The working class whites used to have a good income from dangerous, dirty well-paid jobs in industries such as mining, ship-building, car manufacture, oil, steel and components industries. These jobs have largely gone. Automation and globalisation have taken these jobs away. They are either operating in countries where the workforce is paid a great deal less or automation has reduced the need for workers. Bosses have maximised their profits by cutting the wage-bill.
The working men and women not only used to receive a good wage for their hard work but also had the respect of the community who recognised the arduous and dangerous nature of their work. Consequently those working communities had great self-respect.
The world has moved on. Some of these industries are in terminal decline. We no longer need oil, gas and coal with its pollution and global warming. We need renewable energy.
While the new industries require labour a lot of the work is skilled or automated.
The working class has been left high and dry. They are unemployed or doing low-level, poorly paid work, delivering or stacking shelves.
Many white blue-collar workers feel desperate and totally let down by the system. They look for scapegoats and blame immigrants for taking their jobs. They have turned to Brexit and Trump – both running campaigns focussed on cutting immigration with lashings of blatant xenophobia and overt racism – both claiming that these policies will solve the problems and make the country great again. Neither will.
What is needed is an overhaul of the way society works.
Firstly we need to build new industries to replace the old ones. China has seen this. Their renewable energy programme has made them a world leader while the USA, under Trump, is vainly hanging on to old industries and the UK sits on the fence.
Secondly we need to seize the opportunities presented to create a better society. At present huge profits are going into the pockets of fewer and fewer. We need to provide a progressive taxation system so that these profits are share more uniformly. With the taxes gathered we should revitalise our infrastructure, provide quality education, health care and social care. This will provide quality jobs.
The desperate plight of the displaced workers requires urgently addressing before their anger turns to hatred and violence.
I agree. But those that have are just not about to share with those who haven’t. Call it greed, peckin’ order or whatever. Till we can learn we are NOT the center of our own worlds, we will never (as a species) spend much time thinking of “the others.” IMHO 😉
That is why we need a fair progressive tax system and to block up all the tax evasion loopholes. Then they have no choice.
Unfortunately they’re the ones making the rules…
That is true. They buy off the politicians. It’s a corrupt world.
I agree, Opher, but I fear that things will get a lot worse before the voters are ready to elect progressive politicians who can’t be bought to bring in the necessary change. Having said that, I think the protests we’ve seen lately on this side of the pond may be a harbinger of changes to come.
You’re the historian John. I guess with your knowledge you can smell the air. I fear it will get worse too – but I can also feel that sea-change.
Looking back at history is what’s frightening. With every major economic upheaval there has been great suffering among the poor.
And the wealthy somehow always come out wealthier!