Asleep at the wheel

We now know for a fact that we're being played by Russia.  The special counsel has documented in detail how Russian agents have been active in the US since at least 2014.  For years they've used various means to sow discontent here.  They've used social media to foment unrest and divisiveness between the races....look at Ferguson and Baltimore and Charlottesville for examples.  At the same time, they've fired up both the "Build The Wall" movement and the "Save the Dreamers" movement.  They want to radicalize us.

In our recent election they were, behind-the-scenes, supporting both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, thinking they were both destined to fail.  They're no doubt right now actively stirring up the Gun Control movement, while telling the 2nd Amendment supporters they're about to lose their guns.  In all these examples they probably don't care who wins, so long as we're fighting among ourselves.

The same is happening in Europe.  I'm sure they were heartened by the UK's Brexit vote to leave the EU.  They've supported Marine Le Pen in France, and other nationalist movements elsewhere in Europe.  Their hope is to weaken the European Union with the ultimate goal of seeing it break apart.  Driving a wedge between the US and our European allies would just be icing on the cake for them.

To be polite, through all this President Trump has been asleep at the wheel.  The closest he's come to pointing a finger at what the Russians are doing is to say, "I think the Russians did it, BUT I ALSO THINK IT COULD HAVE BEEN CHINA, OR A 400 LB GUY SITTING ON HIS BED."  Not exactly a ringing endorsement of our intelligence community analysis, is it? 

To be less generous, you could say our President has been derelict in his sworn duty to protect us "from all enemies, foreign and domestic."  And make no mistake, RUSSIA IS OUR ENEMY.    Eight of the 10 men Vladimir Putin depends on to hold power are former KGB men, just like him.  We're solidly in the midst of Cold War 2.0.

It's crunch time, President Trump.  Our Congress has stepped up and voted overwhelmingly to punish Russia by imposing more sanctions.   (I can't believe I'm praising Congress!)  Now it's your turn.  If you don't act, if you don't aggressively implement Congress's will, I'm prepared to take the drastic step of labeling you a traitor.  

Yeah, that's pretty extreme.  Please don't make me say it.

S  

Now hiring...no interview necessary...just show up

I have an honest question for you, a question that I don't have the answer to.  I'm hoping you do.

Thankfully our economy is flying high.  Our official unemployment rate is around 4%, which I've always heard was considered "full employment".  Those final 4% who weren't employed (and perhaps that many more who weren't even looking) were often said to prefer welfare to a minimum wage job, couldn't pass a drug test, had a violent criminal history, etc, which made them "unemployable".

In my area (Dallas) there are "help wanted" signs everywhere you turn, especially in food service and retail.  In the construction field additional plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc, are desperately needed.  The same goes for the health care industry, too.

Now Congress has passed and the President has signed a tax cut bill hoping that many companies will plan major expansions and create millions of new jobs.  So far there have already been announcements by Intel, Apple, Amazon, and many more that they are now hiring.  Right now Amazon is looking for a location to build a second headquarters (what exactly is a second headquarters?) promising 50,000 jobs to the winning city....on and on.

The Trump administration is threatening to deport the "dreamers", kids who were brought here by their parents who entered the US illegally.  They say there are 800,000 dreamers who are here now in school, in the military, and working.  If those who are now employed are deported, that will mean even more job vacancies.

My question is now obvious.  Where are we going to find quality candidates to fill all the positions we already have, plus the new jobs being created, plus the vacancies created by dreamers (and others) leaving, plus normal job attrition?  

It sounds like we're already scraping the bottom of the employment pool barrel right now.  Isn't this likely to mean a wild bidding spree by employers, driving up wages and salaries for those willing to change jobs?  Good for employees, sure, but won't that also create serious inflationary pressures?

This reminds me of the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for."  It's truly a blessing to have this "problem", but please tell me, where are all these new workers going to come from?

S