Presumably because he had to. If a family doesn’t need their 18 or 19-year olds to work two jobs, it’s better for their futures (in most cases anyway) not to do that and to get some post-high school education or training for awhile, instead— even if not a 4-year degree.
Whether they love their jobs or not, it’s a little “easier” life than the subsistence farming dream! (and who’s to say if they’d have liked subsistence farming, anyway— for most people that would be a nightmare, not a dream)
Wonder what he thinks should replace the consumer economies of today’s Western nations— building bombers and warships and such, like in WWII, even if we don’t need them?
I understand Arlo’s “rant”. But I wonder if he really thinks anyone in the US would want to be employed at $5/hour making Christmas lights— or if there would be enough workers available to take those jobs. Or if Americans would want to pay probably $50 per light string instead of $10 or less, in order for US workers to be paid a decent wage to make them, assuming we somehow did have enough people to take jobs like that. There— that’s MY “rant”, I guess!
How things have changed… most office workers today (pre-pandemic when most people were in the office regularly) are allowed to dress “casually” every day. My employer (large company with 75,000 employees), just a year ago, approved people wearing jeans every day if they want to.
The production of paper products, including paper towels, uses a lot of power and water. So using power and water to wash reusable towels is still on balance better environmentally— except, perhaps, in a particular are with serious water supply issues (drought).
Presumably because he had to. If a family doesn’t need their 18 or 19-year olds to work two jobs, it’s better for their futures (in most cases anyway) not to do that and to get some post-high school education or training for awhile, instead— even if not a 4-year degree.