It already has…. The fair trade agreements and the “Voodoo” promises of supply-side economics over the last 35 years have done much to destroy the American middle class – and without a vibrant middle class a true and democratic society cannot and will not last.
How often have you heard experts talk about trouble spots in the world where they then add the mentioning of how if only that region had a true and vibrant middle class so many of their political problems, their economic maldistribution, and fanatic reactions would dissipate quickly.
Like the rainforest is to the ecosystem of the world, a vibrant and growing middle class and a sustaining one for the worlds greatest super power, the United States, is the healthy lungs of a sustaining democratic people and its institutions, and the only true hope for a free people.
Often our conservative friends will make mention of the need to protect liberty in America at any cost. This liberty in their minds is sustained with a libertarian idea which has a total faith in the market system to correct what is wrong and to make what is right supreme or eventually supreme. No one can argue with the importance of this liberty in order to be free, but when this liberty comes with no checks or balances or fundamental attitudes to try make things just and balanced, then you are left with a society that in the name of generic liberty overtime is merely a predatory means and has to no just way nor plan to keep the foxes out of the hen houses….
A brilliant synopsis deserving simplification. Capitalism threatens democracy. There’s cultural decay with misoriented values. You (not I) choose selfish arrogant leaders because of a cult like fascination. The outcome is resignation not purposeful strength. People can’t find work and they get weird. To much capitol in the hands of a few while national organization (i.e. government) is historic debt. The population must come out of its cloud. For money aside, tax it like hell and stop it from leaving. Renewed focus on the middle class and poor. Any CEO with compensation more than 100 million a year should be taxed without exemptions at 50%.
As a believer in most principles of capitalism I believe the broad statements of the superiority of capitalism over any other economic system is misplaced.
We currently have many right wing political operatives who appear to think capitalism equals godliness.
Capitalism, esp. as currently being defined is very un-God like. When in the teachings of Jesus was economic abuse of your fellow man acceptable Christian behavior?
There are many economic theories just as there are may different types of political theories just as there are many types of governmental theories. People with little understanding of the interplay of all make some really stupid statements and decisions.
Scott I think you and a lot of others are mixing up capitalism and corporatism up. We as a nation have not been practicing capitalism that allows consumers to pick the winners and losers in a longtime. Instead we have been practicing corporatism for a very longtime. Companies and even unions lobby local, state and federal government to protect them from compatition and even the consumer. These two things can look similar but are very different and it helps to know the difference.
Since ronald reagan ascended to the throne, the working class has heard about nothing but trickle down economics, when in fact, all the working class has had in that time is trickle up. Are there moral issues with that. I think so. How bout you matt? You OK with the 50’s 60’s 70’s median household income which was middle class, now become working poor income?
The Dude is right. Huge difference between small business and big business. We remodeled our kitchen recently. Had no problem writing the check to the small business construction guy who did the major part of the overhaul. I cringe each month when I pay my Verizon bill, my cable bill, and my internet access bill. Something has to give…and real soon. First to go is going to be my corporate cable company. We will learn to get by just fine with an antenna and say goodbye to the 192 cable stations, about only a handful we watch anyway.
Forcing me Matt? Did I say that? I have a choice, same as you. I had a choice two years ago when I cancelled the corporate owned and corporate message machine argus. I’m making that same decision with corporate cable. Nothing there that currently interests me or my wife. That’s $140 a month. Probably peanuts to your crowd. Could even be peanuts to me. Not the point. The point is I am finding better things to do with my money, and corporate interests that I do not really needare not going to be a part of my spending habits.
Remember Spellerberg Park? You know, the new indoor midco aquatics center we are paying for so the snowfox swim team has a place to call home? Mark an X in that spot. Now draw a three mile radius around that X. Fact. Within that radius over 72,000 people live. Fact. Within that same radius the median household income is $40,590, only 72% of the national average. Fact. There are over 23,000 kids in the Sioux Falls school district. 49% are on free or reduced school lunches. The Banquet served 180,575 meals in 2014, 40,000 more than just a couple of years earlier. Don’t know or care if you have a family or not Matt, but try to imagine a household income of 40k with kids. Would you be just a little leery of those damn1 percenters?
Make no mistake about why trump on the right and Bernie on the left have emerged. It’s the economy stupid, and it has been eroding steadily each year since 1981.
You keep getting immorality and capitalism mixed up. Capitalism worked just fine when a majority had morals.
It already has…. The fair trade agreements and the “Voodoo” promises of supply-side economics over the last 35 years have done much to destroy the American middle class – and without a vibrant middle class a true and democratic society cannot and will not last.
How often have you heard experts talk about trouble spots in the world where they then add the mentioning of how if only that region had a true and vibrant middle class so many of their political problems, their economic maldistribution, and fanatic reactions would dissipate quickly.
Like the rainforest is to the ecosystem of the world, a vibrant and growing middle class and a sustaining one for the worlds greatest super power, the United States, is the healthy lungs of a sustaining democratic people and its institutions, and the only true hope for a free people.
Often our conservative friends will make mention of the need to protect liberty in America at any cost. This liberty in their minds is sustained with a libertarian idea which has a total faith in the market system to correct what is wrong and to make what is right supreme or eventually supreme. No one can argue with the importance of this liberty in order to be free, but when this liberty comes with no checks or balances or fundamental attitudes to try make things just and balanced, then you are left with a society that in the name of generic liberty overtime is merely a predatory means and has to no just way nor plan to keep the foxes out of the hen houses….
A brilliant synopsis deserving simplification. Capitalism threatens democracy. There’s cultural decay with misoriented values. You (not I) choose selfish arrogant leaders because of a cult like fascination. The outcome is resignation not purposeful strength. People can’t find work and they get weird. To much capitol in the hands of a few while national organization (i.e. government) is historic debt. The population must come out of its cloud. For money aside, tax it like hell and stop it from leaving. Renewed focus on the middle class and poor. Any CEO with compensation more than 100 million a year should be taxed without exemptions at 50%.
As a believer in most principles of capitalism I believe the broad statements of the superiority of capitalism over any other economic system is misplaced.
We currently have many right wing political operatives who appear to think capitalism equals godliness.
Capitalism, esp. as currently being defined is very un-God like. When in the teachings of Jesus was economic abuse of your fellow man acceptable Christian behavior?
There are many economic theories just as there are may different types of political theories just as there are many types of governmental theories. People with little understanding of the interplay of all make some really stupid statements and decisions.
Capitalism worked just fine when the 1 percenters had morals.
are you trying to say the 99% is pure and holy or that only the 1 % needs to be moral
Scott I think you and a lot of others are mixing up capitalism and corporatism up. We as a nation have not been practicing capitalism that allows consumers to pick the winners and losers in a longtime. Instead we have been practicing corporatism for a very longtime. Companies and even unions lobby local, state and federal government to protect them from compatition and even the consumer. These two things can look similar but are very different and it helps to know the difference.
Since ronald reagan ascended to the throne, the working class has heard about nothing but trickle down economics, when in fact, all the working class has had in that time is trickle up. Are there moral issues with that. I think so. How bout you matt? You OK with the 50’s 60’s 70’s median household income which was middle class, now become working poor income?
Sounds like mmm hubris thinks he is one of the 1 percent. Too bad his head is somewhere he can’t see the picture of him that we all see.
The Dude is right. Huge difference between small business and big business. We remodeled our kitchen recently. Had no problem writing the check to the small business construction guy who did the major part of the overhaul. I cringe each month when I pay my Verizon bill, my cable bill, and my internet access bill. Something has to give…and real soon. First to go is going to be my corporate cable company. We will learn to get by just fine with an antenna and say goodbye to the 192 cable stations, about only a handful we watch anyway.
your arm must hurt from those corporate cable providers forcing you to have cable tv- those damn 1 % ers
Forcing me Matt? Did I say that? I have a choice, same as you. I had a choice two years ago when I cancelled the corporate owned and corporate message machine argus. I’m making that same decision with corporate cable. Nothing there that currently interests me or my wife. That’s $140 a month. Probably peanuts to your crowd. Could even be peanuts to me. Not the point. The point is I am finding better things to do with my money, and corporate interests that I do not really needare not going to be a part of my spending habits.
Remember Spellerberg Park? You know, the new indoor midco aquatics center we are paying for so the snowfox swim team has a place to call home? Mark an X in that spot. Now draw a three mile radius around that X. Fact. Within that radius over 72,000 people live. Fact. Within that same radius the median household income is $40,590, only 72% of the national average. Fact. There are over 23,000 kids in the Sioux Falls school district. 49% are on free or reduced school lunches. The Banquet served 180,575 meals in 2014, 40,000 more than just a couple of years earlier. Don’t know or care if you have a family or not Matt, but try to imagine a household income of 40k with kids. Would you be just a little leery of those damn1 percenters?
Make no mistake about why trump on the right and Bernie on the left have emerged. It’s the economy stupid, and it has been eroding steadily each year since 1981.