DECLINE OF THE WHITE COLLAR CLASS

A discussion ("Race to the Bottom") of what is happening to the middle class in the declining U.S. economy. Globalization is leading to a drop in the standard of living because of competition with lower wages paid to produce goods in the developing world and China.

Blue collar workers have been getting the shaft since 1973; white collar workers are starting to get the same treatment now. Two of the same forces that drove down blue collar wages are starting to hit professionals: competition from overseas and the use of technology to raise productivity so that fewer workers are needed to do the same amount of work. The US manufacturing sector has actually grown since 1973, producing more even as it has shed workers. There is no reason why the same thing can’t happen to lawyers, middle managers, government bureaucrats and many more white collar workers as computers get smarter and firms start outsourcing professional work overseas.

Tens of millions of Americans aren’t just reading about American decline; they are living American decline.

The educational system is also going to change in ways the unions and the guilds can’t imagine — and will fight to the death. Going forward, students need to be evaluated and credentialed on the basis of what they know, not on the basis of time served.