Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

274 SPECIALPROVIDENCE

manyordinarycitizensdivergedsharply.Realweeklywagesfellsharply:
In 1993 they were I I percent^6 lowerthan twentyyears previously,
eventhoughbusinesssectorproductivityinthoseyearsrose 34 percent.^7
Unemploymenthadaveraged4.8percentinthe 1960s;6.21 percent
inthe 1970s;and 7.27percentinthe 1980s.8Inflationwas alsoup
sharply-itaveraged1.8percentinthe1950s;7.86percentinthe197os;
and6.85percentinthefirsthalfofthe198os.9
Other costs to working families ofthe new and more flexible
economywerehardertomeasure,burnolessreal.Althoughmorethan
17.I millionmoreAmericanswerereceivingMedicareandMedicaidin
2000 than1973,10thenumberofAmericansnotcoveredbyanyhealth
planfellbyonly6 millionduringthoseyears,"reflectinga dramatic
increaseinthenumberofworkingpeoplenotcoveredbyhealthinsur-
ance.AdditionallymanyworkingAmericanspaida largershareoftheir
healthcarecostsandenjoyedlessfreedominchoosingphysiciansand
treatmentsascorporationssoughttoreducecostsandturnedtoHMOs.
Ashiftfromdefinedbenefittodefinedcontributionpensionplansshifted
therisksoffutureeconomicproblemsfromcompaniestoworkers.As
malewagesfell,millionsofmarriedwomenenteredthelaborforce,leav-
ingmanyfamiliesfeeling bothfinancially stretchedand emotionally
exhausted.
Thebiggestloserswerefoundamongpoorlyeducatedyoungwhite
men.In 1998 dollars,theaveragehourlywagesforyoungwhitemen
withonlyahighschooleducationstoodat$12.15in1973;in 1998 that
incomewasonly$8.86.'2Workerswithlessthana collegeeducationalso
sufferedthemostseveredecreasesinhealthcoverage. 13 Thisreflecteda:
majorsocialchange.In1973,Americansocietyprovideda sortofsocial
guaranteeformostofitsyoungwhitemen:Iftheyfinishedhighschool,
theywouldgeta steadyjobthatwouldallowthemtosupporta familyon
a modestbutsufficientincome.Itwasnecessary,perhapsdesirable,inthe
greatschemeofthingsforthatguaranteetodieso thatbetterthings
couldtakeitsplaceina moreproductiveand high-technologypost-
industrialeconomy.Burthesocialandpersonalcostsofthischangein
thestructureofoursocietywereverygreat,andbytheendofthecentury
manyfamiliesandindividualshadstillnotadjusted.
Finally,andperhapsmostimportant,thechangesthatsweptthrough
nationalandinternationalmarketsafter 1973 powerfullyincreasedthe
senseofinsecurityamongmanyAmericans.Thenewandmoreflexible
firmsthatemergedinthe1980sand1990Snolongerbelievedinlifetime