Who do the Republicans work for? Do they work for me, or people like me, ordinary Americans? I think they work for the wealthy and primarily represent big business interests. They represent the corporations and the financiers, people like the Koch brothers and the Wall Street financial houses. That's where they get their money, and money drives politics.
So, when it comes to jobs in America, what do the Republicans want? Well, they say they want more jobs. But what do they really want?
In fact, they want whatever the corporations want. They want low wages for workers because that's what the corporations want. And they want high unemployment, with more workers competing for fewer jobs, because that keeps wages down.
In other words, the Republicans are perfectly happy with the job situation in America right now because their corporate masters are perfectly happy with the job situation in America. Corporate profits are at record high levels.
But can the Republicans admit any of this? Can they let us know how they really feel about employment levels in the U.S.?
No! Of course not! They know that Americans are aware of the employment problems; it's obvious there aren't enough jobs. So the Republicans tell us that they will get in there and unleash the flow of jobs if we put them in charge.
But what is American business doing about jobs? What are the plans of American business for jobs? Well, that's the interesting part. American business seems to be looking for foreign workers. There's Dell, for example; their products are no longer made in the USA. There's Apple, famous for its sweatshops in China. In fact, at one of Apple's Chinese factories, they have had to erect nets around the lower floors of the dormitory because of the number of workers committing suicide by jumping from the roof. Apple will sell you as many electronic devices as you'll buy, but they won't hire you unless you move to China and accept chicken-scratch wages.
There's Caterpillar, the heavy equipment manufacturer. They have an R & D center and seventeen manufacturing plants in China. Then there's Boeing. Their big commercial airliners were formerly made in the USA. Now, their new big plane, the 787 Dreamliner, is only 30 percent U.S. content.
There's Vise Grip and many, many other companies.
We are all familiar, probably overly familiar, with the "made in China" label. And that doesn't include out-sourcing. Call centers are an early example of out-sourcing. Now, even commercial airliner maintenance is being out-sourced to places like El Salvador, Brazil, and countries in Africa. The list of out-sourced jobs includes aerospace engineers, anthropologists, architectural drafters, biochemists, chemical engineers, chemists, graphic designers, insurance underwriters, financial analysts, nuclear technicians, etc. and etc. All good jobs, and with many other good jobs to follow.
So, that's what's happening to American jobs. Want a good American job with a good American corporation? Move overseas and agree to work for a poverty wage.
Message to the Republicans: Don't tell us that ending regulation in America is going to "free up" American jobs. That's not what's happening to American jobs. Tell us how you're going to stop American corporations, your masters, from shipping American jobs overseas.
Wait a minute. Your relationship with these corporations probably only works one way, right? They tell you what they want you to do, and you do it.
L. P. McGovern
Williamstown
