In Honour of Skilled Blue Collar Workers

The narrative of the "Progressive" Democrat Party in America appears to be that everyone should get a 4+ year degree at a college or university. They won't offer any qualifiers beyond that because, after all, that would be "judging". So, if a young person were to borrow $40,000 or $80,000 to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in sociology or anthropology or queer studies or women's studies, that's considered to be an "intelligent" choice by the intellectuals of the DNC. It doesn't seem to bother them that such graduates often end up working as baristas at Starbucks. A noble job, to be sure, especially amongst the caffeine challenged citizenry but one wonders if the same people wouldn't have been qualified for these positions prior to racking up such enormous debts?

Enter Mike Rowe. 4 years ago he wrote an open letter to Barack Obama about encouraging young people to open their eyes to the possibility of pursuing careers as skilled tradespeople. Skilled labourers endure much more physically demanding work than any white collar worker will ever experience but their contributions are absolutely necessary for every society to function. And they pay well.

Often, very well.

Obama ignored him.

Now Rowe is trying again. He has sent a similar letter to Mitt Romney. And surprise, surprise, Romney read it. Let's hope he acts on it if he's elected president.

h/t Lance

P.S. Mike Rowe and Adam Carolla discuss the value & importance of hard work:



Posted by Robert at 1:13 PM| Comments (3)

small dead animals: In Honour of Skilled Blue Collar Workers

I've been going down this road for years. As a matter of fact I have made the same observation on this board about there being too high a premium placed on College and University by society as compared to the trades. How we are shooting ourselves in the foot by NOT promoting the trades. We don't have enough tradesmen now, and it is only going to get worse as more and more baby boomers retire.

Yep. Too many people sitting in cubicles, 'working from home' (whatever that sh!t is), and holding meetings. The impression that the trades are 'hard' (ewww) work, low caste work or for the Fred Flintstones or what have you is gonna bite the future right in it's lazy elite ***.

I have loads of respect for the contractors that come into our shop every day. Some not treated like they are in the (let's say) the U.K. but all the same, professionals.

But trades are so common.

The importance and desirability of trades was untaught in schools beginning in the early seventies we were all to be swept along on the magical information highway and then we were to become a global village and then we could outsource the hands on labour and we would all service each other over the counters and the phones. A civilization without trades people dosn't exist. We might wonder about what it's done to culture as well.

I'm sure you are being facetious, but, explain and expand on this please.