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buildings, mountains of paper. No–
body is really sure what many are
doing or are trying to do.
We get uptight with government
beca use of its seeming a loofness and
i11ability either to recognize or to
solve the problems that beleaguer
us. We seem to think that govern–
ment has chosen not to listen, not to
spend money where it is really
needed, and has its priorities upside
down. But the truth may weU be
that government can hardly re–
spond.
Because of government's fantastic
size, its entrenched interests, its
great diversity, and the enormity of
the problems it faces, government is
incapable of being controUed by
even the most powerful office–
holders in the land.
At a time when so many major
PLAIN TRUTH September 1973
problems face our nation, a govern–
ment that can hardly respond, that
is incapable of achieving much, is a
government suffering from a serious
sickness.
Where Went Our Muscular
Strength?
What is the
muscular system
of
Uncle Sam? Jt is the labor force and
our ability to compete in inter–
na tional trade.
American industry and labor.
with a11 of its creativity. in–
ventiveness. and hard work has
brought about a society which in
many ways is a great society. And
yet there is reason to suspect that
today, in spite of the enormity of
our economic power, there are sorne
serious affiictions in Uncle Sam's
muscular strength.
Our foreign trade balances have
sulfered a dramatic reversa! in the
last few years. During the sixties, we
hadan average annual trade surplus
of 4 to 5 billion dollars. By the end
of the sixties. this surplus had al–
most disappeared. Then in 1971, we
suffered our first major trade deficit
since World War
IJ -
a loss of 2.7
billion dollars. In 1972 this deficit
rose to $6.4 billion. This year, a defi–
cit between 8 and 12 billion dollars
is expected. After small. alternating
pluses and minuses during the six–
ties, we lost, not only in trade, but
also in all other arcas of foreign af–
fairs, a grand total of $9.8 billion for
1970. A disastrous $30 billion was
lost in
1971.
In
1972,
the loss
dropped down to $11.6 billion, but
this loss is still serious.
What we're beginning to see in
the United States is an inability to
compete in international trade. The
American workman has constantly
pursued the "good life" - meaning
higher wages. more fringe benefits,
longer paid vacations, earlier retire–
ment, and shorter work hours.
Workers in foreign nations are not
uncommonly out-producing the
American worker and are pricing
American goods out of both foreign
and domestic markets.
Yet the ailment goes even deeper
than shorter hours and higher
wages. Our youth today - and a lot
of the older generation as well -
turns off at the idea of a mindless
eight-to-five job. doing the same
boring. unsatisfying, thankless job
for 30 years, after which an office
party is thrown, one is given a gold
watch and then is told to go watch
television for the rest of life. They
simply don't want that kind of life.
Consequently, we have Monday–
morning absenteeism, slipshod, un–
concerned work, higb turnover
rates. and a lack of responsibility on
the job. These turned-off altitudes
are draining our national economic
strength.
Industry after industry is being
hit from abroad. The automobile in-
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