At least 99% of the policy makers in Washington are lawyers. They are of the generation just previous to mine, and are still awed by computers, cell phones, interstate highways, semi nudity on television, men on the moon, and modern multi level rock and roll music. Everything on this website is completely beyond their grasp because they haven’t a clue about what technology is, what it can do, or even what it does. They trust the technical societies to give them guidance in all such matters, blindly signing off on legislation because it’s been approved by this association or lobbied by that society. They cannot even make the connection that these associations and societies are themselves staffed by people from the major Fortune 500 firms that directly lobby such laws – to their face. (These large businesses are the only ones who can afford to give employees the time to participate in society business, go to meetings, and perform other functions on the clock.) Members of Congress think the special interests and industry groups are on opposite sides of the fence, when in fact they are one and the same.
The premier of Red China recently gave a news conference announcing they had to slow down their economy – week old news; then this afternoon the Bush Administration announced it would not address concerns for workers in China submitted by a petition from the AFL-CIO. They said such an investigation, even if it revealed problems, would only lead to economic isolationism – a path the U.S. will not take. Thus, by definition, they will support a lowering of wages in America to compete with the Chinese.
Ultimately, China will peg the worldwide standard for wage earners, bringing every worker in the world down to their level – because nobody anywhere can compete with a billion dirt cheap laborers.
Clearly Bush is nostalgic for his youthful days in China where, as son of the American ambassador, he was a member of the supreme elite in China – miles above even powerful Communist Party members.
Were somebody such as myself to come forward and say all these things to Congress, the very first thing they would do is refer the matter to counsel and tap their consultant and special interest lobby friends for their input. This input would be 150% diametrically opposed to the truth I have here said, and Congress would likely even consider arresting me for contempt. They would instead turn the matter over the FBI or Homeland Security, either one of which would lock me away for life. When they found out my medical history, I would be sent to an institution for the criminally insane and spend the rest of my days behind barbed wire with a bunch of real crazies. Those are the facts, and I should try and be man enough to face up to them.