The world and its constituent nations feeds off economic “growth.” Should any nation suffer zero or (heaven forbid) negative “growth,” then there is a wailing and a gnashing of teeth and the prospect of bankruptcy and ruin looms.
When I came to the U.S. in 1967 the country was buzzing with industry. Everything from automobiles to Zenith TVs were made here. The roads were splendid and the bridges safe. The average working man could support a family, a mortgage and a car on his single salary. He could afford an annual vacation and college fees were minimal if not non-existent. And if you made $10 an hour then you were among the wealthiest in the land. Everyone was optimistic and confident.
Now after 50 years of “growth” hardly anything is made in the U.S. The roads are uneven and the bridges unsafe. It takes two salaries to eke out a living and support a family, mortgage and car. Annual vacations are now bi-annual or less and college tuition can only be afforded by the very wealthy. And if you make $15 an hour you’re below the poverty line. Most people now are not confident and are pessimistic.
So where did the “growth” go? This is what has me puzzled. Sure, we now have iPods, iPads, iPhones, the Internet and flatscreen TVs, but those couldn’t have taken up much of the “growth.” I can only presume that it is either virtual (it seems real but it’s an image that has no substance) or it sits in the bank accounts of the large corporations. Whatever it is, it’s not for the majority of citizens. About the only manifestation of “growth” I have observed is in the collective gut and rear end.
Roger Sayer
Mukilteo
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