You have NAILED it... It's the perversion of the American dream... Only after generations of being indoctrinated into believing they are DESERVING and OWED without putting in the work to obtain the level of success to afford them the luxuries of a hard lived, hard worked life have we come to this...Bart wrote: Add in the fact that semi-skilled workers with high school diplomas thought they were entitled to a suburban house plus a vacation house, a boat and/or other toys, just because they had a union card. You can forgive college graduates who couldn't afford a boat or second home for buying higher quality foreign cars at a lower price and not feeling an ounce of guilt. The UAW and Big Three chose to price themselves out of the market, with predictable results.
The realities of the global economy have finally hit America. A semi-literate man with no job skills is competing against third world workers with similar education and skills, so maybe they should expect to have a similar standard of living. College graduates with liberal arts degrees are a dime a dozen, and they should expect to be paid accordingly, unless they have some special skills or talents that set them apart. Same for many online degrees.
The world is flat. So are opportunities for people who think the universe owes them a living maerely for existing.
As a former Chief Shop Steward I made many people unhappy when it was time to renegotiate the contract. I NEVER said it in the negotiations and fought hard for better job PERKS. BUT, when alone with my union partners I was the voice of reason explaining to my fellow brothers that a job has a pay limit and if they expected more money then go back to school and get more education or certifications to be qualified for a better job with more pay and responsibilities!! There IS a point where you price yourself out of the market and out of a job.