As a child, we sang “America” more frequently than “The Star Spangled Banner,” in school, perhaps because it has fewer words.
My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From ev’ry mountainside
Let freedom ring!
Its plodding, somewhat melancholy melody is also kinder to those of us with a vocal range of one octave.
Even so, those first two words, “My country,” have become a stumbling block for some.
What exactly has become of my country, my job, my life, they say.
And they’re right.
The world is changing.
But they’re wrong to think it can be stopped, or even if it could that it would be for the better.
That’s all well and good unless you’ve lost your job to this so-called “success” called globalization. Advanced technology and communication now has created the ability for industries to do their business anywhere in the world. Five years ago, Iola lost Haldex Brakes to Monterrey, Mexico, precisely because the work could be done more cheaply there.
It’s a tougher world these days and will only become more so. That’s because whenever social scientists try to predict the future they grossly underestimate the pace of change. And the more advanced a country, the faster its rate of change.
Technology continues to change how we do things, sometimes to the point of oblivion. It’s been 10 years since Iola had a travel agency, thanks to the Internet and the proliferation of home computers.
The answer is not to prevent companies like Haldex from expanding to other countries — that cat’s out of the bag — but to better prepare how we meet change.
Does that mean only geniuses will survive? Not by a long shot. The job market is begging for all kinds of tradesmen, from stonemasons to plumbers, bricklayers to electricians. Which is why the new career technical center in LaHarpe for high school students is such a good idea.
What also is necessary is less greed by corporate bigwigs, offset by better pay for middle class workers.
