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A Peek Into The Future That Didn’t Quite Turn Out Right

Oct 28, 2013
by Caroline Miller
"America's jobless auto recovery", American Scholastic, automation, Derek Thompson
2 Comments

When I was in elementary school, a stack of newspapers used to appear in the classroom every Thursday afternoon. The publication was called American Scholastic. I hated those Thursdays as we were required to read and discuss several of the articles it contained. At 11 years of age, I couldn’t care less about the major export of Finland unless it was Hershey bars.

If I ever learned that country’s major export when I was in school, I’ve forgotten it now. But two articles, predictions really, did stick with me. The first promised “Dinner in 15 Minutes.” No more cooking from scratch, it announced. Moms across the country would be putting hot food on the table before a kid could wash his or her hands. As I was always hungry, I thought the idea was magic, but impossible.

 The second article predicted that growth in automation would eliminate the tedium of the assembly line. The nation’s productivity would increase while the work week would be cut in half. The extra time would allow folks to go fishing or shopping or take up a craft because corporations would share the increased profits with the worker. The idea made sense and I never doubted it would come to pass.

 Well, the frozen food industry did revolutionize the way America eats. Most of my dinners come in a tray, I admit. But the average work week hasn’t decreased as predicted though salaries have, factoring for inflation. Some new jobs have been created. But others have been lost. Take, for example what’s happened in the automobile industry. According to writer Derek Thompson, “The car industry has accounted for 15 to 20 percent of the U.S. economy’s growth in the last five years but only a 2 to 3 percent increase in jobs.” (“America’s jobless auto recovery,” by Derek Thompson, reprint from The Atlantic.com by The Week, 9/20/13 pg. 34) Profits gained from automation haven’t been redistributed either. They’ve been pooled at the top, creating an historic economic disparity between the worker and upper management.

 The American Scholastic is still around, probably still carrying articles about Finland. Maybe if I read one, I’d discover what that grand little country does export. But I’d prefer to dust off the old article about workers sharing the wealth of this country. Why shouldn’t they? They helped create it.

American Scholastic News

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Courtesy of americancholastic.com)

 

 

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2 Comments
  1. Susan Stoner October 28, 2013 at 7:14 am Reply
    I liked those magazines! Given my deplorable taste, my recommendation might not mean anything but, if it does, . . Robert Reich's movie, Inequality for All, really does an interesting, informative and entertaining job of exploring this idea further. One "tower" missing on his bridge, however,is the 1890's Gilded Age depression. [That's a tease--you'll have to see the movie to know what it means.]
    • Caroline Miller October 28, 2013 at 8:10 am Reply
      Regarding Rober Reich, I have his film ordered. Saw his interview on Bill Moyers. Yes, I said Bill Moyers. Guess those Scholastic magazines got to me after all.

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published four novels

  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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