American Workers don't need to know everything, do they?

Shamus Cooke, who is a social service worker, trade unionist and writer for Workers Action argues in his blog at http://www.counterpunch.org/cooke10132009.html that Obama is keeping secrets from American Workers.

The author claims that although Obama acknowledges the fact of global economic crisis and talks about a “new world order” he doesn’t explain how this affects the American working class. He lists several examples like the long-term decline of the dollar and the US debt (which was mainly caused by foreign wars and bailing out banks) that seem to give Obama enough reasons to ask for sacrifices which need to be made in other areas.

What the author criticizes the most is that political officials keep it a secret which sacrifices will have to be made here and how. At the recent G-20 summit part of the secret was revealed when Obama pushed a plan that aimed “to reform the global architecture to meet the needs of the 21st century.” “Part of the plan said that “G-20 members with sustained, significant external deficits [the U.S.] pledge to undertake policies to support private savings and undertake fiscal consolidation while maintaining open markets and strengthening export sectors.”

According to Cooke this translates into reducing “domestic consumption” and increasing exports. His audience which is being addressed in this blog is clearly the American working class which seem to suffer the most from this plan. Reducing domestic consumption basically means lowering the standard of living of U.S. workers through lower wages and the elimination of “entitlement programs” so U.S. corporations will be able to export more on the global market.

I do agree with Cooke that some of the changes which are currently being made seem to benefit the higher and better earning class much more than those who really need it. This makes me wonder if the Democrats are slowly but surely becoming an upper class party and the working middle class people are left by themselves with no support from the outside. I do believe though that there is hope for the economy.