News that the German unemployment rate is now at 1930's
levels should be a warning to all national leaders and the economic community that: SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT with the world's economy.
Now, the Bushies naturally say the problem with Euroland is they don't treat their workers harshly enough.
Unemployment is too generous and everyone has access to health care; whether they're working or not. Unlike in the US, where worker poverty is high, and the working poor have little voice in government.
CLEARLY, OUR CAPITAL-CENTRIC ECONOMIC EXPERIMENT OF THE LAST 20 YEARS IS COMING TO AN END.
Since about 1982, there has been a constant decline in the power of workers, and particularly in the US. Private sector unions are few, but saddly the Public sector, which enjoys mostly monopoly pricing power, are nearly all unionized--to the great detriment of the entire US economy. This is not to say that the public sector should not be unionized, merely that their monopoly position requires some adjustment in bargaining power toward the publics' interest.
UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDERE-MPOLYMENT ARE GOING TO BE THE "NEXT BIG THING IN THE WEST," AND ESPECIALLY IN THE AMERICAN ECONOMY.
Why?
IF CHEAP LABOR MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND.....THE WESTERN DEMOCRACIES LOSE!
Yes, I know there is rhetoric about how: "American workers are the finest in the world" (Applause) etc. etc. etc.
But, deep down, everyone really knows it's all about CHEAPER AND CHEAPER LABOR NOWADAYS.
HERE'S THE BAD PART:
SOONER OR LATER YOU GET "FAMINE CONDITIONS."
Presently, with high youth under-empolyment and unemployment, and many religious working poor in America hunkering down, it's easy to ignore the crisis......, after all, people in America are taught from the cradle to BLAME THEMSELVES for the larger macro economic issues of the day!
I'M NOT "EDUCATED" ENOUGH...... Of course, on page 20 of the newspaper will be an article about "The PhD Glut."
THE POOR ARE LAZY.... I'M NOT LAZY...SO I BETTER JUST SHUT UP, OR ELSE IT MEANS I'M LIKE THE POOR.
PERHAPS I SHOULD RELOCATE TO ANOTHER AREA: WHERE "JOBS ARE PLENTIFUL."
These "Myths" are encouraged by the mainstream media in America .
But the JOBS FAMINE is real, and it's getting much worse. ALL UNDER THE MEDIA RADAR SCREEN.
Lately, as an act of desperation, many Americans have given up on "finding a job." And they are becoming "self-employed," sort of like the "apple sellers" during the Great Depression.
And this has provided yet another "delaying tactic" for the American Republican Rich to avoid the real issue of POOR JOB CREATION that has been going on for years, and with no end in sight.
FAMINES CAN BE DEVASTATING...... And the worse ones happen: AFTER PERIODS OF UNUSUAL PROSPERITY ARE SUDDENLY INTERRUPTED.
In the Irish Potato Famine, a long period of bumper crops and "good times" encouraged people to have bigger families, and to take on more domestic expenses than they could handle, but for the unusually good times. THEN IT ENDED......the blight hit. And the rest is history.
AND IT COULD (WILL) HAPPEN AGAIN.
SHADES OF THE US CREDIT CARD ECONOMY! AND THE IMPERIAL DEFENSE BUDGETS OF DUBYA & CO.
Something wicked this way comes.....and it will be as bad as the Irish Potato Famine....it's hitting Germany now;
But it will travel around the globe.
LET'S CALL IT: "THE GREAT JOBS FAMINE"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4228739.stm
