By Gretschman for Occupy World Writes

Long term unemployment is at its highest level in the United States since World War II. At the time of this post being written, the prospect for any governmental intervention to help the long term unemployed gain any further benefits is stalled in Washington. The gridlock in Washington is an emblematic symbol of the inability of our government to do much meaningful to help the 99%.

How do we create an economy the provides good paying long term jobs for everyone  willing and able to work? Not by shipping our manufacturing jobs overseas along with the empty containers and debt that comes with buying those goods from the nations who NOW manufacture the goods that we used to produce here. Not by signing another trade agreement that will allow more jobs to be sent to the countries who still have no viable laws against child labor. Not by buying the goods that are produced in countries that have tariffs against IMPORTS and provide subsidies that further allow them to undermine anything that may be construed as fair trade. Not by further deregulating our commodities and allowing speculators to drive up the prices of these commodities by 30% for the simple purpose of lining the pockets of the speculators themselves.

We can no longer listen to the mantra that we are becoming a “service oriented nation” which appears to have been a cover to get us to pay no attention to the fact that our good paying manufacturing jobs were being sold for the convenience and bank accounts of the 1%.

We need to invest in OUR infrastructure, OUR education system, and OUR workers. We need to vote with our wallets. We need to DEMAND that the politicians we elect have a REAL plan for full employment – employment within our borders – not outside.

We can’t all ask each other “do you want fries with that?” if we want to prosper.