America has been changed. It has been transformed and many middle aged workers have found out they are no longer wanted or needed. Some of this has to do with the advance of technology—most has to do with corporations no longer able to afford experienced workers. Literally we have middle aged worker training their replacements. Will the November 2022 election have a revolt of the forgotten man—the worker who is the wrong color, gender, orientation, not progressive enough?
“Poor Mike: He has lost his job and his personal self-worth. He cannot pay his bills. Mike’s wife is talking about divorce.
The story of Mike is not new. Currently, IBM has plans to oust older workers for younger ones. IBM is now being sued by older workers who have lost their IBM jobs.
There are millions of Mikes in America. They have been betrayed by business, government, and policies of diversity.
In the November 2022 election, watch for the Mikes of the world to vote to change who controls America’s government.
By Richard Colman, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 2/16/22
Who, in America, is the forgotten man or woman?
He (or she) may have worked for a firm for 25 or 30 years. He has been a loyal and productive employee.
At his 50th birthday party, his coworkers sang “Happy Birthday.” Moments later, his boss said, “You’re fired.”
The fired employee, let’s call him Mike, is both depressed and outraged. Over the years, Mike has always been on time for work. He even invented a few products that earned his employer millions of dollars. He was never a trouble-maker.
Mike and his wife have two children, both attending good universities. Each child is costing Mike over $100,000 a year to attend a university. The total bill for the two children after completing four years of college will be $800,000 (or more).
At age 50, Mike figures he has 15 more years of work before retiring. His annual salary of $250,000 plus his wife’s salary of $150,000 per year add up to a grand total of $400,000.
That salary total of $400,000 looks very good, especially when the average American worker is earning $60,000 per year.
Of the $400,000, at least half is going for taxes of all kinds: income tax; property tax; sales tax; gasoline tax; and other taxes. The $400,000 is suddenly reduced to $200,000.
Of the remaining $200,000, there are expenses for the home mortgage, car loans, food, health care, utilities, and -– don’t forget –- the money for the children’s college education. All these expenses can add up to $200,000 a year, leaving Mike and his wife with no money left over for retirement planning and a vacation. Mike does not have a company pension.
No wonder Mike is angry and depressed. Mike has even thought of committing suicide.
Mike has joined the ranks of the forgotten man.
Mike may be very upset that his company has replaced him with a younger –- and cheaper -– whiz kid right out of an institution like Stanford Business School. Or Mike’s job went to some foreign country where labor costs are lower.
Drowning in debt and without a job, Mike starts to listen to political candidates like Donald Trump. Mike is perhaps secretly thrilled that thousands of protestors attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Even more distressing for Mike is the movement for diversity, inclusion, and equity (DIE).
Mike is appalled that Lowell High School in San Francisco, has abandoned its policy of admitting only talented students. Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, Lowell granted admissions by lottery, not merit.
Poor Mike: He has lost his job and his personal self-worth. He cannot pay his bills. Mike’s wife is talking about divorce.
The story of Mike is not new. Currently, IBM has plans to oust older workers for younger ones. IBM is now being sued by older workers who have lost their IBM jobs.
There are millions of Mikes in America. They have been betrayed by business, government, and policies of diversity.
In the November 2022 election, watch for the Mikes of the world to vote to change who controls America’s government.
