Offshoring = cheaper goods
Cheaper goods = more people can buy them
More people buying goods = increase in jobs associated with the sale and distribution
Keeping a lot of the current jobs domestic would spike prices on goods and services through the roof. WalMart, the store most frequented by those with meager financial means, would more than double the prices on many goods. The result would be that a large portion of goods would be out of the range of the "poor" You would then be screaming that companies are trying to deny access to said goods.
The economy moves in cycles, it gets better, it gets worse, it goes up and down of its own accord, the best we can manage is to try and mitigate the relative movements. Every 20 years we have a bit of a recession. Every so often there is a major shift in how businesses operate and there's a time where things are in flux before it all settles out. Some jobs may be high paying today, but as tech and process improves it may not pay so well tomorrow. Think of watchmakers. Once upon a time, they were artisans who made a LOT of money making watches because so few had the knowledge and ability to do so. Then as we got better at mass producing items, it became a novelty profession, eventually it's to the point now where it's all machine and assembly line done. Is it the responsibility of the Govt to protect the watchmaker against the forces of the market?
No, it is the responsibility of the individual to learn and adapt to how the world is moving. If you refuse to learn new things, refuse to adapt, then you're destined to be roadkill. I am in IT, as I've said before, and I know the future of this profession looks bleak, but I also know that there will always be a need for the skills I posess, it's all about finding my next niche when things shift. It is my responsibility to keep my skills relevant to a changing environment.
On the issue of living wages and such for the American family. Lets assume the worst and say that a family of two adults and two kids is living off of fast-food wages ($8/hr) and each adult works a full 40hr shift. That's $16/hr. Working a full 40hr week and 52 weeks a year, assuming no overtime mind you, that comes to about $33k/yr (a bit less with state tax, medicare, etc taken out).
Now, since we have a base income figure of around $33k, we have to look at expenses. I live in Hartford, CT, which is insanely expensive as far as places to live go. I have a two bedroom apartment in a nice building in a pretty good section of town for $900/mo. Enough room for a family of four, if a bit crowded.
Food is probably going to be the highest expense for the family, and we'll give them a generous budget of $400/mo on that. I know many people who eat very well for a family of four on less than that per month.
Transit will probably run $100/mo assuming they're not driving a hundred miles a day or something. A cheap car will suit their needs in *most* areas, and if you carpool, gas costs can be kept very low. You can also get bare-minimum car insurance in that monthly expense.
For all those "unknowns" I'll throw in an additional $400/mo for "Misc" expenses. Everyone has these, and it's impossible to fully quantify them, but $400 seems reasonable.
Add all of that up, multiply by 12 months and you end up with an annual cost of around $20k. A full $13k/yr savings potential. Now, they don't have much in the way of "fun" stuff in that budget, but if they're smart, they can be saving a LOT of money every year to get themselves out of their financial hole.
A family does not rise and fall financially on a drop as low as 1.2% If they are that close to the wire, a kid getting sick could sink them just as easily. It is always possible to make ends meet in this country if you work at it. It may not be easy, it may hurt a bit, but it's possible if you have the drive. And at the end of the day, it's your responsibility to make sure you can survive financially, not the govt.
