07.06.11
Trickle down realizations
Today, a good professor writes on what everyone knows concerning where all the jobs and fortunes went. And the connection with the psychotic behavior of the Republican Party.
One of the takeaways, in the meta part, is that when all the perfessers (part of the class that’s professionally insulated against these misfortunes) are finally writing opinion pieces, some of them must be getting scared a bit concerned that irreparable harm has been done. And that, someday, it will affect even them.
Anyway, hat tip again to Pine View Farm, where I saw the pointer.
Where did it all go, some familiar lines from the Philly News:
The economy gained only 2.6 million jobs [during the Bush administration]. In fact, Bush’s job creation record in his first term was among the worst since Herbert Hoover’s.
And the numbers are even worse than they appear, because many of those jobs were produced by increased military spending related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan …
[By] 2003, more American money was being invested overseas than in the United States. In other words, those [GOP] tax cuts did help create jobs – in China, India, Brazil, and other foreign countries, but not in the United States.
Tax cuts create jobs! But clearly, in the last decade, they haven’t – unless you’re looking for work in China.
The juxtaposition of three graphs, which I’ve done before, illustrate it.
One — the expansion of the trade deficit with China, caused by the cessation of almost all domestic non-military production.
Two — the explosion in arms manufacturing.
Three — the burst in hiring by homeland security. And nobody else.
Ballistic ascension of trade deficit with China matching reality of all goods in stores providing materials for the middle class containing nothing but products from that country.
Yeah, I know, how boring. One of the conclusions I’ve drawn from the data is that the present-day GOP, in its fealty to big corporate money and plutocracy, is a great threat to the security of the country. It’s not an ideological thing. It’s simply backed up by the numbers.
Another thought: How did the country turn into a place where it statistically looks like, if there was a remake of the story of Robin Hood, everyone who makes the decisions would be standing in line for autographs from the Sheriff of Nottingham and Sir Guy of Gisborne?
Minor satisfaction over the weekend that Tom Hanks’ movie, Larry Crowne, on his character being fired and sent to retraining camp community college in LA, as a heartwarming reflection of the life in our times, is a major flop.
Yeah, that’s how everyone feels its going to turn out, Tom. They’ll get to ride around on nifty scooters and get the beautiful smart woman in the end.
Raw number of hits Google News returns for the mark of obsession with retraining camp as a cure: 2,065
Sampling:
“The AMERICA Works Act would allow community colleges to offer certification through the Manufacturing Skills Certification System …” — Burlington News
“Manufacturing jobs are a big source of economic growth in the Shenandoah Valley, and at Blue Ridge Community College, people can train …” — some radio station transcript
“And graduates will know that the community college diploma they earn ‘will be valuable when you hit the job market,’ he added. The White House also proposed a program to train 10000 engineering students a year …” — Fortune
“[Community] College will train chefs at New Mount Holly Center …” — the Philly Inquirer
Between bedpan technicians and chefs, we’ll guarantee the future.
“Train to be a master gardener at Spartanburg Community College” — Spartanburg Journal
Casino sees [community college] as work incubator … The company says it has had discussions with at least three central Ohio schools, including Columbus State Community College, to create several programs to train workers for the $400 million casino.” — Columbus Dispatch
You have to be trained to work at a casino? What, how to mix drinks, deal cards, polish slot machines and deal with people who need escorting from the premises?
“Warren County Community College to train [bedpan technicians]/hospice workers …” — Warren County newspaper
Push it toward 2,000 views, folks.
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