Golden Age

So how is the economy doing?

It seems to be humming along pretty much like it has been since the end of the financial crisis.

The fundamental change is that the new service jobs just pay less than the old manufacturing jobs did, in general.

This may not be a permanent situation but it isn't going to change quickly.

We clearly are developing a have vs have not society.

If you have the skills, talent or connections you can do very well.

If you don't you get to work for low wages and meager benefits, probably with student loan debt hanging over you.

One of the promises of the current administration was that it was going to restore the America where manufacturing jobs and mining jobs provided a middle class lifestyle to millions.

It was an empty promise, which would require fundamental changes in the global economy which are just not going to happen.

In addition, the anti-union approach reduces the possibilities even more.

Clearly the benefits of technology and globalization weren't shared equally.

The approach of giving more to the owners with some expectation that this will lead to good paying jobs is attempting to emulate a period that actually never existed.

The industrialization of America led to exploitation of workers, including children, until they were forced to adopt better pay and working hours via regulation and union efforts.

It wasn't unbridled capitalism, although that did make some people very rich.

Current policies are trying to recreate the golden age of robber barons, not the golden age of American workers, which is a good thing if you are actually a robber baron.

Most of us aren't.