In the real world, in the past two decades wages have fallen for working males with a high school education or less. In 1996, labor statistics cite declining wages for males at every educational level. In Washington, President Clinton gives an upbeat State of the Union speech, urges families to take responsibility, deems the '90s the age of possibility. In the real world, never before in our nation's history have so many been so overworked and underpaid. Small business owners, unable to compete in a corporate market, close down shop or file for bankruptcy in record numbers.
Health insurance is a luxury.
In Washington, President Clinton brags about unemployment figures being at an all-time low. In the real world, some 80 percent of today's workforce is experiencing falling real wages. Still, these are not the issues that dominate the news. But it is the similarities, not the differences, in the Republican and Democratic proposals that are newsworthy. It is true that Republican cuts in entitlements are more draconian than Bill Clinton's, but only by degree.