The word “job” carries a lot of baggage: well-paying, secure, steady, pride, identity, retirement. There is the myth, and maybe it’s true, that once Americans worked most of their careers at a single employer, lived comfortably Middle Class, and retired with a gold watch still admiring their boss. Fantasy.
A job that pays the rent, values your expertise and reliability, and is plentiful enough to quit, most likely involves manufacturing. We don’t have many of those kind of jobs anymore – we sent them overseas so that we could own more stuff. The tradeoff is owning more stuff or employment. If given the chance to choose – I think most Americans would choose employment but the “Free Trade” purveyors have some persuasive arguments why workers in other countries should benefit from American largess. The issues are so complicated and interrelated that I must narrow my focus as an engineer to achieving only the desired outcome – more manufacturing jobs. With that as my goal, the only strategy that Americans can fully control is to go back to import restrictions.
America is not one-with-the-World: we are our own economic system, our people are ambitious, and our culture is different. We’re certainly willing to work with the World but not to our detriment. So, if the goal is “jobs,” then I know where to get them… Take them back from the foreigners we gave them to!
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