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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Mort,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Are we talking about the same video ?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The one I am referring to " When Capitalism Hits the Fan
", has Prof. Richard Wolf presenting data that shows the simaltaneous rise
in productivity and the decline in real wages, which translated of course into
exponentialy larger profits from the 1970's to the present, that has no parallel
going back to the 1840's.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>He then of course discusses how there in was the problem
for capitalists in where to invest all of their new profits and satisfy the
demands of workers for more disposable income, who were working more and more
hours ( 20 % or more than most Europeans ) and earning less money.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The sollution for the capitalists was to LEND the Workers
money via home equity loans and increased credit card
debt.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Later he tells the story about how many Tech people (
WORKERS ) from various Tech corporations formed their own Tech
companies during the 1990's.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>He mentioned that the Business press called them
entrepenuers, but what were they really ?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Worker owned cooperatives !</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The terminology used and the spin of the story by the
corporate media can make all the difference in how people perceive
reality.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Who really is a Worker ?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Anyone who is an employee ( rather you call them an "
independent contractor " or not ), someone who was a Worker and is
currently retired or on disability, Students, Housewives, and I would even
say that small business people who have NO employess are also
Workers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Even most M.D. Physicians are Workers now, since the
vast majority work for hospitals and clinics instead of what was more
typical in the past where most Doctors had their own private
practice.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>That would be about 90 % of the population.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Yet again, the corporate media are masters at trying to
divide us by NEVER using the term " Working Class " , but instead
: " I am a Professional, I am a Business Person, I am a Manager, I am a
self-employed contractor, and if all else fails... " I am Middle
Class.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>David Johnson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=brussel@illinois.edu href="mailto:brussel@illinois.edu">Morton K.
Brussel</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=dlj725@hughes.net
href="mailto:dlj725@hughes.net">David Johnson</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A
title=peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net
href="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net">Peace-discuss List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, December 14, 2010 12:06
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Peace-discuss] Commentary
submitted to N-G</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Yes, David, an interesting and entertaining video and talk by
Wolff. Some things Wolff says need to be questioned or elaborated ,
(e.g., on Yale and New Haven which I know something about); he
exaggerates somewhat, but his message is usefully grim, not only for us, but
also for other nations, in particular China (and the UK!), which he says are
in a terrible predicament—exports have dried up in China, he says—. The
ultimate message: We need a new and better economic system.
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>He didn't delineate the "working classes" in any detail in what I heard.
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>--Mort</DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Dec 13, 2010, at 4:24 PM, David Johnson wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">
<DIV
style="WORD-WRAP: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space"
bgcolor="#ffffff">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Mort,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Check out the video presentation by Prof. Richard Wolf
titled " When Capitalism Hits the Fan ".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>He does an excellent job of presenting the data ( and
in a humorous entertaining manner at times ) that explains the
phenomena we currently are in and delves into some of the issues of "
who is a Worker ". That is, how the corporate media uses
specific terms and language to divide us and to shape a
phoney image of reality that they want us to believe.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>David J.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>David J.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=brussel@illinois.edu href="mailto:brussel@illinois.edu">Morton K.
Brussel</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=jencart13@yahoo.com
href="mailto:jencart13@yahoo.com">Jenifer Cartwright</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A
title=peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net
href="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net">Peace Discuss</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, December 13, 2010 2:25
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Peace-discuss]
Commentary submitted to N-G</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Even managers and executives of businesses and corporations
"work". I think what David was referring to is what has been known as the
"proletariat", those at the lowest ends of the wage scale, especially
industrial workers, those that expend human energy with their hands rather
more than with their minds or at computer terminals. Most in the
categories you mention would not consider themselves "workers" in the
Marxist sense. (That may be part of our social problem.) But my
original point was that it was somewhat simplistic to say that the
increase in efficiency in the post WWII years was to be credited mostly to
the "workers" in the more narrow sense. --mkb
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Dec 13, 2010, at 1:48 PM, Jenifer Cartwright wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>Just a side issue related to the discussion:
<DIV>Scientists, engineers, researchers, teachers, machinists,
grad students, academicians, assembly line folks, cooks, doctors,
lawyers, wait staff, innovators, artists, actors, maintenance
staff, cinematographers, pro-ball players, social workers, miners
etc etc etc all are <I>workers</I>, i e part of labor, rather than
management. Yr differentiation should be the hierarchy and systems
under which they work, and the protections and benefits they have
as workers, not the snobbery attached to their job title.
Jmho.</DIV>
<DIV> --Jenifer <BR><BR>--- On <B>Mon, 12/13/10, David
Green <I><<A
href="mailto:davegreen84@yahoo.com">davegreen84@yahoo.com</A>></I></B>
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid"><BR>From:
David Green <<A
href="mailto:davegreen84@yahoo.com">davegreen84@yahoo.com</A>><BR>Subject:
Re: [Peace-discuss] Commentary submitted to N-G<BR>To: "Morton
K. Brussel" <<A
href="mailto:brussel@illinois.edu">brussel@illinois.edu</A>><BR>Cc:
"Peace Discuss" <<A
href="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net">peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net</A>><BR>Date:
Monday, December 13, 2010, 8:55 AM<BR><BR>
<DIV id=yiv1854209885>
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<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<DIV>I do understand the point of your remarks, Mort. It's a
question of how much more the scientists, engineers, etc. should
benefit from the profits from productivity increases generated
by their work, relative to workers. But it's not clear that the
innovators themselves even benefit that much in the context of
the marketing of these innovations, relative to the Bill Gates's
of the world, etc. It's not clear how much innovators should be
entitled to profit when their work is being funded by the
public, and those profits couldn't exist without a
publicly-supported infrastructure (including education) that
operates on so many levels. It's not clear that innovators
profiting considerably more than workers is socially just, or
good for society in general. In the final analysis, we have an
innovative system within which financiers profit the most. Do
they deserve it? It seems to me that we should err on the side
of social justice and relative equality rather than
individual reward. If innovators aren't happy with a decent,
well-above average living rather than exorbitant rewards,
then let them withhold their genius from mankind and work on
Rube Goldberg machines. Mankind will be better off with a little
less innovation by people of this sort, and a lot more
equality.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>DG<BR></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif"><BR>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif"><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>
<HR SIZE=1>
<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Morton K.
Brussel <<A
href="mailto:brussel@illinois.edu">brussel@illinois.edu</A>><BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> David Green <<A
href="mailto:davegreen84@yahoo.com">davegreen84@yahoo.com</A>><BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Cc:</SPAN></B> Peace Discuss <<A
href="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net">peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net</A>><BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Sun, December 12,
2010 11:10:11 PM<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re:
[Peace-discuss] Commentary submitted to N-G<BR></FONT><BR>Yeah,
and that system was better (for the people!) than what succeeded
it. But you are grossly missing the point of my original
remarks. --mkb
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Dec 12, 2010, at 7:26 PM, David Green wrote:</DIV><BR
class=yiv1854209885Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-style-span
style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: medium Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; WIDOWS: 2; ORPHANS: 2">
<DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: times, serif">
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">You mean, the Bell Telephone that was
accorded by regulatory authorities to serve as a monopoly on
behalf of the government, and ostensibly the people?</DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: times, serif"><BR>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: times, serif"><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>
<HR SIZE=1>
<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>Morton
K. Brussel <<A
href="x-msg://2083/mc/compose?to=brussel@illinois.edu"
target=_blank rel=nofollow
ymailto="mailto:brussel@illinois.edu">brussel@illinois.edu</A>><BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>David
Johnson <<A
href="x-msg://2083/mc/compose?to=dlj725@hughes.net"
target=_blank rel=nofollow
ymailto="mailto:dlj725@hughes.net"><FONT
color=red><B>MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt
from "x-msg:" claiming to be</B></FONT>
dlj725@hughes.net</A>><BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Cc:</SPAN></B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>David
Green <<A
href="x-msg://2083/mc/compose?to=davegreen84@yahoo.com"
target=_blank rel=nofollow
ymailto="mailto:davegreen84@yahoo.com"><FONT
color=red><B>MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt
from "x-msg:" claiming to be</B></FONT>
davegreen84@yahoo.com</A>><BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>Sun,
December 12, 2010 6:34:08 PM<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>Re:
[Peace-discuss] Commentary submitted to
N-G<BR></FONT><BR>Davids,
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">Thanks for your remarks, certainly
true, but the invention then had to be brought to the
marketplace. That's where the entrepreneurs, Bell Telephone,
and others (especially in the computing sector) saw its
technological evolution. </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">--Mort</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><BR>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">On Dec 12, 2010, at 4:39 PM, David
Johnson wrote:</DIV><BR
class=yiv1854209885Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-style-span
style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: medium Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; WIDOWS: 2; ORPHANS: 2">
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px; WORD-WRAP: break-word">
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>" Entrepreneurs had a fairly
large contribution here, i.e., the capitalist
system."</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Mort,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Three
Physists ( Bardeen, Shockley, and Brattain ) who WORKED for
Bell Laboratory ( ie. EMPLOYEES aka WORKERS ) invented the
transistor in 1947.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT face=Arial size=2>The
capitalist system had nothing to do with the invention
except to enable Bell Labs reap the vast majority of
the profits.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT face=Arial size=2>David
J.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(0,0,0) 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original
Message -----</DIV>
<DIV
style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(228,228,228)"><B>From:</B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
title=brussel@illinois.edu
href="x-msg://2083/mc/compose?to=brussel@illinois.edu"
target=_blank rel=nofollow
ymailto="mailto:brussel@illinois.edu">Morton K.
Brussel</A></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
title=davegreen84@yahoo.com
href="x-msg://2083/mc/compose?to=davegreen84@yahoo.com"
target=_blank rel=nofollow
ymailto="mailto:davegreen84@yahoo.com">David
Green</A></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
title=peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net
href="x-msg://2083/mc/compose?to=peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net"
target=_blank rel=nofollow
ymailto="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net">Peace
Discuss</A></DIV>
<DIV
style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>Sunday,
December 12, 2010 4:02 PM</DIV>
<DIV
style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>Re:
[Peace-discuss] Commentary submitted to N-G</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><BR></DIV>Valuable observations
and facts. I would only quibble with one argument: The
gain in productivity (during the years quoted) was
probably less due to the work and sweat of the
nonprofessional "workers" than to the<SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>invention
of the transistor and its subsequent technology. The
question/argument than might become who should get the
benefits from the increased productivity.
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">Of course, without the workers,
professional and other, the gains in productivity would
not have been realizable…. Take it from there…</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><BR>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">--mkb</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">On Dec 12, 2010, at 1:07 PM,
David Green wrote:</DIV><BR
class=yiv1854209885Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-style-span
style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: medium Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; WIDOWS: 2; ORPHANS: 2">
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-FAMILY: times, serif">
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT
face=Calibri><B>Misguided critics of public schools
ignore fundamental economic realities</B></FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>David
Green</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>It is
conventional wisdom that good schools are essential to a
healthy economy. It is true that schools are responsible
for the basic literacy, skills, and educability of those
entering the workforce. It does not follow, however,
that schools are to blame for the dismal economic
outlook for many Americans.</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT
face=Calibri>Misguided perspectives on the relationship
between economy and education lead critics to focus on
daily activities and outcomes of teachers, parents, and
students. These critics avoid the fundamental nature of
growing economic inequality and its evolution over the
past three decades. Their criticism is not only
profoundly misguided, but part of the problem. They are
in denial regarding the class-stratified nature of an
American economy that has victimized working people and
their children in a systematic and structural
manner.</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>The
facts are clear, and their implications easily
discerned. These facts address the long-term
relationship between worker productivity and wages; the
transition from a manufacturing to a service economy;
and the sources of recessions and high rates of
unemployment. Given the basic existence of universal and
functional public schooling, none of these trends has
been determined by the relative merits of schools,
teachers, students, or parents, whatever their specific
achievements. These trends have been completely
determined by the corporate, financial, political, and
ideological powers that be.</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>The Pew
Charitable Trusts’<SPAN> <SPAN
class=yiv1854209885Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></SPAN>“Economic
Mobility Project,” available online, clarifies the
evolving relationship between productivity and wages.
Since 1945, the American worker has increased
productivity by at least 2% per year, consistently
throughout. This means that efficiency—output per
person-hour in the production and provision of goods and
services—has doubled twice during this 65-year period,
both before and after the advent of computers and a
high-tech-based economy.</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>This
historical and structural increase in productivity—and
hence both national and per capita wealth—has depended
on innovation, skill, and effort by scientists,
technicians, managers, business owners, and workers.
About no sector of the workforce can it be said that its
employees, from “top” to “bottom,” have not
significantly contributed to these increases by the
quality of their minds or the sweat of their brows.
Similarly, it is inconceivable that the quality of our
schools has been an impediment rather than an asset to
these increases, ongoing, which are typical for all
countries in the industrialized world.</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>From
1945 to the mid-1970s, the median (adjusted for
inflation) wage for the American worker increased
commensurate with productivity—that is, doubling during
that period. Between 1974 and 2004, while productivity
increased by 80%, the median wage increased by 20%. From
2000 to 2005, productivity increased by 15%, while the
median wage fell 2%; obviously that trend continues to
this day, and worsens.</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>All of
these facts clearly indicate that while the country gets
richer, the median, “middle class” worker becomes
stagnant or gets poorer; all of the increases in wealth
that are generated by the labor of all workers accrue to
the benefit of the upper quintile of the population; the
largest share going to the upper 1%. Again, none of
this, in any critic’s wildest imagination, can be
attributed to the failures of schools to educate our
children, whatever the debatable extent of such alleged
failures.</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>This
well-documented appropriation of wealth has nothing
fundamentally to do with computer technology per se, but
with policies promoted by elites during the transition
from a manufacturing to a service economy. These
policies determined that private-sector unions would be
effectively destroyed, and that non-“professional”
workers (that is, those not protected by their
credentials from foreign competition) would be placed
into competition with low-wage foreign (and immigrant)
workers. These efforts, most identified with the Reagan
era but supported by all administrations since Carter,
were well under way before the digital transformation,
although they have subsequently been abetted by this
phenomenon.</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>While
American workers have adapted to technological change,
their organizational and political capacities to
materially benefit from their labor have not adapted to
the onslaught of neoliberal, “free market” (referred to
locally as “capitalism and limited government”) ideology
and practice among those who rule our country for their
own benefit—especially those in financial, speculative
sectors. This leaves workers vulnerable not only to the
chronic appropriation of their wealth, but to the acute
misery caused by speculative bubbles generated by
financiers that result in the massive disappearance of
housing wealth, increased unemployment, Wall Street
bailouts and profits, huge federal deficits, and cynical
attacks on the social safety net.</FONT></P>
<P class=yiv1854209885MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>In this
light, it is perverse for public school critics to focus
on the “accountability” of teachers and the “personal
responsibility” of students. Many parents and children
are rightly aware of the dire nature of their economic
circumstances and future prospects—whatever their
efforts and skills—in an economy with high unemployment
and the most extreme inequality among the developed
nations. In relation to the poorest among us, such
criticism borders on cruelty on the part of the
comfortable.</FONT></P>
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