Queens Crap: Globalism hurting American workers

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Globalism hurting American workers

From The Business Insider:

The 22 statistics detailed here prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence in America.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a staggering rate. Once upon a time, the United States had the largest and most prosperous middle class in the history of the world, but now that is changing at a blinding pace.

So why are we witnessing such fundamental changes? Well, the globalism and "free trade" that our politicians and business leaders insisted would be so good for us have had some rather nasty side effects. It turns out that they didn't tell us that the "global economy" would mean that middle class American workers would eventually have to directly compete for jobs with people on the other side of the world where there is no minimum wage and very few regulations. The big global corporations have greatly benefited by exploiting third world labor pools over the last several decades, but middle class American workers have increasingly found things to be very tough.

Click the link to read the scary stats...

33 comments:

Lino said...: I read this on Yahoo this past morning.

Well, what did you expect after voting for republicans and "republicrats" for 30 years.

Bust the unions, give tax incentives (aside from low wages) for companies to move offshore, don't even think of penalizing for doing so.

America, you voted for that smiling, smarmy bag of ---- Reagan and got the people behind him--the ones who want you poor and subservient.

Keep voting your fears and prejudices and these bastards will have you and your children competing with "Poon" and "Chanon" for jobs in the same polluted, unregulated hellhole that is most of industrialized Asia.

I am nearly 54, as a child in the 1960s I remember how America with it's powerful unions and social programs still stood astride the World. It is understandable that once Europe and Asia recovered from WW2 that the USA would face competition and have to share some degree of industrial wealth. But we gave in to fear and propaganda and the growing oligarchy stole our lunch.

If that lousy SCOTUS ruling allowing corporations to buy elections is allowed to go unmodified...you ain't seen nothin' yet.

..And look who is fighting for their rights to do-so:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66Q65I20100727?type=politicsNews

Think..or don't vote.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: why do you think that the author did not consider the effects of union's out of control demands on the american private sector ? the increased demands for benefits and pensions by government unions has also cut the net incomes of citizens with all the taxes being
levied.
from nypost 10/26/10
"the great crash ,80 years later"
Eighty years ago this week the Great Crashof 1929 rocked Wall Street and the world--wiping out billions,in today's dollars,in wealth and sparking the decade-long Great Depression.
Last October, many feared a repeat. The Dow plunged.Last November, the banks failed. Savings and jobs vanished.
A year later, that nightmare may be over.
But for New york city-until now, the uncontested financial capital of the world--the damage may be irreversible.
Indeed mounting evidence suggests that the recession may be permanently reshaping the city's economy in ways that will have a serious impact on jobs.
Take the New York Stock Exchange, the symbolic heart of Wall Street power. Stock trades plummeted from 75% in 2006 to 36 % today.
This year.Democrats in Washington floated a tax on stock trades,so watch for that number to shrink further as TRADERS GO ABROAD.
No,you can't blame that trend on the meltdown. But it is a clear warning that there is nothing permanent about Gotham's global financial prowess.
Banks and firms have merged or folded, never to return.
if many more leave,it could spell disaster for the local economy--and for state coffers, which rely on Wall Street for 20% of its tax revenue. (10% for the city)

BETTER PRAY THAT WALL STREET HANGS ON.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence

There is no doubt that exporting brain jobs to India and elsewhere outside our country is a disgrace and affected middle class folks who lost their jobs due to outsourcing. This administration bailed out a severely unionized GM with our tax dollars instead of letting it falter. Now we own a car company - as a tax payer did you ever anticipate that? When Obama gave tarp money to the big banks, he should have forced them to make loans to small businesses and perform an across the board mortgage modifications to save most property owners from losing their homes, especially the middle class. Now that we are all unemployed and losing our homes, Mr Obama see fit to tax us more. His money grab is to redistribute the wealth from the middle class who worked for it to the black under class who are expecting ever more entitlements under the Obama reign. As push comes to shove in the new Wal St regulations, banks will require banks to hire non-whites as a preference to regulate the banks. So understand that as we lose all our wealth being the middle class and home owners, we don't have a shot at regaining employment. So the middle class should jump on the entitlement band wagon big time and squeeze out whatever you can to get back what you paid into SS, payroll taxes, Federal taxes etc. Also rest assured minority status as a white person (we are just 33% in Queens) entitles you to a multiple stream of benefits you would normally never have participated in but had paid for right along. Please head straight down to the nearest Gov offices to be educated as to what entitlements you can participate in and receive immediately.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
FlooshingRezident said...: How about kicking the H1-B visa workers out of the country?

In case you don't know - there's a large software company in Washington state training an army of Indians to go back and manage ever larger numbers of non-American workers - or so say my friends at the company!

They primarily hire 26-year-old Indians on H1-B visas. Because, you know Americans don't want those jobs. Or aren't smart enough! That's right, MIT graduates only dummies now.

It's so wrong.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: This is a surprise? To whom? Thank your buddy Slick Willie who voted NAFTA in, in the 90s. Oh, can't get through to him?-- he's throwing a $10M wedding for his kid this weekend upstate.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Lino said...: "This year.Democrats in Washington floated a tax on stock trades,so watch for that number to shrink further as TRADERS GO ABROAD.
No,you can't blame that trend on the meltdown. But it is a clear warning that there is nothing permanent about Gotham's global financial prowess.'

Your observations are a year out-of-date.
I live amongst these people.
Bonuses are back.
Hiring is back.
High end restaurants and shops are coming back.
High and apartment are slowly but surely coming back.

Those banks and investment firms hung themselves with the rope that republicans and Bill Clinton gave them in 1999..but it's pretty much back to business as usual.

If you want one of the underlying villains in this increasingly bifurcated city, look to the real estate industry and their handmaidens -the gop here and in Albany.

They have systematically weakened rent regulations, given tax abatement for the construction of even high end housing and in-short done everything they could do to cater to those who can afford luxury while pandering to the prejudices of the Great Unwashed when it comes to elections.

--------------

another anon genius writes:

"This administration bailed out a severely unionized GM with our tax dollars instead of letting it falter. Now we own a car company - as a tax payer did you ever anticipate that?'

Well a-hole is was in the latter days of the bush adm that these bailouts began.His crew were so scared at what their laissez faire had brought on that they had to cast aside their ideology and act in the Nation's interest.

Every -reputable- (not FUX news) economist has concurred that the effects of one of our nation's largest companies going under would have had devastating impact both practically and psychologically.

Why don't you stop the limbaugh lies and admit that GM (and the banks) have been paying back these loans -ahead of schedule and with interest.
We taxpayers are coming out ahead in this deal (for once).; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Babs said...: "How about kicking the H1-B visa workers out of the country?"

Tell that to Bill Gates who not only HIRED a small army of H1-B visa workers from India - BUT set up shop there AND gives free training/schooling to those interested - I guess you didn't see his televised response to Congress wherein he stated that those from India are more educated than Americans in the field of technology AND they will work for less money.

Remember the good old American company - Nielsen Ratings? They laid off 1,500 Americans to employ H1-B visa workers AND the Americans whose jobs they took had to TRAIN THEM!

So - Big business is NOT going to "kick them out" - the GOP didn't and Congress WON'T -; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Babs said...: Good Read in the Huffington Post today - by Bob Cesca - "The GOP Plot to Screw the Economy and the Middle Class"

An excerpt:

"And yet they want to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, which would add $678 billion dollars to the deficit -- and that's just the cost of the tax cuts going to the top two percent of earners. In other words, the Republicans want to spend $678 billion in further giveaways for the wealthiest two percent, and they don't care whether it increases the deficit.

By the way, the Republicans also recently voted against and defeated an amendment to strip Big Oil of its $35 billion in subsidies. Just thought I'd pass that along. Put another way, $678 billion in tax cuts for the wealthy? No problem. Deficit-shmeficit! But $34 billion in unemployment benefits for an out-of-work middle class at a time when companies aren't hiring (say nothing of the aforementioned bullet-points)? Evil! Instead, the Republicans want to give $35 billion to Big Oil in the form of corporate welfare during the worst oil spill in American history while telling unemployed middle class families to piss off."; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Queens Crapper said...: And why do Dems want subsidies to remain for luxury rail travel?

HELLO!!!

Every party is influenced by lobbyists. Instead of arguing over which one cares more about the middle class, maybe you all should wake up and realize that neither of them do.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: i for one welcome our new economic reality.

read "the great reset." that's the world we all live in folks.

welcome to 2010!; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wake the F up! said...: Thank you Crapper.

Don't you nimrods get it. BOTH parties are screwing over the middle class. They have been doing it for the last 30 years.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Babs said...: We GET it - MOST do - you're not breaking new ground with that one.

BUT as someone left of center - I BLAME those right of center MORE.

Got it now?; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: 7/26/10,nypost,nicole gelinas:don't bank on nyc's "early" recovery.
to stave off financial-sector collapse,Washington has deployed TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS in guarantees and cash across Wall Street.
ny is not enjoying a genuine"recovery"--but a renewed vacation from real life,on someone else's dime.

Washington money is keeping the private sector from helping the city to heal. Walk around core Manhattan, and you will see dozens of new high-rise condo buildings--with lights out in the evening.Owners and their lenders are holding out for bubble-era prices,rather than realize losses and sell to people who could help the city wean itself off Wall Street.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: will you list the" new" high end restaurants and shops that have opened in n.y.c.?

can you name the private sector companies that are now hiring ?

9.5% to 17% of the two year unemployed in n.y.c. would like to apply for jobs.

LET'S SEE LINO'S LIST.........; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Stupid Sheep said...: Me thinks Babs still doesn't get it. I bet Babs blindly votes for anyone with DEM next to their name on a ballot. SMH; Thursday, July 29, 2010
ew-3 said...: Been an paid engineer for 40 years. Starting in hardware design then going into software.
Hate to tell you, there is a reason we are loosing the battle. Engineering is hard. Not many students in the USA are willing to put the effort into the math and sciences to become engineers.
Was a time where engineers and scientists were rock stars. (think NASA during the 60s)
But know we are a "celebrity" culture. Kind of sad to have seen this in my lifetime.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Babs said...: Stupid Sheep - I voted for Halloran BTW.

Any other stupid questions?; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: Anonymous said...

This administration bailed out a severely unionized GM with our tax dollars instead of letting it falter. Now we own a car company - as a tax payer did you ever anticipate that?
___
Do your research because General Motors paid the money back so NO the government does not own a car company.

Let me ask you. Did the two bailouts Bush gave to Wall St which produces nothing tangible for American citizens, its only wealth and property for themselves, ever get paid back at all?
Or did say AIG just change their name and regroup.

And now Bush's buddies in Enron who are in Prison want parole. Funny. Thanks for the fixed brownouts in California. Oh well you got rid of Gov Davis when he had nothing to do with Enrons power "problems".

No many knew 20 years ago that a globalization economy touted by Bush Sr and Clinton would do know good so what a surprise.
Major car and show companies left the U.S. during the Reagan administration which is easily verifiable.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Babs said...: "Been an paid engineer for 40 years. Starting in hardware design then going into software.
Hate to tell you, there is a reason we are loosing the battle. Engineering is hard."

Anyone that has been to college can tell you - study and thou shall get good grades.

Americans have much MORE choices when it comes to careers than perhaps the rest of the world - simply because of economics.

For instance - Russian nurses are schooled in the basics because Russian hospitals don't have all the high tech equipment our nurses are trained to use -

Likewise now India - They once did not not have the money either to turn out engineers - thanks to GATES they do NOW.

Americans may have more choices - like law, the medical field, the arts, etc. ALL of which take hard work to be successful at.

Engineers did NOT corner the market on hard work - sorry Charlie.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Babs said...: "No many knew 20 years ago that a globalization economy touted by Bush Sr and Clinton would do know good so what a surprise.
Major car and show companies left the U.S. during the Reagan administration which is easily verifiable."

absolutely - GM left for Mexico during those years and laid off 50,000 people countrywide.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: Of High Treason and Economic Incompetence: The Reagan Years Revisited

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2010/02/24/of-high-treason-and-economic-incompetenc

An example of when small business started to disappear.

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4107244&mesg_id=4109066; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: No many knew 20 years ago that a globalization economy touted by Bush Sr and Clinton would do know good so what a surprise.
Major car and show companies left the U.S. during the Reagan administration which is easily verifiable.

Excuse my error. No good, not know.

But yes major car companies left with the union busting and Flint Michigan suffered beyond belief with home foreclosures after 50,000 jobs were eliminated and plants closed.
There was a good documentary made about it.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Babs said...: Stupid Sheep - can you name one left of center person YOU voted for in your dim little lifetime.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
ew-3 said...: "Anyone that has been to college can tell you - study and thou shall get good grades."

Babs, the problem is the crop of students coming out of HS are not willing to study.

And, might I ask do you consider studying art history is the same degree of difficult as say studying Partial Differential Equations.

Americans do have more choices. They can study easy subjects and let our competitors study hard subjects.

I live close to Cambridge MA.
Trust me, a drive along Memorial looks like I'm in a third world nation.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Babs said...: My concern though is that even if our students EXCEL at "Partial Differential Equations" - whatever that is - there will be no jobs for them.

We have brilliant students in ALL our colleges - public and private.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: It's fun to lay blame, and quite productive. Personally, I'm on the side that says the union-busters screwed American workers the most.

However, as great as we all want to think this country is, there's not much any of us could do to stop globalism with a vote. Because it's GLOBAL, stupid! Who in their right mind would believe that 300 million Americans voting one way or the other in the ballot box (and buying cheap foreign goods at Walmart regardless of party affiliation) could stop over 1 billion Chinese from gaining a solid foothold in the global economy, and eventually taking over as the most powerful nation.

Y'all better start learning Mandarin.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
ew-3 said...: "We have brilliant students in ALL our colleges - public and private."

Babs, with all due respect, we have brilliant students at WHAT? Art history? English?

What degree do they get?
And what do they do when they get out?

Our global competitors thrive on PDEs. They thrive on physics and chemistry. They thrive on Maxwell's equations.

And that is why they will wipe us out.

Our country is succeeding on the inertia from WWII and the 60s. Since then we have been going down hill and getting our behinds kicked by foreign countries.

As long as we have low standards in our school system, we are doomed to failure.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Lino said...: Babs said...
My concern though is that even if our students EXCEL at "Partial Differential Equations" - whatever that is - there will be no jobs for them."

Babs, there seems to be a shift in attitude as to what students are willing to aspire to. The age of Aquarius is long over, now even though the repeated malfeasance of those in high finance has been documented, a lot of young people still see the chance at making quick money and retiring at 30 and living "Hollywood" the rest of their lives as all-attractive.

One of our locations need to A-C work done today. The guy we use is in his 60s and after he was done I bought him lunch and some "cool ones". He said that there is no one under 34 in his company and several guys in their mid-70s still on-call 7 days a week.

He told me he makes "over 100K a year" but that young people don't want to get sweaty and dirty working on HVAC units so the company begs the old guys to stay on.

From casual observation he seems to be right. Most of these skilled trades are being held by guys with graying hair and their young apprentices are Latinos.

So, American youth may let another well paying job -one that cannot be sent off shore, to go instead to foreigners here.

But no worries, we still have American Idol. Shit.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Babs said...: "Most of these skilled trades are being held by guys with graying hair and their young apprentices are Latinos."

I've noticed that as well - but, these jobs are not paying well enough to keep up with the economy so it's hard to tell then which came first the chicken or the egg and in some fields - like the HVAC repairman you mentioned - I'm sure it's exactly how you say it is.

Every year colleges give awards to Chemistry Honors students - and there are many - Dedicated people too like Michio Kaku from City College are succeeding at attracting the next generation to the sciences so I think the next generation of Americans hold great promise and will accomplish great things.

I see the American Idol and Jersey Shore kids too - but, I also see the kids with great substance. The times are CREATING it just as much as it is creating the vast wasteland of pop culture.

The MESS in the Gulf will inspire many to seek solutions - the younger generation is very passionate about what is going on there and with other environmental concerns. They are as MAD as we are about corporate abuses.

Globalism should be a GOOD thing - the world is becoming our community more and more. But big business' disregard for their American workers equals the discompassionate treatment in their sweatshops worldwide.

THAT attitude will change too. It has to as more people are choosing to purchase only "sweatshop free" or "vegan" clothing. Top designers like Stella McCartney who live by that philosophy have made a MAJOR impact on future designers.

Bottom line - it only takes a few great ones to make positive change for the rest of us.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Stupid Sheep said...: Babs,

Last dem was obama i voted for president. i voted for crowley last time as my local rep.; Thursday, July 29, 2010
Anonymous said...: lino, where is your list?

your "partner's " locations really are still using electric fans.; Friday, July 30, 2010
Anonymous said...: just what american motorists always wanted ,a union owned GM that produces a car"VOLT" that will get you to a 40 mile destination, when you need gasoline.; Friday, July 30, 2010
Anonymous said...: Doesn't anyone give "Crapper" about American Exporters????; Saturday, July 31, 2010