JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

Millions of Americans have lost their jobs in the last decade.  And of course we blame Wall Street, the banks, China and the Hedge Fund managers, who rake in millions.  We also blame the Third World Countries to whom our big corporations are outsourcing their work and, of course, we also blame our president and the government.  (Is there anyone else we can blame?)

I beg to differ.  I think we are barking up the wrong tree!

In 1786, the German Poet Matthias Claudius, (1740-1815), wrote a poem "Wenn Jemand eine Reise Tut, so kann er etwas erzählen" which loosely translates to approximately "when a person travels abroad it broadens that person's horizon, meaning that person discovers things unknown to that person before and it changes that person's perspective as well as that person's outlook on life.

I don't know if Charles Darwin, the English scientist, naturalist and geologist[1], ever heard of this poem or whether it was pure coincidence that he undertook a five year voyage to South America to study the geology of South America. 

And boy, did he make hay.[2]

As he was researching the geology of the land he also got involved in studying marine invertebrates[3].  Without going into much detail and diverting from the point I am about to make, from his research he concluded that all animals evolve from common ancestors.  But in order to survive they have mutated through a process of natural selection with the best and strongest traits remaining.                                                              ___________________ 

[1] A person who studies the dynamics and physical history of the earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the physical, chemical, and biological changes that the earth has undergone or is undergoing.

[1] An idiomatic American expression, meaning "boy was he successful!"
[1] Animals which have no backbones, such as sponges

Domesticated dogs are a good example of what this means.  Breeders have bread different types of dogs into new breeds by selecting dogs with good animal traits and fusing those traits into a new breed.  Darwin published these ideas in 1858 in his book "The Origin of Species".  Eventually this theory was adopted by the British economist Herbert Spencer, as the theory of "Survival of the Fittest".

So, what does all of this have to do with the cost of tea in China?

Plenty!

You see, when you look back at how we got into the mess where millions of people lost their jobs it becomes quite clear what happened.  Once we understand how we got here we will see what the problem is and how we too have to adept to the challenge of changing times.  It almost seems like a rule of nature.  The rule of "Survival of the Fittest" also applies to us humans.  And in hindsight, what happened to some extent was predictable. 

America is a capitalist country which means that everybody has the right to decide how much money he or she wants to earn and acquire.  This means that theoretically everybody is motivated to make as much money as they possibly can.  It also means that it motivates people to constantly seek to build a better mousetrap (in this case factories).  But the mousetraps (the factories) became very big, in fact huge, to the point where the factory owners needed workers.  Most of those workers didn't need to have any special skills or necessarily be highly educated.  They were taught on the job how to operate a machine and that was all they needed.  But those kinds of workers were a dime a dozen.  If a worker didn't do exactly what he/she was told to do, the worker would lose his\her job.  It created a lot of stress and tension among the workers, so unions popped up (rightfully so) to protect the workers.  But the unions also made demands on the factory owners and eventually somewhere along the lines the unions became too demanding and made it difficult for the factory owners to compete in the global market place.  Wages became too high, our standard of living became higher too, and we again made demands for higher wages (to satisfy and iprove our lifestyle) and so eventually we priced ourselves out of the global market.  Factory owners sought and found cheaper labor elsewhere.

While this evolution took place creative minds developed mechanical robots who could replace the workers and little by little the workforce was diminished and robots and computers replaced human beings.  At the same time workers in third world countries also became more educated and were willing to work for a fraction of the cost American workers demanded.  

Now we come back to the theory of "Survival of the Fittest".  In order to survive American workers needed to adept and to educate themselves and move up the economic ladder into skilled professionals.  But workers were too comfortable, and forgive me for saying so, mentally too lazy to look around how they could improve themselves and acquire new skills. 

In the 1950's refugees who came to America worked two jobs a day to give their children the opportunities for a higher education so that they would have a better life.  Their children became professionals: doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers, pharmacists, etc.  Those who didn't have a higher education developed a new trend "Thank God it's Friday".

So what then is the answer?  Jobs are basically for people who do not have any marketable skills in contrast to Professionals who get a higher education and have a career path.  Those who do not want to be left behind and eventually become destitute need to become innovative and/or create or discover a better mousetrap. 

There are new industries in the world and the sooner these job-seekers prepare themselves through education to become a part of these new industries the sooner their miseries will end.

Depending on their educational level here are some of the industries which promise to be growing in the next decade or so.  It behooves the job seekers to find schools which will help them make the transition to some of these industries.

Currently the Healthcare Industry is still burgeoning and promises to continue to grow over the next ten years.

We now live in the Age of Information Technology[4], which is constantly re-inventing itself.

The legal profession is still strong and will probably remain so for another decade.

The Financial Services Industry is also still very strong.

The Pharmacology Industry looks like it too will remain strong for another decade.

Eldercare still has some potential.

These are just some of the industries, which still promise some hope.

Of course it will cost money to change careers and to go to technical schools, not necessarily colleges, who teach the skills need to make the changes.  Some of the schools will direct you toward financial aid and many of them claim to help you find jobs after you graduate.  But understand this, the jobs they will help you get are entry level jobs and do not pay the kinds of salaries people who hae been I the industry for a while get.  But you need to start out at te bottom and learn on the job, which is very different from the classroom.  We recommend that you accept the entry level positions until you feel confident that you know what you are doing and the find other firms I that same industry and seek a position there.

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[1] Many people think that learning computers is the answer.  "Learning computers" actually just means learning how to type on an electronic typewriter.  What we are talking about in this article is to learn how to design websites for use on the Internet, or learning how to write software programs.

Bernie and Donald

As of today, it is quite obvious that Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are showing clout to win the nominations of their respective political parties.  However, what will happen if they do win?

Let's start with Donald Trump (the "Donald").  He claims he can do everything better than the politicians do.  Up to this point nobody has dared to look deeper into his claims, whether they are actually attainable and what things would cost us, the taxpayers.  For example: CNBC has estimated what it would cost to improve the currently porous wall between the United States and Mexico.  The wall is approximately 2000 miles long and according to CNBC it would cost "Billions of Dollars" (Oct. 9, 2015). 

"According to a Government Accountability Office 2009 report, the cost to build 1 mile of fencing at the border averaged between $2.8 million and $3.9 million."

This would be added to our current budget deficit which is already in the trillions of dollars.

Next, he would not raise taxes on the rich but he would lower the minimum wage back to $7.50.  Is that what middle class Americans want?  He would shrink the government, which means again higher unemployment.  He would also do away with Obamacare.  This would again leave roughly 15-20 million Americans without healthcare coverage.  He claims he can’t stand seeing people dying in the streets.  Where are the sick people who do not have healthcare coverage supposed to go for help when they are sick?  Presumably the hospitals can not turn away anyone who needs help.  But who will pay the hospital bills?  Guess what!  The average taxpayer will pay the bills.  This is after your minimum wage has again been reduced to $7.50!

And what about deporting all the illegal immigrants.  How do you think this will work?  Right now there are approximately 11 million illegal immigrants in America.  Mr. Trump will forcefully deport them all.  If we stand by and watch this catastrophe happen, there is a strong chance that somebody will try to assassinate him.  But even more importantly, we will have to take down our Statue of Liberty.  Poor girl!  For decades she has frozen her toochie off and now all her efforts turn out to be in vain.  She can no longer proclaim

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Donald speaks like future dictators always speak.  They tell the masses what they want to hear, they muffle the opposition (like he did to Jeb Bush "Quiet, I am now speaking").  He knows very well how to dish out insults but he cant take it when others throw the insults back into his face.  Dictators never tell you how they will fix what ails the respective countries,  They just voice the people's frustrations and expect the people to believe in them and to trust them, but they never offer specific details on how they will fix the problems.  "I can take care of the problems.  Just trust me".  And look what happens when these populists take over.  Things always end up worse than they were before they took over.  I can list several of them for you: Hitler, Mussolini, Sadam Hussein, Mao Tse Tung, Stalin, Chavez, Castro etc.  And these are just a few.  There are plenty more.

Now to Bernie.  He is right about the facts.  There is no denial.  But he depends on the people to rise up in protest and start a revolution.  I seriously doubt that this will happen.  Look what happened to the "Occupy Wall Street Movement"!  Americans are not ready for a revolt.  These are no longer colonial times!

For my money, I would rather go with Hillary or Kasich, who know the system and who have a proven track record and who have been in public office most of their adult lives. 

Let's see what happens!

I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN

I am a naturalized American.  I was born overseas and have lived in two other countries before I came to America in 1959.  I am very proud to be an American.  Watching the electoral process in America and knowing pretty much about the system of Government we have works, I must tell you that I am thrilled to be an American.

Where else in the world can people speak to their potential leaders in person?  Where do they have debates like we have here in America?

I must admit that watching the Republican debates and the Democratic debates, there is a difference like night and day.  Even though I love the idea of the candidates vying for our votes, but I still think the Republican Debates are a three ring Circus.  The caliber of the candidates to me sounds ridiculous compared to the Democratic candidates.

I think that Donald Trump is a very dangerous man (I will explain, why I think so in a future blog) and I don't have much use for anyone else except, Jeb Bush and John Kasich.

On the other side there is Governor O'Malley, Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton.  What a difference!  I admire and love all of them.  They seem to be people who care about us, not the big corporations.  Even though Governor O'Malley has dropped out of the race, I felt that he was honest and sincere.  He really understood what the country needs and was not out for himself, but cared about us the people.

Bernie is special, too.  I have known about him for five years, long before he campaigned for the presidency and became a household name.  What he is saying is all true.  We need a revolution, but not just in the voting booths, but a real revolution which will turn Washington upside down and get rid of all the wise guys who are just jealous and don't want to give credit to Barack Obama.

What a difference in tone between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton compared to the Republicans.  Personally I love Bernie Sanders, how he talks, his passion and his dedication as well as his honest assessment of the enormous corruption of our politicians in Washington.  But I will go for Hillary, only because I believe it takes more than just a vision or a call to rise up. 

Unfortunately a lot of Americans don't care or don't give a damn.  All they know is to criticize, but they won't exercise their privilege to vote.

There is no country in the world like America.  Nowhere do people have the freedoms we have.  Nowhere can they vote for an individual and nowhere can the people decide to change the person at the helm as in America.

And no where else in the world does opportunity lie in the air, up for grabs, like in America.

I love America and I am proud to be an American (even though I am only a naturalized citizen). 

If the world could vote with its feet, three quarters of the world would be living in America!

I TOLD YOU SO!

It is funny.  The Republicans claim that Hillary is dishonest.  What about what Ted Cruz did to Ben Carson in Iowa to win the Iowa Caucus?  His campaign claimed that Ben Carson was quitting the race (because Carson decided to go back to Florida to change his suit which he had been wearing for over a week).  By claiming that Carson had quit the Presidential race, Cruz picked up enough votes to put him over the top.

How honest was that trick?

If you recall, I blogged recently that Cruz, in my opinion is a hypocrite.

CARLY FIORINA

Another Wisenheimer running for election to the Presidency of our great country! 

She claims to know how to run a large organization!  Yet in 1999 she was named the chair and CEO of Hewlett-Packard.  While the media was calling her the most powerful woman in the business world, the board of Hewlett-Packard forced her to resign in 2005, after huge shareholder losses and employee layoffs.

Her supporters say the board was “dysfunctional,” and her critics say she made tens of millions as a failed corporate head — during her tenure, Hewlett-Packard’s shares fell 42% (compared to a broader market slide of 6%), and Fiorina reportedly got more than $21 million to leave the company.  Mrs. Fiorina used some of her personal wealth to finance a run in 2010 for the U.S. Senate as a conservative Republican, but lost to incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer.

Ted Cruz US Hypocrite #1

TED CRUZ-US HYPOCRITE #1

The Senator from Texas calls himself a "Fiscal Conservative". 

Is he for real?  Check this out!  On September 24, 2013, he gave a filibuster, a speech which lasted 21 hours.  The House of Congress was lit up all night just for this filibuster, which he used to repeal the Affordable Care Act (AKA “Obamacare”).

And listen to this!  He had nothing to say so he read from the fairy tales of Dr. Seuss "Green Eggs and Ham" to kill the time.  In the end he lost anyhow.  But think of the cost of the electric Bill.  Guess who had to pay for the electric!  You and me, the American taxpayers!

He also had the balls to shut down the government for almost a week.  Do you know how much that cost us?  24 billion dollars!!!!  You read right!  24 billion dollars!  Is that being fiscally conservative?  Not according to the dictionary which I use!

Now he is campaigning to be the next President of the United States.  Officially it is well known that he is the most hated member of Congress.  How will he be able to get anything done, if he wins the election?

He would like to kill Obamacare, which now provides 21 million people a chance to see a doctor when they are sick.  Do we really want to take this insurance away from them? 

I propose that all our members of Congress, the House as well as the Senate, should only get paid the minimum wages, no overtime and no perks.  No free lunches, no Health Insurance, no trips to New York to raise funds for his bid for the presidency, paid for by us, the tax-payers, as Mr. Cruz has done.

Is this what he calls "Fiscal conservatism"?

Now he is running for President, even though many believe he does not qualify for the job because he was born in Canada.

Talk about hypocrisy!  He is against raising the minimum wage and really does not seem to care an iota for the lower middle class which is struggling and which has given up on the American Dream.

He also claims to be a conservative Christian.  What kind of Christianity is this?  He wants to stop Obamacare, which takes care of the lower middle class, and he does not want to give refuge to foreign immigrants and refugees.  If I recall correctly, Christianity is based on the teachings and the unusual outreach of Jesus to the less fortunate.  Christ embraced everybody, even his enemies ("Forgive the, for they know not what they are doing").  Give me a break!

He is also against Gay Rights, he doesn't believe in Climate Change, he opposes raising taxes for the rich, in short-he doesn't give a hoot about the majority of Americans.  And this is a man who  want's to

There are two separate things which have made the United States the great country which it has become:  The Constitution and the contributions from immigrants and refugees (for this discussion it really doesn't matter which of the two they were).

What nonsense this is!  If terrorists want to harm us they can easily come into the United States legally as visitors.

In my opinion, (and I have the right to my opinion), Ted Cruz should be hung from the highest tree pole we can find, upside down.  And after a week of hanging in this position he should be tried for treason.