With two young boys, this conversation is in my head on a daily basis. I'm a firm believer that if I don't create a legacy for them now, they're going to have a rough time. Especially as white conservative men. The "American Dream" is being stolen from our kids in favor of cheaper imported labor. Look at the trucking industry. Sure, trump cracked down on some of it, but that's not going to stop. Trucking companies will just find another way to import cheap labor. The same is true for factories. Look at the Springfield Hatian issue. That's not isolated to springfield. There are dozens of cities with factories that have done the same thing. So they could own their own business, that's drastically dwindling also. Our children will never have the ability to own a motel, a gas station, a subway franchise, they're all being purchased by foreigners who import cheap foreign labor or run it themselves at such slim margins it requires 12 of them to live in the same house. They take out private loans from other Patels that don't require things like insurance or all the red tape things you have to pay for like workmans comp and unemployment insurance for emoyees. Want to start a construction company? You better speak Spanish and have connections to hire a pod of them. Maybe they want to do something small and just start off owning a storage unit lot. HA, good luck they've all been bought by holding companies that are largely foreign owned, you won't compete. long gone are the day of Bill who owns the corner store, or Mrs Sally who owns the local dress shop. Maybe they want to own a drycleaners, not unless your last name is Nguyen and you can sponsor visas for your whole family to run it. Oh maybe a career in IT, good luck. If it's not outsourced to India they likely hired an Indian guy on a H1B, or a guy on a greencard with a IT degree from Rahakeem University where he got his masters for $1,500 tuition per year but per corporate he's "qualified". There was a time where a kid could want to be a farmer, unless he's born into it today that's about impossible and he's likely still going to struggle.
I am sure there are ways. But those windows are closing more and more each day. Sure the trades are an option, but I don't see any of this not impacting the trades eventually also. And there has to be a better way than looking at my boys and saying "Hey, if you break your back day in day out and destroy your body by age 50 you'll make a good living.. I don't know, I try not to be pessimistic but the deck is quickly being stacked against our younger generations.