One of the great things about having been on this planet for the past three-quarters of a century has been the opportunity to learn about many things. I've had - and still do - a pretty eclectic background, and that in itself has been a truly educational experience. The years have been pretty interesting, with probably some of the most dramatic changes in the way people live, technology, business, and even war. But one thing that hasn't really changed - and hasn't changed since the beginning of man's existence on earth, is mankind itself.
The current political camaigners include, in their debates about what needs to be done, talk about enabling school children to get a college education. Now, it's not an unknown fact that college is not for everyone. Over the last few decades, most college degrees have had about the same value as a high school diploma had up through the fiftys. All it means is that the graduate has enough learning and related general ability to be hired for a job. What we really need today is more technical high school education from which students can learn a trade. Now, when I was in high school, vo-tech schools were considered the province of the dumb guys - you know, guys who became plumbers, auto mechanics and the like - today's money class.
Since this country edged over into a service industry economy, the need for aftermarket workers has become significant. Where today can we find real furniture makers, great aftermarket home rebuilders, the intelligent and capable auto mechanics, and others in fields like heath care, the culinary industry, agriculture, and the like?
The country began its downhill run as a manufacturing industry location probably 50 years ago. One of the causes for this loss of industrial jobs, and I'm including the garment industry in this category, was unions.
Unions were very important for the welfare of workers beginning in the early to mid 1900s, such as the activity commencing following the Triangle Shirt Factory fire in New York City, Teacher unions played a significant role in enhancing the pay scale and working conditions for their members in the 1950s. Unfortunately, unions soon became more of a problem than an aid to their members, when they themselves developed into "big business".
Union activity was one cause for garment maufacturers to begin moving their production from Northeast states to states like Tennessee, where there was no union activity. Eventually, production began to take place off-shore, until now, when you don't see a label reading "hecho in China, or Guatemala, or Jordon, or Mexico", or wherever low cost labor is to be found, it is a great surprise. A number of years ago, garments had labels stating made in USA, which turned out be a town in Japan.
So manufacturing of many commodities disappeared from our shores, and the service industry, pushed by the growing computer technology industry, became our new national industry. The problem is, however, that the same problems came up. Labor costs once again became a problem because higher wages caused higher prices, and the buying public likes to buy cheap - and why not? So a large part of the service industry, the tech support services, became an outsourced function, handled by tech reps in countries like Bangladesh, Guatemala, Pakistan, et. al. So now the problem is that the consumer has a heck of a time trying to understand what he or she is being told by the support person, or the support person working for one of the services dosen't really care about the service to be provided.
Which takes us back to vo-tech training for our high school students. Look, when they graduate, they all do not have to be paid wages that will break the average consumer's bank. But we can keep those jobs here - which is the important thing our government needs to do. People need jobs, they need jobs from which they can achieve satisfaction. They need job opportunities which have a light at the end of the tunnel - a light which can shine upon future personal growth. A college education per se doesn't necessarily provide that opportunity. And vo-tech school students, out of necessity, have to know how to read, have good comprehension, have math skills.
Besides, you want a good educatation? Read more. And not only non-fiction. From good fiction, you learn what the author believes people are interested in knowing, so reading provides a good education on life in all of its aspects. Reading keeps the mind active, and allows one to have an open mind to reason through much of the
guacamole one finds at the rear end of a bull. Reading is how many of the world's leaders learned in days past, and reading to learn holds true for today.
The world grows smaller everyday. The United States has to work hard to maintain it position as world leader. The above points can help make that happen.
