Unemployment rate for over 25 year old college grads is approx. 4.5 %

[old mark]

less than half the overall jobless rate... But experts say "full employment" would be at 2-3 %...

Link: http://www.nebhe.org/2010/08/12/does-a-4-5-unemployment-rate-among-college-grads-constitute-%E2%80%9Cfull-employment%E2%80%9D/

This period is a disaster for older, semi skilled and unskilled non-degreed workers, and may never really resolve itself.
Some employers claim they won't hire for years to come, many older workers will never work again, finish their lives in poverty.
I know this is not news to many here, but this is the time the GOP wants to cut or eliminate ALL benefits to workers and the potential for them to create a new permanent class of hopeless poor people is staring us in the face.

We MUST win in November, despite the millions spent on lies and attacks by the Right, the COC, GOP, Rove, etc.
We MUST win.

mark

[jaxx]

1. It's a scary time for the older workers.

As Gov. Rendell said on Sunday:

"Vote like your life depends on it — because, you know, it just might."

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/123555-gov-rendell-vote-like-your-life-depends-on-it-

[independent_voter]

2. Globalism/Free Trade is a 20 year attack on the middle and working class

and it may be necessary, but it is not sufficient for democrats to win

democrats have to get off their tacit approval of 'free trade' which has undermined every American worker in every field

i went into tech years ago. not because it was fun or easy, not because it made the biggest money. but because in exchange i would have job security

but that hasnt been the case - H-1b visa and outsourcing have been a conspiracy in congress to destroy what i (and all other American tech workers) worked for in favor or multinational corporations and India

and every other American worker has been a secondary victim via economic displacement. meaning, that if the tech field is strong, more Americans go into it, leaving fewer workers competing for the other positions. the reverse is also true - when americans train their foreign replacement and are fired, they dont just shoot themselves (although a few have), they go out and find anything else in another field, a downward pressure on those wages

and according to princton economist and former fed reserve board member alan blinder, this labor model can outsource a bulk of all white collar work, 30-40 million jobs. anyone familiar with the h-1b outsourcing process knows it's common sense, it's a labor model, not a tech model, tech was just the ginuea pig

Every president since Bush Sr has been on board with free trade. And ever since the passing of NAFTA, WTO, MFN-China, H-1b visas, etc it's taken bubbles, ultra low interest rates and masive deficit spending/stimulus to keep the economy barely limping along

again, it may be best that democrats win, but if they dont change their tacit approval of free trade it really wont make much difference

[old mark]

4. I agree that if the Democrats win there are no guarantees, but it the GOP wins...

look at New Jersey's current governor and how he is systematically destroying organized labor and the middle class in general, and project that to the entire country...To me, this is a definite case of the republicans being so much worse that there is NO REAL CHOICE AT ALL.

FWIW, I was a factory planning draftsman/designer for about 15 years. The last long term job I had was designing a clean room to make IC chips. It was THE most efficient such room in the world at the time. When it was done and de-bugged. it was packed up and sent to Singapore, and within 3 years the facility that designed and made it in the US was closed. The company I worked for then is no longer in business...I never got more than 6 month's work in that field.I went to college in my mid 40's to be a social worker. Lower pay, bad conditions, steady work and finally a small pension.

I know exactly what you are saying.

mark

[independent_voter]

3. Link - America's 3rd world economy

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9293498&mesg_id=9293498

[TBF]

5. I agree on cultural issues, have no desire for the religious right to take over schools -

especially since they are fighting charter schools now as well... but we've got to see this party do better on economic issues. Everything you write is true - I don't see these economic problems being solved easily - but we've got to put pressure on our democratic congress people as well. Right now people are being left in the dust as they continue to over-feed the military ...

[independent_voter]

7. the ruling class doesnt give 2 hoots about social issues

the care about 2 things, and 2 things only - money and power

everything else they divide up between the 2 parties to fight out like professinal wrestlers

that;s why the 2 parties are cusiously simialr in economic issues, but always focus on sociel issues

[old mark]

8. Bush's unfunded wars put everyone's future in jeopardy. He should be in prison.

There seems to be no end in sight to the damage the Right wants to cause us all...I know people have their reasons to be down on the Democratic Party-they have moveed far to the right, but look at what the opposition - or in truth the enemy - is saying about their intentions for the direction of OUR country.

I will go with the "moderate" Democrats every time rather than give an inch to the crazy right and their corporate financiers. This is a real fight, Obama is certainly right about that, and we can't let them take control.

mark

[WingDinger]

6. Thus, the fuck you I got MINEitis.