As pointed out in a recent CHS essay “Curing ... Schizophrenic Immigration ...”, we have the immigration/undocumented resident problem -- huge, only partially understood, and both socially and fiscally dangerous. This particular Horse was brought to the gates years ago, and pushed through slowly but surely by both national parties, for different reasons. It now lives in the clear, has a stable of its own, and is well cared for and growing. In fact, it has grown so fast that it cannot be pushed back OUT the gates without destroying the gates and surrounding walls, thus reducing the nation’s security.

(Here in relatively rich California, the more negative economic impacts of established illegal immigration is not obvious to many. In other places, however, it is all too visible. I have a brother in mid-Georgia, outside Atlanta. Their school system and local government is at present nearing bankruptcy, from covering an explosion of illegal immigration’s impacts, including free and humane provision of schooling, protection, healthcare and the like to those newcomers -- without any corresponding revenue increase. The point CHS makes in his piece about looking to profits made by employers is right on target. In Georgia, that means looking at textile mills and wood products and agribusiness firms that have dramatically reduced labor and benefit costs as immigrants are used to replace redundant local labor. Expand these smaller pictures to larger metropolitan areas and you have the shadow of THIS Trojan Horse looming much, much larger in the future.

The second of our Trojan Horses is a dependency upon foreign goods production, which has at the same time reduced the standard of living for millions of our working class and brought cheap multiple variations of all goods to a public that consumes these less-expensive offerings like the worst drug addict in the ward. This Horse was raised until, still small, it could be smuggled into our society and hidden until it reached significant size and weight. It was then unveiled to the public as a worthwhile animal for the stable that should remain indefinitely because it would require less to feed and maintain than other previous stable mates. That outlook should be changing.

(This past week-end I reluctantly bade farewell to an older, extension cord-pull type of “pole tree trimmer”, because I can no longer handle the strain of manual operation of the rather primitive device. I purchased a wondrous new, light-weight, “electrical pole trimmer” that mounts a small chain saw device on the operating end. Terrific design and easy operation. Will save me HOURS of work and potential nerve damage to my wrist and arm. Price? $89.00 (discounted). Place of manufacture? You got it. The trade name is one of a number used by a global firm that has grown through acquisition of old, established United States firms with operating history in the “rust belt”. Does the presence of Chinese characters on the (English) website of the conglomerate provide a hint ... that ... NO significant manufacturing of products sold by this firm is performed within the continental United States.

While happily working with my new trimmer, I had my usual week-end chat with a much older neighbor who admired my new tool, then asked “how much”? I told him. One of his hobbies is estimating what various tools would cost today if the items were to be “Made in USA”. Being a retired hardware store owner, he has some feeling for this venue. His guess at the “adjusted price” for USA sourcing of this device: $200 minimum.)

We all have examples like this, don’t we. I think we all realize that being so dependent on foreign provision of goods is dangerous, in every respect: economically, socially, politically. But I ask: can we possibly envision asking We, the People, to forego current gratification and a perceived better (more for less) standard of living as we “restructure” our production base and reposition ourselves amid the changing global picture? Will “the folks” pay $3,000 for “home entertainment” apparatus, instead of $1,000?

The third Trojan Horse was welcomed at the gates during the past century, primarily in the name of “defense”, but also for economic growth. The nation’s citizens, perceiving (rightly or wrongly) imminent danger to the republic, emplaced this Horse in a very public location, and used it as evidence to all, as the emblem of strength and sacrifice as we met our various enemies and challenges.

The idea was, well, when peace (or good times) returned we would shoo this Horse back out again, as it’s maintenance was costly. That never happened.

Once upon a time -- say before 1917 -- the USA was a land with a tiny standing military force, and public agency employment in all but major cities was so small as to be almost invisible. And that remained so with the exception of direct war (mostly temporary) buildups. Today, the established combined presence of military, quasi-military, defense and military-civilian government employment leads all other higher-income categories in every state in the Union (I count “education” as government, given the nature of employment in that sector).

Can this situation ever be changed? It certainly seems improbable now, given the economic dependency of so much of the nation on the spending associated with government operations, both military and civilian. Having worked on a number of the early “base closures” in the 1990s, I have experienced first hand the fear and anger from communities where losing the military facility means losing economic stability and any growth in the area. Government promises of replacement economic base situations have proven largely empty. I also remember well attending night college classes in earlier years where engineers made redundant at defense companies in SoCal listened in astonishment as they were told they were being “retooled” for such jobs as “environmental impact writers” -- with predicted earnings of about half what they enjoyed at Lockheed, Boeing, etc. And importantly, they were also told that almost ALL employment would come from the public sector -- in other words, public funds saved in one area would be necessarily transferred to another. Zero sum game, in terms of the balance of public and private activities.

This particular Trojan Horse, though viewed in the main as “necessary” to national health and welfare (excepting “imperialistic” foreign wars) has a predicted life span exceeding any other. We have enabled inevitable class warfare whenever times get tough -- as they look ready to become. Those who lock themselves into the protective structure of military or public employment will be the ONLY truly protected class in the event the antics of the first two Horses described here bring the country down to economic hardship levels. On my residential street, of 22 homes where I recognize family members, we have about 14 where the primary (or secondary) wage-earner is compensated with public funds, receives generous benefits, and is (at least so far) “guaranteed” a generous retirement pension in the future. Whether or not the locality, state or federal government can afford it. These fortunate souls will be viewed with (admiration? envy? rage?) if hard times settle in, as they alone will be “well off”. The remainder will be scrambling.

Well, all of this we hear daily, and a lot of good stuff has been presented on OTM by smart people who decry the situation and call for reforms of various types (or resignedly accept the coming end of “good times”). I can’t add much. This little written cartoon showing the Trojan Horses inside the walls is actually how I envision the end. We let them in, we ignored any danger signals from their presence, we fed and cared for them -- they are taking up more space, and getting harder to control. If allowed to remain, they will singly (and most certainly in concert) eventually destroy us.


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