It was a question that my grandfather used to ask when the discussion in the 70's came around to student loans and the "right" for every child to go to college, or unions or well any job related discussion.
Who will dig the ditches? If everyone goes to college, and we lower the educational standards to make sure everyone can go to college. Who will be happy digging the ditches? You can not make that man feel as if he is less important than the man who went to college, or he will not dig the ditches anymore.
I did not understand his point for a long time, after all His father was a doctor, he an engineer. College was good for the men, women, well it was the 70's.
My Point? Well I think that today in the 2010's we lost that value. We lost the ability to respect the men and women who dig the ditches. Or build the cars, make the steel, sew the garments and other non educated career paths, like electrician, plumber etc. Why do I think this?
Well, when the Bank of America stole trillions form the taxpayer, did we run out, take out our money and close them down? No but we did that to General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. And we used a marketing campaign brought by the Japanese manufacturers of lower quality, as the reason why we did it. Telling the Auto Worker, YOUR work is not good enough. Or Each time we ship another set of jobs overseas, Like Pratt Whitney is doing right now.
Did the demise of the Auto industry hurt us the American Taxpayer as badly as the closing of the BOA would? I think them about equal, Actually the Auto industry probably has more jobs than the BOA, with better pay, benefits and union representation.
Pratt Executives A "No Show" At Legislative Hearing While Union Members Make A Presidential Plea
Parent testified how members at the Cheshire facility were shocked to first hear the news because they were still cleaning up after cake and soft drink parties given by management to thank them for a record month in revenues--$110 million in June of 2009. Parent, who has also been privy to negotiations, also told State Lawmakers that Pratt & Whitney plans to send repair work for military engines---including the F117 engine for the C-17 Military Cargo plane, oversea to Japan and Singapore. He called on President Barack Obama to issue an executive order to stop it citing it could jeopardize national security.
A Really big Slap in the face that says YOU are not worth it, no matter how much money you make me, someone overseas is promising me more.
And once again, there is a union. that word that went in the 70's Eco 101 from a body of organized workers designed to protect the workers rights. In the 80's Eco Classes, moved to villains of bloated beaurocrats protecting bloated Auto Workers. Amazing what one President can do to change even the Democrats minds on Unionization.
My Grandfather's point was that all workers on all levels need to know they are valuable, that each of us plays a role in the making or breaking of our country.
The nonsense being spewed at us about economic recoveries, well we all know it not to be true in our hearts. But we fell for marketing BS before, will we fall for it again?
If we do not create jobs, on all levels, not just the college degree level positions, we will not recover.
We need everyone back to work, at a living wage. Something else I hardly ever hear about, but the real question is....
Who Will Dig the Ditches?