Working in America: a new challenge

Just fifty years ago, people from all over the world were enthralled by the idea of emigrating to America, where they could apply their talents, working in America to attain the American dream. Millions upon millions of people did just that. In recent decades, the American dream has been eroded by the concept of globalization. The old ‘Made in America’ slogan has become outdated by outsourcing, with cheaper labor and a lessening of quality becoming the new standard.

Formerly, products made in America were synonymous with quality. The workers who produced these products were paid fairly, protected by labor agreements, along with working environments which resulted in a quality product that was worth the price. To the detriment of our nation’s economy and the status of the working middle class, globalization has wiped out all the progress of the last hundred years.

Today, parents must fear the contents of toys we buy for our kids. The big name traditional toy companies no longer have control over the materials used in the manufacture of toys. They simply outsource the manufacture and hope for the best. This has resulted in disastrous consequences. Tainted pet food is yet another problem.

Working in America is not quite the same today. Many middle class workers are being laid off in favor of cheaper overseas labor. What are these people to do? The blue collar middle class workers are affected most. Let’s say you’ve worked in the automobile industry all your life. Now you’re out of work. There’s no safety net. You are faced with a stint on unemployment with the possibility of welfare status in your future. This scenario is certainly not the hopeful picture of working in America just fifty years ago.

The American people have enjoyed a long standing reputation of inventiveness, innovation and a stubborn determination to succeed. We must not let our government sell us out. We cannot allow our livelihoods to decline to the point of a third world existence. We must all speak out and force the implementation of new policies which reinstate the best ethics of working in America.

Some proponents of globalization cite protectionism in the light of a poor foreign policy. This is simply an excuse for rich folks in power to become richer, to the detriment of our own people. The people working in America need help too. It’s a fact that America now has a segment of the population going to bed hungry every day.

For those of us working in America today, it’s clear that we need to revamp societal values such that our people can prosper and not just survive.