Globalization is seen as a piece of work

Re “Globalization’s second death?” Opinion, April 10

Niall Ferguson says that one public policy response to globalization is to persuade youth to prepare themselves for better jobs by finishing high school.

While this is good advice, it will not create jobs but only more competitors for the same number of higher-paying jobs -- and drive down the wages for those jobs too.

Ferguson and others promote the fallacies that the forces of globalization are irresistible and that any government interference can only make things worse. In this way, they try to evade moral and political responsibility for their proposals and to keep the victims from pushing back.

Even economists can see that American jobs are disappearing and real wages are shrinking as a result of globalization.

ROGER CHITTUM

Hollywood

*

Ferguson correctly warns American high school students, “If you flunk, you’re sunk.”

In California, a one-year course in algebra is a state requirement for graduation. In fall 2004, 44% of ninth graders in L.A. public schools flunked algebra. Supt. Roy Romer in January said, “It triggers dropouts more than any single subject.”

Except for those who work in science and engineering, who needs algebra in the workplace?

What we do need are qualified workers in many trades.

It makes no sense to flunk them out of high school because they can’t pass algebra, a requirement with little value in the real world.

DONALD KENNEDY

Garden Grove