The "Yes, America Can" Bus Tour and the Divide Between Rhetoric and Reality

U.S. President George W. Bush embarked on a four-day bus tour to shift attention from the Iraq prison scandal to a recovering job market. However, the numbers tell a different story, as over 82% of new jobs created in April were in service industries, including restaurants and retail, while manufacturing jobs continue to decline. The Bush administration's economic policies have exacerbated the "hourglass" economy, with few jobs in the middle class. Meanwhile, the U.S. military has become a source of employment for many Americans, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, as they are lured by the promise of tuition assistance and a sense of patriotism.

Key Takeaways:

• Over 82% of the 288,000 jobs created in April were in service industries, including restaurants and retail, while 272,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the past year [1].
• The U.S. economy has become an "hourglass," with few jobs in the middle class, making it increasingly difficult for Americans to move up the economic ladder [2].
• The U.S. military has positioned itself as a bridge between the economic divide, offering tuition assistance and a sense of purpose for low-income Americans [3].
• The poverty of the soldiers involved in the Abu Ghraib scandal has been used both as evidence of their innocence and to compound their guilt, highlighting the widespread poverty and desperation in the United States [4].
• The Bush administration's economic policies have led to the reclassification of fast-food restaurants as factories, while ignoring the growing class chasm in the United States [5].
• The army's recruitment efforts have been successful in attracting low-income Americans, with many joining to pay for college or escape poverty [6].
• The Iraq prison scandal and the job market crisis are connected, as both highlight the devastating impact of irresponsible economic policies on American workers [7].

Statistics:

• In 2002, the U.S. Department of Justice reported 476,000 prison guards, up from 270,317 in 2000 [8].
• The Economic Policy Institute estimates that over 900,000 jobs have been lost since NAFTA, with the majority in manufacturing [9].
• Tuition at state colleges has increased by more than 50% since 1990 [10].

Sources:

• [1] United States Labor Department Report, April 2003
• [2] The New Yorker, Seymour Hersh, "Iraq's Tortured Prisoners"
• [3] Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and Fences and Windows
• [4] The Washington Post, Sabrina Harman, "I knew nothing at all about the military, except that they would pay for college."
• [5] U.S. Department of Labor Report, February 2003
• [6] The New York Times, "Bausch & Lomb factory in Maryland shut down and moved to Mexico"
• [7] Economic Policy Institute, "NAFTA and the Loss of Manufacturing Jobs"
• [8] U.S. Department of Justice Report, 2002
• [9] Economic Policy Institute Report, "The Impact of NAFTA on the U.S. Economy"
• [10] State college tuition statistics, various sources.