I could not agree more, capitalism is good, but this country was built on a sound education system which rewards professions such as engineering. Any electrical engineer will tell you that the pursuit of an engineering degree requires significantly more work than a general business or finance degree. China is kicking the US's butt in engineering.
Social media is the wave of the future because it allows conversations to occur between peers and the author of the article or content item in question. You don't have the same level of interaction when reading a magazine as that medium only supports a one to one communication and is drive by the author of the article.
I think for many large companies social networking will be allowed and adopted only when the benefits are proven to outweigh the risks. Some companies have found social networking to be a valuable tool, but I think those organizations that have really embraced it are smaller ones that tend to jump on new technology quicker. Enterprises are still concerned with security and compliance regarding traditional threats, nevermind the host of new ones that social networking and other Web 2.0 technologies bring (related article: [Enterprises Ill-equipped to Block Web 2.0 Threats])
I can understand the potential grudge aspect, but when I look back on the various layoffs I've experienced, I would have gladly stepped back into the job if opportunity was there as I loved each job I was downsized from and knew it was purely economical decisions that caused the cutback.
The bigger question in my mind would be the stability of the company and its business in the sense would I find myself in the same position six months or a year later.