McCainonomics!

According to the conservative consensus that dominates American politics today, losing your job is good because it is. Replacing it with a worse job is good because it is. This is bullshit, of course, but who's an average oaf like me to argue?

McCain's lengthy convention speech last night proves again how firmly entrenched this idea is in the political establishment.

At one point, he mentioned something about how he'd help fired workers by sending them to job training and then - once they find a job that pays less than the one they had - having the government reimburse them for the pay difference. At least it sounded like that's what he said.

Well, I'll give McCain credit for one thing (as hard as that is). His fellow Republicans would usually never support reimbursing folks for the pay cut. They generally have more of a "tough shit" approach. But that's not the point.

For starts, the workers already had job training. Many who are my age or younger had at least 12 years of it. It was called...school! What was the point in even going to school if you just end up losing your job?

Further, I just don't think it's too good for America when so many people end up having to take worse, less lucrative jobs than what they had - even if they get reimbursed for it. That costs the taxpayers. The workers who are affected would likely end up having to pay more in taxes just to cover their own compensation.

McCain acted as if the workers' previous jobs are gone for good simply because. So people are supposed to just stop making stuff? I know outsourcing is a real problem, but shouldn't we be dealing with that?

If America's self-styled political leaders aren't willing to protect American jobs, then why should we take them seriously?

To me, fair trade is more important than free trade. American companies shouldn't be moving jobs to countries where workers are more likely to be exploited and have their basic rights violated.

I think it's time we make it so American labor laws apply to American companies overseas. I think we'd see a lot less outsourcing then.