A TV talk show host said that in some older industrial towns, "There are no jobs there. The only ones left are doctors, lawyers and other professionals." So who's paying them if no one else has a job?
Is there a difference between "real jobs" such as manufacturing, plumbing, auto mechanics, hospital aides, grocery clerks, printers, press operators, newspaper delivery people and the so-called "professionals"?
Some jobs can indeed be relocated to other regions in search of lower production costs. It happened in the Northeast as textile mills went to the South to take advantage of lower labor and energy costs, since coal was more energy efficient than water wheels and there were fewer unions. It happened in Detroit and Pittsburgh as newer technology enabled more production with fewer workers. And it happened as manufacturers went to other countries for similar reasons.
Other jobs, however, cannot be relocated. Think hospital personnel, construction and housing maintenance, including plumbing and electricity, plus police, fire protection and road maintenance, as well as auto repair and fuel service.
A knowledge of history also comes into play, since knowing about past patterns can help understand and cope with current problems and successes.
The downside is that politicians and demagogues use bits and pieces of data and trends to promote their agendas. Sometimes they are truthful in their use of information, and sometimes they are not. Typically, their political opponents answer back with a different set of facts and figures.
So which speaker is right? In differing contexts, perhaps both are, since they are claiming illustrations in different time frames, regional differences, or varying sets of circumstances. One may be using smaller sets, and the other, larger. Or one or both may be manipulating information, selecting only those facts and figures that reinforce the desired message. Meanwhile, there are often other facts and figures that could easily destroy or put the lie to the political message.
As Mark Twain once said, "Figures don't lie, but liars do figure."
What, then, is a voter to do?
Find another source that is more trustworthy than even your favorite political candidate, and balance the claims against the larger body of facts.
And who are these more trustworthy sources? In a perfect world, newspapers, magazines, broadcast media and web sites that have built a reputation for neutrality and objectivity.
Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world. However, there are information sources that are more reliable than others, and the conscientious citizen has the opportunity and responsibility to sample a variety of them and decide which is most reliable. Or most accurately reflects his or her own prejudices.
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