How easily the people give up and accept the lies of the powerful

[realmirage]

I keep hearing this asinine phrase "those jobs in the rust belt aren't coming back." And how do you know this? Think about where you heard it. Can you remember? That is exactly what powerful corporations, the ones democrats supposedly mistrust, want you all to believe and you've bought it hook line and sinker. All they have to do is spread it through certain media talking heads and voila, you swallow it.

I remember when Democrats used to fight for the powerless, question lies that are spread by the powerful, and fight for outcomes that help working class people. We get angry when our party negotiates from a place of defeat, like not asking first for single payer health care and then negotiating from there, and yet you are willing to just write off the rust belt because somewhere you once heard that the jobs aren't coming back.

Bernie Sanders and, gasp, Trump are about to fight for those jobs, and Sanders has ideas about how to get it done, and many people here are just saying fuck the rust belt? This is exactly why the Party is on the actual, real edge of extinction. This is why we get called elitists. We can't even give a shit about the concerns of the blue collar voters in the rust belt who, up until two weeks ago, used to vote for our party... You can't give a shit enough to even ponder solutions for them, to question the power structure that is destroying their way of life, and they know it and that's why they are following a maniac; because he's the only one who is actually saying he's going to fight for them.

This party needs to find it's soul again. It needs to wake up. This massive defeat still hasn't woken many of us up. I fear this may be the end of our party if we cannot find ourselves again.

[JHan]

1. Understanding reality and what confronts us is not "accepting the will of the powerful"

*More confirmation that people want politicians to consistently lie to them*

[guillaumeb]

2. Recommended. Too many Democrats accept the "political reality" that manufacturing

cannot return, while ignoring the example of Germany. Germany is a high wage country that protects its manufacturing. As does S. Korea. What is lacking is the political will to stand up to the greedy capitalists who are turning this country into a third world nation.

[realmirage]

4. I wish every person would read your post. Thank you

[Garrett78]

3. Those jobs will come back if...

...the US does away with labor laws, the minimum wage, welfare and corporate taxes. In which case people will have no choice but to work in horrific conditions for 5 cents a day.

The fact is the US is manufacturing more than ever (contrary to the narrative about how the US doesn't make anything anymore), but automation means fewer people are needed. And wages have been stagnant at best.

New green industries and less wage disparity is called for, but even that won't be sufficient. Ultimately there will need to be a universal basic income, unless US population starts declining or we do away with automation.

[realmirage]

5. Read guilla's post above yours

[Garrett78]

11. Again, manufacturing in the US is practically at an all-time high.

[realmirage]

12. Your facts are wrong. Research it

[Garrett78]

13. I have, and you could easily verify what I'm saying.

Yes, millions of jobs have gone overseas, but it's also true that the US is manufacturing as much as ever. Stagnant wages and automation, as well as a misleading narrative, have given folks a different impression.

Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-manufacturing-dead-output-has-doubled-in-three-decades-2016-03-28

[Buckeye_Democrat]

6. Many more people will lose jobs with advances in artificial intelligence.

Technological advancements in the past still needed people to operate them. That may not be the case in years to come.

We have a capitalist system in place in which the owners of these advancements will be the winners. Will they be benevolent about it and distribute the benefits of such technology to everyone, or themselves? The answer is pretty obvious to me. In fact, by law, corporations are required to seek higher profits for their owners. There's nothing in the laws about the common good other than some regulations that help prevent them from outright killing people just to increase their own profits.

It should be an interesting future. I'm glad that I don't have any kids, and I never will with the handwriting that I see on the wall.

[Dustlawyer]

7. Just like people who say social security won't be around when I retire.

it won't if you don't get up off your ass and fight for it. A friend of mine said that to me yesterday and I have heard it many times before. I have little tolerance for defeatist attitudes.

Dissing an area of the country is not fair nor helpful. In every part of this country we have good Progressives so we should not offend and disrespect them with hateful comments.

[realmirage]

8. Thank you for this, glad I'm not alone

[Kathy M]

9. Thank You for posting

[lapfog_1]

10. Because I'm a smart person

sorry, the factories may come back (once Trump kills off the EPA), but those jobs won't.

It will take a decade or more for this to happen... in the mean time, the factories and the jobs stay in China or Mexico or wherever... with the cheap labor and lack of environmental protection.

Trump (and congress) can institute tariffs on imported goods, driving the cost up for almost everything here by 10 or 20 percent... hurting the very people that voted for him.

Eventually the markets will work, factories here will open again to make non-tariff goods for less money... but the jobs will not return. Robotic manufacturing is poised to take over from humans in a massive way, the only thing preventing this right now is that there are people willing to do the manufacturing for a few dollars a day... something American workers will not be able to do because they can't live on a few dollars a day.

[TheFrenchRazor]

15. well, when they do come back, you need not apply. thanks for nothing. nt

[lapfog_1]

16. Don't worry about me, I have a nice job

but instead of trying to attack me, propose a solution to the coming automation of everything which is repeatable and more or less mechanical.

Truck driving and factory jobs are going away. I don't have a solution for what to have people who had those jobs to do in the future. A real job that pays real wages.

I've been giving it a lot of thought because unless democrats go out and lie their asses off about "bringing back the factories" like Drumpf did... they need a message of hope.

So far, education and information technology jobs are NOT the answer.

[TheFrenchRazor]

14. sadly, it's true. you have to believe that change is possible before you even try, nt

[zenabby]

17. This is absolutely not true.

The exact same jobs are not coming back, but different jobs can come back. The mining jobs are not coming back. That's what HRC tried to say inartfully. She said "We're going to be putting a lot of miners out of work, so we need to train them and have energy jobs" - but as usual most democrats didn't hear her, and repubs only heard "We're going to be putting a lot of miners out of work". HRC absolutely had a great plan for this. Technology has changed. If you are in your 50s or 60s in a manufacturing or manual job that is past it's time, it is a tough time for you, and neither Bernie nor Trump have any ideas for it.