NorthJersey

Those looking to Donald Trump to overcome wage stagnation and bring back jobs by intimidating foreign countries, bullying domestic companies and denigrating hardworking immigrants overlook two important factors beyond his control: demographics and technology.

Think farming. In 1950, the year I was born, 12 percent of the workforce was in farming, whereas today it’s less than 2 percent because machines do much of the work.

Or think bank tellers and ATMs, toll collectors and EZPass, and telephone operators, many of whom have disappeared. Even some mines and car factories use more robots than people these days.

In 1950, only 33 percent of women were in the workforce – many as teachers, nurses, secretaries and phone operators. Today about 60 percent are in the workforce, and many are competing for the same jobs that were seemingly reserved for men.

But who would tell their daughters and granddaughters that they can’t compete with men and earn a living similar to that of their sons and grandsons? Not even Trump would dare do that. And he can’t stop technological advances, either.

Furthermore, we need a certain amount of immigrants if only to replace the children we are no longer having as our birth rate continues to fall. As women reach a par with men in the workforce, real wages will begin to rise again.

Meanwhile, following the dark path of spouting reckless bluster, playing on racism and xenophobia rather than recognizing our real problems and addressing our challenges in a positive way, weakens our country and undermines our moral fiber.

Dave Wiley

Allendale, Feb. 2