The Effects of Economic Globalization on the U.S Workforce

Will world globalization of our economy mean the end to the American Middle Class? When you speak of globalization most economists think of using world resources to benefit the world population and moving jobs to the most skilled workers therefore reducing waste. Like most great ideas in theory it is a wonderful world but put into real world practice it can have devastating affects on the world workforce and our own workforce. Americans have long held one of the highest standards of living of any other country in the world because their workforce enjoys protections from employer abuse and low wages. People in our country live in middle class homes, drive nice cars, and provide a safe environment for their children to thrive in while earning higher wages then most other countries. Businesses in this country are expected to meet demands for safety, basic wages and environmental protections.

In other foreign countries these basic rules do not prevail. Child labor is used preventing children from ever having a hope for a basic education. Public education does not exist and most children start work at an early age. Families live in slums with little food and not protection from the elements of nature. Life can and is often cruel and short for these workers. The workforce is more then willing to work for small amounts of income and work long hours without standing up for their human rights for a fear of lose of the little income they might be able to bring into their lives and slums.

The Bush Administration is now pointing to the American Auto workers who have already given up their middle class standard of living in order to acquire jobs at foreign run auto manufacturing companies in this country. The Administration would like American Auto workers working at American run companies to give up the wages and benefits that have enabled them to become middle class in order to keep their jobs. The result will clearly be a lowered standard of living for these auto workers and their families. The end result of this type of policy is to destroy the American Middle Class leaving only the very rich and the very economically distressed classes of people in this country.

It was from the economically distressed class of working people in this country that the middle class arose during the early nineteen hundreds. People died in union fights with corporate owners in order to give their children a better life. The history of the rise of unions in this country is not taught in schools and when we forget our history then we as a people are often required to repeat the lessons learned for the past.

The Bush Administration would love nothing more then to reduce the requirements for guest workers in this country to further damage the life style of the American Middle Class. For wealthy corporate owners nothing would increase their bottom line more then to reduce the cost of labor. Corporate America has never felt the need to be fair with the American workforce but now more then every in our country’s history they are providing huge benefits to the corporate elite while demanding a lower standard of living from the working middle class. You do have to wonder how the failing Republican Party could have become so out of touch with the American working class in this country.