The media can only downplay it so far, without someone taking note and truly figuring out what is truly going on. It is my good fortune that my mother seen fit that I have my own views and to see first hand our Country’s beauty as well as it’s repulsiveness. I did not have to rely on TV to instruct me on the issues at hand, I found them out on my own by talking to the people of this Great Land, from the Coast of Maine to the Coast of California, and from the Rocky Mountains to the Rio Grand. Your Voices are crying out everywhere I go and yet it seems that only I hear you and not your leaders.
To start with, how can our Government say that this country is on the rebound with our economy, when they never even mention to the general public that we where heading for a recession in the mid 80’s, do to the sell off, uprooting and or closure of American factories (Textiles is #1), Business, and of Military Bases in the US.
The worst stricken, as a result of the 80’s sell off, was the East coast, primarily New England. (Don’t get me wrought though, for it happened on a National level.) I witnessed the virtual sell off of “The American Worker”, non Union and Union alike, as the Textile industry let go of over 250 years of dedicated Textile workers, leaving them with out a future, a future that at one time was a family tradition. No more will the Knowledge be past down from generation to generation.
Nike, McDonalds, and Pepsi, stands out the most to me, for abandoning the American workers! However, it was not just these institutions, and it was not just the Textile companies that abandon the US economy to the wolves, moving much of our manufacturing, and industries, to cheaper labor overseas, under the guise of the NAFTA Banner, and other acts passed by our own elected officials.
The funny thing is that we the consumer, have NEVER seen the savings from the cheaper labor. If anything we have only seen prices go up, at an astronomical rates, at the same time, watching growing inflation eating up the value of our dollar and it’s buying power, which is unfortunately controlled by the Federal Reserve (The Federal Reserve is not even run by us or our own government, but controlled by a group of International Bankers, not our elected officials and was established under F.D.R.) What's more, at the same time, Union Workers suffered some of the worst defeats in the Union History in the 80’s and have recently suffered even more. These loses have cost both Union and Non-Union Workers more than jobs of the time; it has cost them future jobs, retirement benefits, healthcare and more.
Little do people realizes that without Unions, a job that offers a safe work environment, a far wage, with retirement benefits, and healthcare would not be available to any Blue or White Collar worker today. Before Unions there was no such thing as a safe working environment, an honesty day’s wage, the work shifts were long, let alone, any such thing like health care and pensions was nil. Before Unions, sweatshops and child labor, was the way things were done (and in Foreign Countries still is). Skilled work forces were nil, with shop mishaps and work related death an every day occurrence. What are we going to do if the Unions cease to exist? We have been given a glimpse of what our future holds with the refinery plant explosions down south do to unskilled, overworked, and underpaid work force. We must support all Union workers, even if we are non-Union. For without them we the common worker, loose our future as well.
This upheaval on the East coast has spread like a plague across our fair country. Now that it is affecting white-collar workers, people are taking notice. I hope that it is not to late to save and preserve our Domestic workforce. We as workers and consumers have lost so much already. It is up to both of us worker and consumer, to make a difference and hold Big Business accountable.
In the past, we the America Work Force at one time, prided our selves on making money by producing the finest quality made product in the world, now we pride our selves on how much money we can make with as little effort and with the lowest cost as possible to make the most profit, and the savings is never passed on to the consumer, and definitely profits are not see by the work force.
In closing, I would like to say it is even a more appalling act, to think that my hero G. I. Joe is “Made in China”, a communist (collective) country making our children's toys that represent our so called “American Ideals”. Thank you Mattel for selling out our Country Ideals, our childhood, and our children’s childhood as well as the American Worker (I am not blaming China, just Mattel).
It is not the Chinese people or any other peoples of our planet fault, for being in need of work is not a bad thing. They are just like us; we are all just someone to be used for the personal gain by most of our high-ranking business officials and many of our Political Leaders. We are almost 100% expendable at this time, for the needs of the few, seem to out weigh the needs of the many and never once to be respected by the corporations or our local, state, and federal governments for even our existence or accomplishments in life (death tax). We are only recognized for what they can appropriate from us and then sell it back to us at a higher cost. It is not the fault of the people of any Country, that their government allows the virtual sellout of the working folks and leaving them with nothing more then a non-living wage, but we can blame the UN, business officials, and our government leaders, and many International Bankers, but please do not blame the people who do not have a voice! For it is their blood and the blood of their children spilt upon the land, that makes a Country Great, not the blood of any Leader I know of. Is it spending the moneys made from the sweat of the brows of the workers folk, they do best!
When it comes to the Military Bases, complete closure is not in the best interest to the US border and the people therein. It is one thing to close the Military Bases in the center of the US; it is a nether to close any Military Base in any State that represents a US Border. If the US Government were playing the game of RISK they would lose. Military and non-Military workers suffer when these bases close. Entire communities have suffered irreversible economical instability. Just as Union and Non-Union workers have suffered, so is it that Military and Non-Military worker (civilian population) and their communities are suffering do to these closures. True “Homeland Security,” is at “Risk,” do to these practices. All States bordering the U.S. should have all bases open and ready, before we get caught with our pans down.
Whole communities have collapsed do to the unfortunate and unfair practices, mentioned in the paragraphs above. Way do Local Leaders have the inability to act, and make their voices heard, on behalf of the people they represent and the communities they were sworn to protect ($)?
Further more, Big Business in selling out the American Skilled Workers, Superior Goods, and Our Economic Stability, they have done more harm to our country livelihood then the Terrorist ever could. More ghost towns have been born in the US in the last 20 years, than all that came about do to the gold rushes in the 1800’s dieing out or the railways.
We need to stand-up to be heard, not lie down, and settle for second best; with this “Dollar Store” mentality we aren’t going to get far.
