My God Daughter and her husband have always been exceptional people in all ways. They likely make together at their jobs over 120,000 dollars a year. And yet they are discouraged because they can't really do what they want to do because it isn't the 1980s or 1990s anymore. So, many older people seem to live in some sort of fantasy that we will see something like the 1950s once again. It likely isn't going to happen anytime soon (at least in the U.S.). Though people might want it to happen it isn't very likely to again. There are many reasons for this:
First of all, we (the U.S.) got into World War II late. And as countries go we didn't lose many people to that war compared to some others (Russia lost 20 million mostly to starvation) caused by the Nazis and a harsh winter then. Whereas the U.S. lost very little compared to this. So, the U.S. was the least negatively affected by World War II because the war never came into the U.S. lower 48 really at all. So, when World War II ended we were basically the last large nation standing with everything still working. So, by lending money to other nations the world was rebuilt. And during the 1950s in some ways the U.S. was the (only game in town) because we were the last really big power left relatively untouched (in the lower 48 states) by the war. So, we built and sold everything other nations needed and Eisenhower built our highways systems which created the best infrastructure of the 1950s on Earth.
Now however, all this has changed. The U.S. is no longer the country with the best infrastructure on earth. Likely the best and most efficient infrastructure might be a country like Germany, Japan or China I would say. Because our infrastructure here (especially bridges) are rusting away as you read this nationwide. And a few years ago one of these bridges actually collapsed from not being repaired or rebuilt. Part of the problem is how much the U.S. pays people now to build these things because we just don't have that kind of money to spend on every single project. So, the U.S. has priced itself right out of being able to rebuild infrastructure.
So, the price of energy, the price of food, the price of labor, the price of importing goods have put the U.S. in many ways in a 2nd class (in real terms) infrastructure. So, unless people can figure out a cheaper way to build while the building remains as safe and useful, we will continue to decline in terms of infrastructure (roads, bridges, water processing plants, sewage treatment plants etc.) as time goes on. And this prevents new jobs for all the children both now and in the future from getting the jobs that we all want them to have. And so now we have a lost generation that may never find a decent job (both in the U.S. and around the world). And this doesn't help their families or crime in general worldwide. Because if people can't get jobs they can either kill themselves or find a way to stay alive any way they can.
So, in order for the U.S. and the world to keep law and order and a civil society there have to be jobs for all these kids now and into the future (or you have to have a welfare state) or you will have over time a really terrible increase in crime worldwide as those who don't kill themselves survive anyway they can.
No comments:
Post a Comment