to be completely honest, I have to acknowledge it was an everyday and night thing. My friends who knew me when will call me on it if I don't cop to it now. And well let's not leave out my early twenties, prior to parenthood, or for that matter spasms of youthful vigor throughout the ensuing decades that have frankly left me with a partying reputation I'm still living down. My apologies now to all I've embarrassed, fought with, or otherwise made uncomfortable. I don't remember many of you, let's hope you don't have strong facial recognition skills either. I'm getting too old to fight now.
Today I read an article in the LA Times by Don Lee titled: "Germany has the economic strengths America once boasted". Please, I urge all of you who read my blog to also read this column, go to latimes.com , the article was published 1-21-12.
Corporate Germany working hand in hand with government and education are providing the socio economic model our own nation can and should emulate as good national policy. German CEO's make a fraction of their American counterparts, knowing only to well that such disparities in wealth are destabilizing to society. As such, vulgar displays of consumption are also culturally frowned upon.
In America we all know that the opposite is true; the term "redistribution of wealth" has such negative connotations due to the increasingly polarized political climate, that it has become synonymous with "communism" in the context of Mc Carthy era politics. In America we lionize those corporate pirates who take outsize profits from their companies while either shipping the jobs overseas; or to our own new "overseas", the southern "Right to Work" states that have rolled out the welcome mat to those companies both American and foreign that are loathe to deal with union labor. Boeing, Lockheed, BMW, Mercedes... I'm looking squarely at you.
So next time you ask yourself: "Where have all the good jobs gone?" Sing it to the tune of Van Halen's song and remember the good old days when most Americans left high school with a diploma and a skill set they knew made them employable; that they could go to the factory feeding their hometown and find gainful employment like that described in Mr. Lee's column.
Reality in America now; our children leave high school with a piece of paper that is solely predicated on the students ability to pass a test. Some of these kids can't even read, yet their teachers will pass them through because their job security is tied directly to the percentage who pass.
Reality is, that most of our cities and towns no longer have that factory to anchor their economies,we're all looking at you Wichita Kansas, after Boeing abandoned your town after a century of tax breaks and cozy inside deals.
Reality is America, our corporate leaders are far more interested in profit margin than social harmony.
It's always about the money Jeff. Our society has been worshipping it since the industrial reveloution.
ReplyDeleteSocial harmony is not possible because of the 1%ers accumulation of wealth, and their desire to control this country.
The 99%ers are looking on with increasing impatience. This country started out by rejecting the 1%ers who tried to control them. Perhaps we're seeing history repeat itself now?
What really stands out though, when you consider that Germany also underwent the Industrial Revolution, is the stark difference in attitudes held by their government and corporate leaders compared to our own. There is a great deal more emphasis placed on societal harmony as they acknowledge their roles of responsibility, or as I like to say their "function in the equation". They have somehow gained the insight that the masses must be appeased or their own livelihoods are kaput.
DeleteOf course this did not occur with the I.R. but rather was evolutionary, really gaining traction after WWII, and again with the fall of the Wall, when the former DDR was absorbed bringing an entire population with socialist expectations to the whole.
Here we have a hell bent for leather attitude that says profit at all cost, regardless the damage to society. This is all related to what you're describing above. Our leaders really believe that they're indispensable, that they can generate that wealth on their own. They are that deluded
I do believe we're going to see a paradigm shift in our nation particularly after the election that Barry will surely win. We have far too many closet racists masquerading as 'Birthers', tea partiers, and evangelicals who will make sure we have nothing but grid lock when they re-elect their cohorts to Congress during Obama's last 4 years.
What I'm really anxious about though is what comes after Barry. I think we'll see the pendulum swing to the right even further with a Republican who must pay a debt to those listed above, and Lord help us then. No pun intended.