The Disposable American

 

Impending Third Worldization of America? 

The essential point of The Disposable American is that layoffs, or involuntary separations, have become commonplace as a company strategy to enhance the bottom-line with profound consequences to not only the laid-off employees, but to many other parties, including family, community, and the company itself. Three main “myths” are promulgated concerning layoffs: (1) the flood of layoffs over the last twenty years is not indicative of a foreseeable, long-term trend to instability in employment; (2) laid-off workers have lost value and must correct that through training and education, and failure to do so is confirmation of personal shortcomings; and (3) layoffs are no more than issues of cost savings and wages lost with human concerns being irrelevant. These myths capture the stance that corporations and governmental agencies, employment consultants, and the mainstream media typically take regarding layoffs.But the author rejects those simplistic and convenient myths. He contends that this multi-decade trend of layoffs is a decided break from the employer-employee rapport that existed for the seventy years before the 1970s. Companies are now mostly not restrained by strong unions. Employment-at-will has become the operative policy in lieu of the restrictions found in bargaining agreements that require “just cause” for layoffs. In other words, companies layoff arbitrarily because they can get away with it.The author is especially concerned about the psychological devastation that often accompanies layoffs that is unacknowledged in official statistics. It is not unknown that individuals’ self-esteem is largely tied to their jobs. Yet employers, who at one time regarded themselves as a part of communities, seem ever more willing to force communities and families to be the sole shock absorber for the damage of their actions. The author profiles several people in their attempts to get back on their feet: several aircraft mechanics and a variety of white-collar workers, though many of them did have substantial resources to weather unemployment.There is considerable evidence that layoffs may produce short-term results, generally via increased stock prices. But companies can lose critical skills in layoffs, perhaps not realized, in addition to overburdening remaining employees. Layoff artists can often be gone before the full impact of their gutting becomes evident.

The most cynical myth is that education and training will result in getting better jobs after being laid off. The first problems are identifying viable fields, finding appropriate training, and being financially supported during training periods. However, the vast majority of projected jobs into the 21st century will require little more than a high school diploma. Even though the myth persists, funding for re-training is so miniscule as to be virtually non-existent. It is easier to hold that the unemployed have simply failed to apply themselves than to seriously examine the validity of the existence of jobs for so-called “symbolic analysts.” The reality is that most of those who find work after being laid off are underemployed and paid substantially less.

The author is surely correct to call for communities to band together to slow down corporate layoffs and to require humane and realistic dealings with those laid off. Requiring annual certified reports by corporations detailing involuntary separations would give unwelcome exposure. Among other suggestions: labor law reform, mandatory severance pay, fair trade policies, and retraining options. In addition, the author wants the huge tax hit that states take in bidding for company relocations to be stopped. Obviously, those funds would go a long way in rebuilding infrastructure and easing the pain of unavoidable layoffs.

The book is an even-handed look at the phenomenon of layoffs in the US. The author seems to view the economic culture of the US more benignly than some might. Many view the relatively harmonious thirty years after WWII as an aberration in the generally contentious relations between employers and employees that has existed since the rise of industrialization. Yet layoffs in the context of globalization are new. The author offers his suggestions with little commentary on their feasibility. Giving the current political climate, it really seems quite likely that the situation will become far worse, literally transforming America into a Third World country of have and have-nots.

Best macaroni and cheese!

Los Angeles Times | October 4, 2006

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes | Servings: 12 to 16

Note: Use large shells such as chiocciole or conchiglie, or large elbow macaroni.

Ingredients 

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon melted butter

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup flour

5 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided

3 cups shredded Swiss Gruyère cheese

1 pound shells or elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions in salted water

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the panko bread crumbs with the melted butter on a small baking pan. Toast the bread crumbs until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted, then stir in the flour. Heat and stir until the mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk. Add the dry mustard, white and cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt and bay leaf. Heat and stir to boiling, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove thebay leaf.

3. Stir in 3 cups of the cheddar and all the Gruyère until melted. Pour the sauce over the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, stirring until all of the macaroni is coated. Pour the macaroni into a well-buttered 9-by-13-inch casserole. Drizzle heavy cream around the edges of the casserole. Sprinkle on it the remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese, then the toasted bread crumbs.

4. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes. Put under a preheated broiler for 5 minutes.

Each of 16 servings: 415 calories; 19 grams protein; 28 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 25 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 75 mg. cholesterol; 565 mg. sodium.