Thread: The Real Causes of Income Inequality

Originally Posted by USCitizen

You're a joke.

Yet is you who is being laughed at.

You're stepping all over your lack of logic.
You keep touting that every unemployed American deserved to lose their jobs and careers, which by the way, means that their managers were so keen they shouldn't have hired them or kept them in the first place.

As has been the case since started communicating you are putting words in my mouth. I said nothing of the kind. Why lie?

Then you insist that we reply on third word countries to provide us with our needs.

Another lie. I said nothing of the sort.

What makes the workers in these 3rd world countries deserving or even qualified to provide an increasing number of under/unemployed Americans with their needs?
Why, the fact that American was such a mean country.

What you insist on over looking is the fact that ALL humans deserve a reasonable standard of living. I am not trying to demean the American worker. I am simply saying the rest of the world has value too. What you seem to be saying is there there are a finite number of jobs in the world and only Americans (and western Europeans + Japan) deserve to prosper from them. When did you get to be God and deem 3rd world populations of being second class citizens? When did you get to be so greedy?

There is plenty of room for the American worker to earn his rightful place in the world; why would you deny everyone else an equal right?

Originally Posted by USCitizen

Pretty amazing.
7 million Americans laid off in one with millions of those jobs off-shored to the more efficient workers in the other broke countries.
So why are those countries economies in the sh!t-can if THEIR workers are so damned good?

What logic!

Their economies were stunted by hundreds of years of being a UK colony and have achieved independence in 1947 with nothing but fanfare. It took us over 200 years, so give them a chance.

Originally Posted by USCitizen

Than drop the roll-up statistic distractions.
I see you don't mind Americans losing their careers but you're SOOOOO refined when it comes to vulgarity.
Pure humanistic hypocrisy.

I post what I believe. I find Americans losing their jobs unpleasant too, but remember, those who were laid off during the recession tended to be the least productive. I am not so refined as to accept vulgarity from you, or anyone else. Humans all deserve a reasonable standard of living no matter where they live so climb down off your high horse.

Originally Posted by USCitizen

dns,
Try reading the Preamble to the Constitution and then get back to me about how we are a "perfect union of the world".

Your lack of concern for most of the worlds citizens is amazing. As long as you get yours to the devil with everyone else.

BTW, I seem to recall you saying earlier that your income was in the $40K range. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Originally Posted by michael h

For the moment that we have a trade deficiency of huge proportions with China ... we have a service economy as a result to go with unemployment.

Oil isn't made ... it is. Drill more if you want more.

Wow, I thought our balance of trade was worse than that. You go Mike.

Originally Posted by michael h

Just think of a trade imbalance as your credit card balance.

As of this moment my credit card balance is about 12% of my available credit. We choose to pay it off monthly and I haven't paid interest in years.

Originally Posted by thanatos144

Real cause of income disparity......Unions

Unions are definitely part of the cause. Deficit spending is definitely part of the cause. Supporting millions of people who could work but don't is part of the cause. People who thrive as self made victim hood are part of the problem. There is no one cause.

Originally Posted by USCitizen

Notice that I don't post to those who blame the economy on unions that they're incorrect.
Because they're not incorrect; they're not precise, but they're not incorrect.

We who are not ideologues see in color.

You see in color alright, RED, as in unresolved rage. Why are you so angry? You still make more money as a % of the GDP as most others in the world.

Originally Posted by dnsmith

Yet is you who is being laughed at.As has been the case since started communicating you are putting words in my mouth. I said nothing of the kind. Why lie?Another lie. I said nothing of the sort.What you insist on over looking is the fact that ALL humans deserve a reasonable standard of living. I am not trying to demean the American worker. I am simply saying the rest of the world has value too. What you seem to be saying is there there are a finite number of jobs in the world and only Americans (and western Europeans + Japan) deserve to prosper from them. When did you get to be God and deem 3rd world populations of being second class citizens? When did you get to be so greedy?

There is plenty of room for the American worker to earn his rightful place in the world; why would you deny everyone else an equal right?

This post was enlightening. You are concerned more about the world, than America, her people. I bet you never served in the military, and if you did, you were drafted and had to go. You sir present the attitude of what is hurting average people. Yet I suspect you are not concerned about other nations in the world at all. You are concerned about your investments in corporations that yield great profit for stockholders, and from which you probably benefitted. That is fine. But don't deny it by saying you care for the workers in foreign nations. Millions of people suffer here in america so you your stocks make you more profit? And of course you have to justify all of this. But sir, you can never justify this. And you have the audacity to bring up 'vulgar" ? Give me a break.

Originally Posted by Blue Doggy

This post was enlightening. You are concerned more about the world, than America, her people. I bet you never served in the military, and if you did, you were drafted and had to go. You sir present the attitude of what is hurting average people. Yet I suspect you are not concerned about other nations in the world at all. You are concerned about your investments in corporations that yield great profit for stockholders, and from which you probably benefitted. That is fine. But don't deny it by saying you care for the workers in foreign nations. Millions of people suffer here in america so you your stocks make you more profit? And of course you have to justify all of this. But sir, you can never justify this. And you have the audacity to bring up 'vulgar" ? Give me a break.

No one owes you a break, you make your breaks all by your self. It is amazing how little you understand about the economy, the world and human nature. I not only served in the military, I am a retired soldier who has lived and worked in a number of countries to include my youth (India) where I graduated from High School. Woodstock School India, Boarding School, Residential International Christian Education and (French Indo China) where I spent time in Ban Me Thuot volunteering at a hospital primarily treating leprosy.

1. I do not believe the average American is suffering significantly. There is a small % who have lost ground income wise, but they are still doing quite well. As a matter of fact I have sold almost all of my stock holdings since I retired. Dividends were never a big issue as I was more interested in growth. A lot of my investments were in a small town bank which was bought out by a large national bank for a premium.

2. I originally volunteered for the draft in 1961 during the Berlin crisis, because I had 4 children and it was the only way I could join, something I had wanted to do most of my life. I earned less than the median income for 27 years and in spite of the low income, got where I am by saving at least 5% of every $$ I was paid.

3. I suspect I care dearly for all world workers is based on my having lived in Europe for 16 years and Asia for over 5. I have seen real poverty, something very few Americans have ever or will ever see. I understand why the 3rd world people think of us as "the Ugly Americans." As a humanist I do not see any reason for the citizens of the US to be any better or worse than the citizens of any other country. Americans have been consuming the worlds resources at a significantly higher rate than all of the 3rd world people put together. Basically we in America, western Europe and Japan have stolen the wealth of the rest of the world and now our habituation to having that wealth has made us greedy. So shame on us.

4. I do not vulgarity of language and choose not to respond to people who direct it at me. If you have any interest in my responses do not use vulgar language to me, PERIOD.

5. Most of the people laid off during the last recession tended to be the least productive workers.

In other words, your response to me was nothing but unadulterated excrement.

Below is my basic life philosophy:

I have some opinions which are left of center, and I know some of the more conservative patrons will not agree with those opinions.

For example, I believe we need a progressive tax system. Why? Because those who make more money get more advantage of the infrastructure for which our taxes are spent allowing them to make more money.

On the flip side, I believe those who make more money are the ones responsible for creating the most jobs.

I believe in universal health care. Why? I believe that by taking care of the indigent who can't afford to buy health care, or those whose jobs don't provide insurance they can afford will actually reduce health care spending over the long haul. There are also altruistic reasons in that I believe all human beings deserve medical care and that all innocent human beings every where are deserving as much as any other human being provided they work for it. All innocent humans are equal in the eyes of God.

For that reason I don't shiver in my boots every time someone cries about outsourcing as people in the 3rd world deserve a decent life as much as we in the industrialized west. They don't deserve it be given to them any more than people in the US, but they deserve the right to earn it. Further, eventually it makes good economic sense that eventually the 3rd world will have their economic revolution and their labor force will demand decent wages, a safe work place, and humane hours and conditions.

I believe in a good public education system; one which teaches core subjects to all students; one which removes disruptive students from mainline classes and installs them in alternative schools where they cannot be disruptive; schools where a student is not looked down upon or graded down because their parents either can't or won't help them with homework or encourage their education. Homework is a pet peeve of mine and is seriously discriminatory to students who don't have the good fortune to have parents who can and will help them.

Flip side, I believe that every student who wishes to attend a private school which has higher standards than the public school system in their district should be given vouchers equal to the average cost of education per student in the public schools.

I believe in welfare which helps those who are truly needy; provided that those who are able are expected, rather demanded, to perform public service in return for that assistance. Recognizing that some people are poor through no fault of their own I believe it is imperative we give them assistance. I don't believe in the blame game, whereas had that person when young applied themselves more they could get better jobs, because I am aware that all kids don't all have the same motivation and the same encouragement as others.

On the flip side, I believe that slow kids should be taught in a separate classroom so that teachers can give them extra help and such that they do not detract from the education of the more bright students.

I believe that we should not waste money on defense. That said, I do believe we should have a strong military, with a serious R&D program to keep technology the very best it can be with a manpower capable of fighting any war into which we are drawn or choose to be engaged. I do not believe in adventurism, but if we destroy the infrastructure of a country we owe them the rebuilding, unless that country overtly attacked us first. Better we create friendly ex-enemies than culture resentment and future bad will.

There are other issues where my opinions are liberal and some others which are conservative. I don't believe there is only one way to run the country. Another thing, simply because a past policy did not meet with the success for which we hoped, does not mean that with different conditions that policy won't work now. Example: repatriating overseas capital did little in 2004 other than help rebuild physical plant and modernized the companies. Not that that was not a good outcome, but it didn't create a lot of jobs. That does not mean that in the current situation repatriation of capital would not create jobs now; it likely would. Economic cycles and circumstances may well need some supply side economics as the demand side policies are not working well now. The attempt to spur demand by throwing huge sums of money did not do much in the way of job creations this time around, yet some would have us double down on a policy which did not help the recovery from recession as fast as past recessions have recovered.

Originally Posted by dnsmith

Wow, I thought our balance of trade was worse than that. You go Mike.

That looks like a big credit card balance to me ... enough to cause a recession.

Originally Posted by dnsmith

As of this moment my credit card balance is about 12% of my available credit. We choose to pay it off monthly and I haven't paid interest in years.

So your OK with the nation living on credit ... just how long do you think America can keep that up?

Originally Posted by michael h

So your OK with the nation living on credit ... just how long do you think America can keep that up?

Actually no, I do not. I believe we need to stop borrowing and spending beyond our revenues and that can be accomplished even with some trade imbalances providing we offset them with positive trade balances from other countries or over a reasonable period of time. What we can't afford to do is what Greece did, borrow our way into bankruptcy by spending more than we take in over the long haul.