It would help if people weren't force-fed this idea they need a college degree to be moderately successful. Not everyone is college material, some would be better served with a vocational degree of some sort. Or a work system that offers internships or apprenticeships.

Manufacturing jobs in the U.S. are just about dead, so if there are jobs, they are service jobs.

I know in my industry, manufacturing plastic consumer products, China dominates. For the past 15 years the Chinese have slowly eaten my family's business alive. It is at the point now, where our American competitors (who used to manufacture here) are going overseas with our products and knocking them off in China, then bringing in the finished goods at less than what it costs us to manufacture it here.

It is very sad and heart-breaking. My parents started the company 51 years ago. We are three generations now and I do not see it lasting much longer. I contemplated moving to Hong Kong this weekend, figuring if I can't beat them, then I might as well join them. I know my situation is being repeated all over the US in every family business that makes a product. We just cannot compete with China's prices.

If you consider their lower cost of labor and then factor in that cost in every step of the operation, from construction, utilities, machinery produced from raw materials that cost less because the labor that produced those materials cost less and the labor that assembled the machinery costs less and then the labor that produces the products from those machines cost less -- you get the picture.

U.S. Manufacturing is dead. Really, we'll all just disappear soon. So all that is left are service jobs, from garbage collectors, auto-mechanics, restaurant servers, etc. Don't think engineering jobs are safe either.

Then again, it has always been this way.

Alright, enough of my whining. Great poem!

Sara

Ah,the modern day dilemma through out the modern world.

Well said, Ron, well said..
and not just in your country but almost
globally the attitudes you allude to prevail


john

So, I will waste another day,
scheming to get my way.
Not concerned about the other guy,
only concerned about me and my.

So very sadly true today, for so many, including many of our so called 'leaders.'

All work is meaningful and contributes to society. Look at the road sweepers and the bin-men; without 'em, we'd be waist-high in garbage.
I'd rather be a waiter than a bum, yes I would, if I only could, I surely would ..... ha! Good poem, Ronald!

It really is the s***s havin' to work for a livin'. While I may live in a shack, it keeps the rain off my head and the wind off my back. I really like this, Ron.

duke larance ~ the drugstore cowboy poet

Ron, while this certainly is applicable to some segment of the American working populace it is by no stretch of the imagination pervasive among the whole of the American work force - workers at every level of the employable spectrum are being brutalized by America's politicos in D.C. and at every state and local government level - PAC money has permitted D.C. politicians and all politicians at every level to look the other way while American businesses employ legal and illegal immigrants, not the immigrants fault, at wages and salaries, without any benefits or almost no benefits, that Americans cannot survive on - taxpayers are providing the health care, food supplements by way of food stamps, education for their children, and supplements for housing, all, yes all in direct violation of Federal Immigration Statutes - so all it not as simplistic as it appears in media information or corrupt government statistics - every industry, every available employment position is currently under assault from these conditions, so, we must assess blame and attitude from a perspective that considers all of the extenuating circumstances - your poem heightens awareness regarding this issue crucial to America's' financial security - I wish you peace, joy and love my dear friend - Jon Michael

well written Ron but i am one of those who must continue to work and will probably never see retirement
budd

Truly a great write laura

Nice write...enjoyed it, sad picture though but good fun to read..and to some extent holds true all over , youngsters are too content .. If no new learning ..then boredom :(
Best wishes,neerja

Good write for those to
whom it applies *Ron*

Lady Vivian

I remember the day when I couldn't get a job. I grabbed a gunny sack, my kids and picked up pop bottles along side the road. Or, we'd gather some boxes, find a patch of blackberries, and spend three or four hours reaching in the prickly vines. We went from store to store until someone paid us for them. Other times we'd roll or green volts wagon onto the road early morning and pick strawberry's. At that time we could get three hot dogs at the 7 11. Along with a drink of or choice, that days hard work in the hot sun seemed all worth it. I think I learned that back when I was seven and got up before dawn for a quick breakfast before being dropped off at the bean yard. Oh, and, great poem.

I personally, cannot wait to retire, I have worked hard my whole life, in a field that doesn't pay me highly, but fairly well, I have believed in the work hard save your money, live fair and then the reward is at the end of your life, hopefully when the retirement thing happens I can still think and walk clearly...lol
They government keeps changing the retirement age go figure!

Good write however, as always you are right on...

Peace, love and light,
Amber

AMEN RON !

There are always jobs to be had, but unfortunately
and it's the governments fault... the wages they
offer on unemployment are far better for those who
were caught up in downsizing. Those are who I am
talking about. Those that have a family and it is
more costly to work and pay childcare for lower pay
than to take advantage of retraining in other skills.
Through work programs.

In my area, I have seen downsizing where people for
years have done the same job (Factory, foundry sort
of work) who had no other job skills. We have to be
careful at bunching them all into a whole lot of one.

Other than that, good write. There are those that
expect something more for nothing and those that do
hope to strike it rich... I have seen that too.

Love and Light
Lily

So much work! I like the attitude written so well!!

Thank you!

Jane

Regardless of leadership, sameness rolls on.

OK, but what about the other 99 percent who are out of work?

Yep.