<p>…In which “the author argues that in the new (US) economy, it’s people, not skills or majors, that have lost value.” </p>
<p>[Surviving</a> the post-employment economy - Al Jazeera English](<a href=“Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera”>Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera)</p>
<p>The author is an extreme leftist with few ties to the real world.</p>
<p>Maybe she is an extreme leftist, but is she wrong in that article in any meaningful way?</p>
<p>Sounds fairly accurate from my perspective.</p>
<p>Workers of the world unite?</p>
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<p>This is the story of many people’s lives over the past several decades. It is certainly the case in my field.</p>
<p>barrons, I don’t pick up on any political vibe in this piece at all. Unless you are saying being opposed to exploitation is “leftist.”</p>
<p>This is one of those areas that tend to divide posters into left and right. Al-Jazeera is a leftist organization, but as Sally mentioned that does not make the premise wrong- it should be taken on its own.</p>
<p>The “exploiters” the commentator is referring to in this case would seem to be large corporations which are a typical target of the left. But again that does not mean that the premise is incorrect (or correct).</p>
<p>The usual philosophical divide applies here, were the right sees failure to obtain a good job as a personal failing due to lack of effort, intelligence, etc and the left sees the failure as a societal issue caused by exploitation due to the lure of profit.</p>
<p>But both can be right at the same time to differing degrees and depending on the actual circumstances of the individual. Any room for a wider view out there?</p>
<p>Can someone net out for me, what the author is trying to say?</p>
<p>I get that people are not finding the jobs they want and that corporations and universities have too much money, but what else is she saying and what solution is she offering?</p>
<p>Also, did anyone else think the opening sentence was awkward, grammar-wise?</p>
<p>I have read her stuff for sometime and her super leftist views come thru quite clearly. She is all about “social justice” which is just another term for socialistic income/tax policies and all the rest of the extreme left agenda.</p>
<p>Here is an editorial with a similar theme (not limited to the US, as the phenomenon has been observed in other countries as well) from a different source:</p>
<p>[Pay</a> and economic growth: A shrinking slice | The Economist](<a href=“The Economist | World News, Economics, Politics, Business & Finance”>A shrinking slice)</p>
<p>First, people had tribes to provide them with security and stability, but then came the development of large, urban, modern societies.</p>
<p>Then people had extended families to provide them with security and stability within the large society, but then came divorce, which made marriages and the bonds based on them less stable and dependable.</p>
<p>Many people depended on labor unions to provide them with some security and stability, but modern trends have weakened them and few can depend on them anymore.</p>
<p>Many people depended on the promises of large corporations that offered them security and stability with long-term employment and pensions, and other important benefits such as medical insurance, but most of these promises have disappeared and few can depend on them anymore.</p>
<p>Many people depended on having affordable universities they or their children could take advantage of to achieve their dreams and find economic security. Now those are disappearing too.</p>
<p>What can people depend on now? Prozac and on-line fantasy worlds? A leftist would say “revolution,” but modern Western societies are far too splintered for that to succeed. If Occupy Wall Street taught us anything, it taught us that.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus
It is interesting that the article focuses on changes in the percent of the pie rather than the absolute amount of pie that people get and the value of those pieces (e.g. is the quality of life, life expectancy, toys and conveniences better than it was 50 years ago?). There may be a correlation between pie inequality and big gains in things like technology, medical breakthroughs, etc).</p>
<p>Also interesting to see how Norway and Sweden are a lot worse than the US.</p>
<p>Sobering article. I wish she would have included references for her data. Without it, I can’t tell if her interpretation of the data is valid or strictly emotional. Regardless, it is a good eye opening article to consider as I help my children choose majors and colleges.</p>
<p>Here is an associated article to the editorial referred to in #10:</p>
<p>[Workers</a>? share of national income: Labour pains | The Economist](<a href=“The Economist | World News, Economics, Politics, Business & Finance”>Labour pains)</p>
<p>I think the author is saying lower your expectations in order to survive. I am not sure how that is survival. The problems and their causes are pretty obvious, I don’t see how the author is adding any real solutions.</p>
<p>Good grief, can we leave the partisan “lefty” / “righty” name calling in the schoolyard and simply have a discussion without knee-jerk dismissing an opinion because of a perceived point of view?!</p>
<p>And we wonder why nothing gets accomplished…</p>
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Works for me!</p>
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<p>She is more than just a “leftist.”</p>
<p>It is no accident that Kendzior writes for Al Jazeera.</p>
<p>Not sure I can post a link to this blog, but it discusses the devaluing of the American worker. I have seen this happen over my 35 years in the workplace. Benefits slashed, temp employees being hired vs regular employees, etc. I am glad I graduated college when I did.
[How</a> Do Those Germans Do It and What Does it Mean for the US? | Jared Bernstein | On the Economy](<a href=“http://jaredbernsteinblog.com/how-do-those-germans-do-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-us/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JaredBernstein+(Jared+Bernstein)]How”>http://jaredbernsteinblog.com/how-do-those-germans-do-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-us/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JaredBernstein+(Jared+Bernstein))</p>
<p>Here is her web site, if people want to judge for themselves:
[Sarah</a> Kendzior](<a href=“http://sarahkendzior.com/]Sarah”>http://sarahkendzior.com/)</p>
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<p>Huh? Al Jazeera is funded by the government of Qatar, which appears to be rather conservative, so it is not necessarily obvious that it would naturally have affinity for a “leftist”.</p>