The Diane Rehm Show

Once while taking an entry level training course on new data management sofware that my public school was using, the trainer walked over to me to see my progress. After a few minutes, the trainer instructed me to leave because my computer skills were at a higher level then the majority of my classmates. I was 54 at the time and the majority of my fellow professionals who were deemed advanced computer users were over 50. Meanwhile many of my younger coworkers (under 35) were found to have entry level skills. When I relayed the story to my husband (an IT Professional), he said 'of course, you're advanced' but too many women see themselves as less skilled.

There is a great deal of prejudice towards the 'older' worker. It's as if we were asleep during the last thirty years and woke up to find out that there's computers, cell phone, smart phones, etc. Instead of recognizing that we had to adapt to the new technologies in order to do our jobs and on top of it we actually know how to think creatively and critically. As a HR specialist told me, HR departments need to catch up with the latest research on the benefits of hiring and maintaining the older worker. For instance when my children reached young adulthood, I had much more time to devote to my job then when they were younger. It wasn't just actual 'time' buy the mental energy that was no longer divided between my children, parents, and job. I just had to focus on my job and elderly parents. I was wiser as well which transferred to my job. I was able to mentor my younger coworkers. It was sad when my younger bosses discounted my job skills and ignored my suggestions. That hurt the work. The workplace benefits from having a diverse work force including age.

Concerning Social Security, why is it that you hear very little mention of the fact that every time a job is off-shored to a foreign country, that is one less person contributing to Social Security and Medicare?

I hope the world population does goes down. Man is destroying the earth, causing global warming, cutting down forests and taking down other species. When I was in high school in the late 1960's - the U. S. population was 200 million. Now we're over 300 million. Sorry I want less immigration (by a lot - as in none) and smaller birth rates. (go in a Chick-Fillet fast food store and you see kids all over the place).

I want less congested hiways. I want elbow room not living cramped. Just remember the U.S. went to WWII with a population of 140 million. And that was the greatest generation and they did pretty well. If only we could go back to the fifties America - lot's of middle class WASP's.

Well, here's Diane interviewing a man, Ted Fishman, who has no more knowledge or insight than the average person using their common sense. This is not only the selling of a weak-content book, but a purposeful provocation and propagandization. This "author" of "China, Inc." works for the interests of the ruling class. He is a scare-tactic spin-meister.
The SHOCK is the same one described in Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine, and it is the voice of the master telling his underlings an adamant NO.

Diane shows her vulnerability today by being easily led. The United States as a collective is more wealthy as it was when no one worried about Entitlement funding. What has changed is that the distribution of property and wealth with a forced increase in productivity by the working population. Diane faces a pie slicing problem and she is giving the Oligarchy (numerically a tiny minority) the biggest slice (about 80%). The problem with entitlements is that the people who benefit disproportionately from our labor do not provide their fair share of tax money or entitlement premiums. No one is cutting corporate welfare, but they recommend stiffing people who worked faithfully and had their wages docked as an insurance premium. This is a very ugly and monstrous situation that is being ignored as a matter of etiquette, being polite to the rich. Manners are being overplayed today, Diane.

I will deal with global population demographics at a more appropriate time. But today we compare our nation with the world on this program, while we have insisted at other times our situation is exceptional. Being different will not excuse our government or Oligarchy from a long term social contract.

Simpleminded assumptions about age demographics in other nations solves nothing. Consider that miners dig coal in Columbia (not far from Florida) for $2.25 an hour (tops) seven days a week 12-16 hours a day without safety equipment or benefits. That coal makes electricity here but does not reduce residential rates. While American miners (non-union) set the wage parity at $18.00 an hour with minimal benefits, the verticallt integrated energy sector reaps the difference. What the dif ? Columbia is under an American Oligarchy sponsored fascist government where anyone who tries to improve the lot of labor is executed. This "Fishman" is talking as if all laborers enjoy what we have grown used to, and he is endangering our exceptionality. If human rights parity does not become a part of global trade agreements, then Columbian conditions will come here. There will be no refuge in multi-generational living arrangements. We will have shanty camps while decent housing remains vacant. We better "get our French on" before it's too late.

...If only we could go back to the fifties America - lot's of middle class WASP's.

John's comments are reminiscent of a wonderful time for his population. Unfortunately, minorities were not part of the great WASPs’ privileges of the fifties. When you think that minorities were (and are still) hired and earned, for example, a $20,000 less salary than their white counterpart for the same work and education requirements; over just three years, the higher earner had $60,000 more in income to live and invest. Any wonder the disparities in life-time resources and assets.
We are now in a time when more people have access to the same size pie; and the majority population who always had privilege and access are now looking around and see others who do not look like them. Thus we have the observation from John who feels crowed out.

It is tiring to hear the myth that older workers are not computer literate and that is why they are not employable. Age discrimination is dominant in many of our most dynamic industries, e.g. high-tech and finance. The people that are discriminated against often have advanced degrees and have worked in a challenging, demanding environment for 30-35 years. Their problem is that they are more expensive and maybe a year or two out of date than most recent graduates because they have had a job to do and not studying full-time. A commitment to retraining in the private sector could fix this. "Commitment" is the operative word.

They are also less willing to work the 60-70 hours weeks that younger professional workers are, though perfectly willing and able to work more normal 40-50 hour weeks.

The social contract has been broken and we are now a "burn and churn" workplace society, especially for people that have always worked hard. This is an incredible disincentive for people to work hard at education and professionally in the private sector because it is not really a good deal.

I am 54. I associate with many people about my age, and in fact do independent research on these and people a little younger who are thought of at the apex of their abilities and earning power. I have found that as most people age and gain skills they also wise up to the structural violence and inequity in this society. Some curry favor with the wealthy but most get angry and alienated. I suspect many older workers are turned out not only because of higher salary and benefits, but also because they are highly capable in identifying and defending the human rights of themselves and co-workers. my wif is in a theatrical union, and she advises that those with seniority earn it in the role of judge and arbitrator, to the benefit of the overall trade. People can't work at full tilt under duress forever, and the current tactic of planned attrition sacrifices experience and institutional memory. (Memory ain't worth a damn to exploiters.)

wow-censoring thought and truth. would have thought bigger of you Diane.

I have enjoyed the Diane Rehm show and many other shows on NPR for many years although I am a conservative. I like getting the other side of the political spectrum. After what has just happened concerning Juan Williams I shall stop listening to all of NPR including maybe my favorite radio show, "Click & Clack".You receive money from our taxes and you have no right to pursue an agenda that is destructive to my America. Your progressive programing and the extreme "Political Correctness" positions have become too oppressive.