Whatever Happened To Wartime Prosperity?
Those who are out to discredit Franklin Roosevelt and progressive government always remark that it wasn’t the New Deal that pulled America out of the Great Depression, but rather World War II. The people who espouse this platitude do so because it gives them an opportunity to criticize liberalism AND endorse war.
In the story All My Sons by Arthur Miller, Chris, a World War II veteran remarks about the guilt that he has about post-war prosperity. He somehow feels that his newfound wealth, his new car, his new appliances, and even his new woman came out of the tragedy of World War II. He said that there was blood on all of it. He felt that all there was to enjoy out of the war was somehow loot born out of death and destruction.
But where is the wartime prosperity today? We have blood on our hands but nothing in our pockets. You would think that Bush’s vision of perpetual global war would mean perpetual American prosperity, but this is not the case. Those who have been lucky enough to keep their jobs see their wages are in decline, especially against an alarmingly rapid rate of inflation. Four dollar a gallon gas hurts not only those who commute regularly, but it also hurts anyone who buys food or anything else at the store that is shipped by truck, rail, or air. It costs more to ship produce, dairy and meat; so the cost is of the shipping is passed along to the consumer at the checkout lane; it’s a phenomenon called cost-push Inflation.
At onetime there was a widely held belief that under Republican governance you would have competent stewardship over foreign affairs, even if you had to put up with economic mismanagement, legislative proselytizing, and garish jingoism. There is no longer any reason to subscribe to the illusion that there is a positive trade-off under GOP rule; because today the middle class and the truly destitute endure a gradual genocide of negligence as America loses two foreign wars. Still, there will be people who insist, as Barack Obama says, “that John McCain serve-out George Bush’s third term”.
The reason I’m thinking about this is because this weekend I am visiting my hometown of Muskegon, MI. Muskegon is along the coast of Lake Michigan, and it has great beaches and woodlands. Trough it runs two major highways, a river, and railroad. It even has an airport. It has much of the same things as many of America’s great cities, but somehow this town has not only failed to leap ahead but it has fallen behind.
Like so much of the Midwest it is still an aging Rustbelt town. Its local economy is dominated by industrial parks that feed the tragically faltering auto-industry. The only other work available is seasonal employment in the tourism industry, which is basically low paying jobs at campgrounds, amusement parks, and resort restaurants. And the tourism industry of course takes a major hit as it becomes more expensive to travel. There are no opportunities for an educated person here, despite it’s clear geographic advantage.
Whenever I travel any distance, I try to take my meals at a place that is unique, at a place I can’t get anywhere else. It irks me that anyone would go to McDonald’s when traveling to L.A. given the availability of In-And-Out and endless other opportunities. On this particular visit, I decided to visit Mr. Quick’s because it’s not something I can get in East Lansing. In fact, I started writing this while sitting in line at the drive-through.
Allright, I got my cheeseburgers. Let me explain Mr. Quick’s to you. It is an exclusively Muskegon franchise. It’s a burger joint, and I can’t really say that any that stuff is better than McDonald’s, it’s certainly less processed-tasting. They have four locations, but they used to have more. It has somehow managed to not go under, possibly because it is a popular location for the elderly because of its senior discounts. There are often old folks in there before 11am ordering Biscuits and Gravy and full breakfasts including fried eggs, the quality of which I can’t remark upon because I haven’t tried it. They do have a quality Pork BBQ sandwich that’s on special every Wednesday; I used to pick one up now and then on my way to my third-shift as a security guard at Michigan Adventure.
But what I really go to Mr. Quick’s for is the infamous Bargain Bundle. No one who values their own life would order the Bargain Bundle more than once every year or two. The Bargain Bundle is five cheeseburgers and a quarter-pound of fries that in the mid-nineties cost less than five dollars. I went though the line today and I paid about 7.50 for the same deal. I suppose that isn’t a bad deal in era of $4.00 a gallon gas.
Mr. Quick’s though has a reputation for being skuzzy. While a student at Fruitport Middle School, I was exposed to a popular rumor that Mr. Quick’s used road kill to make its burgers. I was always in disbelief about this rumor chiefly because I figured that the burgers would be bigger. My disbelief was the product of my own youthful innocence and a less cynical time. If I were a pre-teen during the Gee-Dubya Bush Administration, I would have easily believed that there were assholes out there that would not only serve you road kill, but that they would also undersell road kill. I don’t know if I am less skeptical or if I am more cynical today, but as a seventh grader, I would never have believed that anyone would both poison you and rob you at the same time. These days, I don’t write it off.
I ate the burgers hours ago, and I report that I am slowed down and nauseous but I am still alive.
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groupthink
May 13, 2008 at 12:31 PM
The lack of wartime prosperity is the result of changes in the American business and labor environments. In the 30's, this country's economy was based heavily on manufacturing. World War II gave all of the idling factories an abundance of work, which not only gave the unemployed jobs, but even put women who weren't seeking jobs to work, creating dual household incomes in many cases. Nowadays, manufacturing has been outsourced and our economy has shifted toward services. Even still, services needed in wartime efforts are also being outsourced in an attempt to save money. Furthermore, many internal functions within the military have also been privatized and outsourced, which hinders American prosperity in various ways. It used to be that many of our soldiers would learn one of the many skilled trades any military needs to function but is also applicable to a civilian labor market. Then, when they returned home they had a marketable skill where before the war they were often short on economic opportunity. Now, all of those jobs are handled by outsiders and the only thing our soldiers learn is how to fight. America's economic gains during wartime are a thing of the past due to wartime privatization and outsourcing, regardless of the war itself. If World War II were fought today, wartime prosperity would not occur. The economic consequences would be much like the war in Iraq, only adjusted for the different costs involved with each. It has been said that future wars won't be waged militarily because the economic consequences will be too great as a result of globalization. As a result, future wars will be waged using economic tools as weapons.