Work and America

Work and America

By Rick Adamson 9.30.14

© 2014 Rick Adamson

Being an American is about working. To a large degree Americans define who they are by how they make their living. Work provides a sense of purpose and pride and, as a result, American workers are the most productive and most innovative in the world.

Unfortunately, there has developed within society an attitude among some people that professes a citizen, by virtue of being born as one, has a right to an income for life and certain inalienable benefits such as income equality.

The fact is there is no and never has been income equality in the U.S.A., and there never will be in a capitalistic society such as ours. It is all about production (the economic value of the work you do), the more you produce the more you earn. Production is a function of preparation, education/skill development and desire.

Our Constitution, as amended, guarantees us certain rights but those rights have little to do with economics other than the prohibition against discrimination in the work place. It tries to provide a level playing field for all citizens but it does not guarantee an income or that one’s feelings might not get hurt from time to time.

There are those that say the deck is stacked in favor of white folks. Hog wash. Everyone I know has had to struggle to earn their livings and nothing was given them because of their color. There are some exceptions to the struggle like the few people who inherit large sums of money or those who are the member of a wealthy family. These exceptions are few and far between and affect relatively few people of all colors.

Almost every person I know think they should be paid more for what they do for a living. They all gripe about someone who is paid more and about being discriminated against for one reason or another. It is not about race, it is about the human condition. There are a lot of inconsiderate folks out there and no one is immune to being treated badly by them. Some call it racism, but most of the time it is done by bad people who, maybe, are not having a good day.

Inherent income inequality is not a race issue. It is a characteristic of capitalism. Everyone is different and production varies accordingly. Income equality only exists in socialistic or communistic societies. And those societies have low income. So everyone has low income and poor services. Is that supposed to make us feel better?

Note that poor people in the U.S.A. have a higher standard of living then most of the people of the world. Isn't that a good thing?

It is human to want more. The answer to getting more is hard work and effort which results from desire, motivation and determination fostered by encouragement and inspiration (provided by family and community).

It is not to give up because someone else makes more money or has a bigger house or car. It involves work and effort.

Too many of our citizens make bad decisions about their skills and/or education and have the expectation that FedGov will take care of them. Our politicians talk about the importance of education all of the time. It is important but it is not something that can be fixed by throwing more and more money at it, especially from Washington. If a person does not want an education (here I am thinking of the almost 30 percent high school drop out rate) we can not force it on them.

We have a cultural problem!

We have to teach our folks that living in the U.S.A. requires work and that it is their personal responsibility to acquire a skill or an education so that they can take care of themselves and their children. If they make bad decisions about acquiring a skill and/or education then there will be consequences and the rest of us are not obligated to take care of them. The consequences are long hours and low pay- it is each individual’s decision.