It would be nice if trickle down economics led to job growth here in America. Instead it has led to cuts in spending for infrastructure, such as roads, rails and schools, things American businesses need to succeed. At the same time, instead of investing in exporting goods and services, those at the top are using their money to export jobs and wealth to other countries.
President Obama pointed out trickle down has led to greater wealth inequality in a speech the other day. And of course, the GOP candidates attacked him for this (except for Texas Governor Rick Perry who wants to protect the majority Christians from acting like decent humans and being nice to those of other faiths), note that they can score entertainment points and continue to advocate that being ultra-conservative is all that this country needs. And the beat goes on.
Unfortunately, what neither side is pointing out, is that income inequality is a global phenomenon, not just an American one. Over 25 years ago, I took a few classes in labor studies as part of my major. I really can't recall much from those classes except for two things: the first being the professor pointing out that American unions became international to recruit workers in developing countries to bring their standard of living up to our middle class standard or they surely would bring ours down theirs.The second was marching on a picket line in solidarity with Eastern Airline pilots at LaGuardia Airport while the professor sang union songs on his guitar (which is not pertinent to this post but it was interesting). If that professor were still around (he died from cancer over two decades ago) he would probably be very sad to see how right he was. Globalization and technology have done what corporate bosses of the early 20th century weren't able to do.
Wages for the middle classes world wide will continue to decline as long as middle class workers continue to compete against one another. However, saying all workers should join international unions to better bargain is too simplistic and wasteful, some will always be able to get a better deal for themselves based on their skill set as well they should. But we need some sort of international floor where well paying jobs can't be shipped off to another country with skilled employees willing to work for pennies on the dollar, until their wages get too high and those jobs move elsewhere. While that may be good for corporations, it is not great for those left behind.
However, creation of that floor is not going to happen tomorrow. It will be many years until those developing economies embrace the notion that the way to succeed is not to exploit the masses for the benefits of a few and allow real unions to form. And it will not solve the problems of those with low skills have in finding work, especially as that type of work gets automated. The only thing the lower and middle classes can do is to constantly improve their work skills, and hope they can afford to pay to do so.
While life is better for many Americans than it was for others 50 years ago, such as gays, women and minorities, it has gotten worse more recently for most of us as the affects of the current conservative movement, begun in earnest as the progressive moment reached its peak, reaches its own peaks. While it is true that the average American income has been declining for many years, what we the people need to remember is this: while it is not just us, we do have the ability to turn things around. United we stand, divided we fall; divided we stand, united we fall. Either we the middle class continue to vote to raise taxes on ourselves to allow the rich to continue to exploit us, or we make our stand here and now. We're all in this together.
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