American Workers - Guidelines
If Americans have the desire, but lack the opportunity to self-motivate and improve their life situation, do we simply abandon them?
Some context: while in high school I spent one of my summers doubling as a ranch hand and dishwasher. I would work on a cattle ranch during daylight hours, and in the evening I would head to a restaurant and wash dishes for around 7 hours. I had a break from the dishes to take trash out to the dumpster, but otherwise I had no breaks. My bosses were not kind (especially one). I still count that dishwashing job as my least favorite just because of her. I turned 17 that summer. I never missed a day of work, and I was never late.
I could regale you with boring stories about working full time while going to college full time; working nights and cleaning restrooms at big box stores, working at a terrible manufacturing plant, and slaughtering hogs, but this article isn’t about me.
No one is against anyone working hard to change their life situation. Nor should we be. Americans believe that hard work and perseverance can change your life.
Further; there are many working Americans happy with their situation, and their pay. Ranchers, loggers, mechanics, wilderness firefighters, carpenters, tradesmen and tradeswomen. They’ll get no judgement from me about making their choices and loving their work.
The focus on improving life for working Americans needs to be on the Americans who for one life reason or another can’t change their life situation. Maybe they have a sick parent, or a sick child, and they can’t leave their hometown. Maybe they tried to go to college and it didn’t work out. Maybe they just don’t want to go to college, or they don’t have scholarships and they don’t want the debt.
There are around 100 million Americans in this proud working class.
We expect those Americans who want to change their situation to self-motivate and improve their own life situation. You don’t want to be a dishwasher any more? Cool—get out there and change your life.
A question I struggle with is: if we are all created equal, with the same inherent right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and governments are instituted to secure these rights, do the people of the United States (the government) have a responsibility to ensure we all have the same opportunity to self-motivate and change our own life situation?
If the answer to that question is ‘no’, let me ask it another way:
If Americans have the desire, but lack the opportunity to self-motivate and improve their life situation, do we simply abandon them?
Inherent in that question is another—if the people of the United States believe we shouldn’t abandon other Americans, what level of commitment (funding) are we comfortable with?
This is a stark debate between liberals and conservatives. Liberals might be willing to commit a moderate level of resources to create a program to lift Americans out of poverty and strengthen the workforce. Conservatives might say that any program interferes with the free market and the people of the United States (in the form of government) should let the market dictate the environment (do nothing).
I can’t get you to this answer for yourself. Both points have validity, and both approaches have practical limits.
I can say that for many years my expertise was Research and Development (R&D/tactics development). The premise of R&D/tactics development is that it doesn’t matter what a system is designed to do or supposed to do. What matters is—what else can the system do?
Do we really need big social programs to improve the lives of Americans? On the other hand, can't we see that by doing nothing, some smart young Americans lose the chance to lead the nation's technological advancement because they become trapped in their own circumstances?
What else can the system do?
We also need to guide our progress towards our objective (from last week):
How do we make a strong, innovative American workforce that can drive world markets?
We need to have some left and right bounds to guide us:
Let’s set conditions that enable Americans to provide for their own basic needs.
Any approach to strengthen America’s workforce needs first to enable Americans to provide for their own basic life necessities. This might include housing, food, heat, and clean water.
Many Americans provide for their own needs today. What opportunities do we have to increase the share of Americans who can meet these needs?
Let’s consider what can be done for Americans who are self-motivated.
We need to push opportunity to all classes of self-motivated Americans so they can gain skills or expertise and improve their own life situation. Maybe one day they develop the next battery that helps overcome national energy challenges.
I disagree with anyone who thinks America’s youth aren’t self-motivated and eager to make a commitment to their trade. Do they need training? Yes. Do they need a boss who treats them with respect? Yes. Do they need multiple chances to get it right? Yes.
Do they get this training in high school? No. We don’t even teach basic concepts like how much to budget for housing and how to cope with adversity. Some (not all) college programs may offer job training. Where are the other 62% of Americans meant to go to expand their knowledge and skills?
Let’s focus on options that are not a significant burden on the American taxpayer.
I’m not suggesting programs that are a redistribution of wealth, ie the taking of money from one class and giving it to another. I am suggesting options that enable Americans the ability to gain skills or resources to take care of themselves.
A successful program would mean less burden on the taxpayer, not more, because people with needed skills and resources will make more money, pay more in taxes, and require less government assistance.
In summary:
Our objective: How do we make a strong, innovative American workforce that can drive world markets?
Our guidelines:
Set conditions that enable Americans to provide for their own basic needs.
Consider what can be done for Americans who are self-motivated.
Focus on options that are not a significant burden on the American taxpayer.
To be continued.
Thanks for considering my perspective.
May God bless the United States of America.
