Our left has made economic justice a keystone of their platform. Much of its legislation focuses on providing entitlements to the average citizen, such as socialized health insurance, social security, a high minimum wage, and strong employee protection laws. I totally understand that these are good and necessary measures. I support them for other people. I just can't really give a shit about personally benefiting from them. Like the insurance, the only guaranteed healthcare I want is TriCare. If I can't pay for medical care as a civilian then, well, I honestly don't want it. What happens happens. I truly do not give a shit. I'm totally okay with the fact that none of my payments into social security will benefit me in any way. It's for other people anyway. And the last two kind of feel a little patronizing tbh. If some doesn't think their work is worth getting paid $15 per hour then that's nobody's business but theirs and their employer's, and if they actually WANT to work off the clock for some reason, then, well, who the fuck are you to tell them they're violating anti-slavery laws? Is this a unique viewpoint, or...? How do you feel about it?
I feel like we're entitled to a fair, just, and representative government. We're paying for it. The constitution states it. I feel like we're entitled to Social Security Benefits. We're paying for them. I feel like we're entitled to proper health care simply because it's one of the necessities of life, along with water, food, shelter and clothing. I believe that wages would NOT be an issue if we hadn't allowed the government to send our self-supporting living wage jobs to foreign labor markets, via unfair, unjust, and one-sided foreign trade agreements and policies.
I also believe that wages would NOT be an issue if we severely penalized the off-shore out-sourcing of our jobs, and the importing of labor. In addition, wages would NOT be an issue if we put anyone that hired, housed, fed, or otherwise aided and assisted illegal immigrants, in prison for life without the possibility of parole. Illegals would run for the border and never come back.
I believe that " IF " America was to once again, produce most of what America used and consumed, then it would create an employees' market like it was in the 50's, 60's, and early 70's. If that was the case, then employers would pay good wages to get the best employees. It was that way when we had plants and factories on almost every street corner of America. Now, today, because of few quality jobs compared to the workers seeking those jobs, it's an employers' market. Thus employers can get the best employees for very little in wages and benefits. Employers are now offering less company paid benefits, along with lower over all wages.
We must also consider factors such as innovation, technology, and automation. Due to those three elements, it takes less employees to produce the same amount of goods as 40 years ago. But, still, " IF " we were to end our dependency on cheap foreign imports, and start producing more of what we use and consume, we'd have plenty of jobs for our work force.
For many decades now, we've sacrificed our economic well-being in favor of supporting foreign economies. This all started back in the early 50's when we began to rebuild Japan's economy after WWII. In the late 50's and early 60's, Japanese products flooded our markets with cheap goods. After Japan, then foreign trade agreements with other countries started the economic devastation we're experiencing today. Today, America produces very little of what America uses and consumes. We're import dependent. The results have been closed plants and factories, lost skills, and a much lower standard of living for most Americans. The term "Global Economy" basically means "equalization to the lowest level", and we're rapidly approaching that equalization as we speak.
