We have had several threads about the decline in technical trades in this country. I call it the Nintendo Generation. I thought I'd share an observation.
A article on the upcoming Survivor series popped up on the Yahoo site. There was a listing of the contestants:
# Rebecca Borman, 24, makeup artist, Laurelton, New York; # Anh-Tuan "Cao Boi" Bui, 42, nail salon manager, Christiansburg, Virginia; # Sekou Bunch, 45, jazz musician, Los Angeles; # J.P. Calderon, 30, pro volleyball player, Marina Del Rey, California; # Cristina Coria, 35, police officer, Los Angeles; # Stephannie Favor, 35, nursing student, Columbia, South Carolina; # Billy Garcia, 36, heavy metal guitarist, New York City; # Adam Gentry, 28, copier sales, San Diego; # Nathan Gonzalez, 26, retail sales, Los Angeles; # Jenny Guzon-Bae, 36, real estate agent, Lake Forest, Illinois; # Yul Kwon, 31, management consultant, San Mateo, California; # Becky Lee, 28, attorney, Washington, D.C.; # Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth, 25, waiter, Venice, California; # Cecilia Mansilla, 29, technology risk consultant, Oakland; # Sundra Oakley, 31, actress, Los Angeles; # Jonathan Penner, 44, writer/producer, Los Angeles; # Parvati Shallow, 23, boxer/waitress, Los Angeles; # Jessica Smith, 27, performance artist/rollergirl, Chico, California; # Brad Virata, 29, fashion director, Los Angeles; # Candice Woodcock, 23, premed student, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
As I see it, none of these people are in any sort of value added occupation. Maybe it is because "real people" have to work and not take part in such activities, but if this is a cross section of a 20 to
30 year old population, who is going to produce something and add to the economy? Certainly not a rollergirl or a guitarist. I have always said that manufacturing drives an economy. Everything else is just money changing hands. Which one of these people builds, creates a physical object for sale? None of them...
Bob