bucs90
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- Feb 25, 2010
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- #21
It wasn't. Unions had a purpose then, to ensure fair labor conditions. That happened. But then unions got greedy. And AFTER 1950, look what happened?
How much wealth and innovation have we seen since 1950???? At the same time, union membership has plummeted. Look at the graph. American wealth began to explode in the 80's (under Reagan). And innovation? The last 20 years we've advanced medicine and technology to heights past generations couldnt even imagine.
All done in the private sector, non-unionized labor pool.
Actually, wealth only "exploded" because Reagan lowered the marginal income tax rate for the wealthiest people from 78% to about 28%. However, he kept spending like we were still taxing the wealthiest people at 78%. It has nothing to do with the Middle or Lower class whatsoever.
In fact, your graph fails to take into account that more houses are two income houses now than the 1980's.
Household income in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Overall, the median household income rose from $33,338 in 1967 to an all-time high of $44,922 in 1999, and has since decreased slightly to $43,318.
Of course, none of this actually relates to Unions. What you're doing is falling for the Association-is-causation fallacy. This is the incorrect idea that if two variables (in this case Union Membership and Wealth of Households) are associated in time, one must necessarily cause the other. This is basic economics, something you should probably acquaint yourself with before you begin using graphs to say that "X causes Y".
The rest of your post about innovation ranges from doesn't apply to this topic to pure gobbledygook
I was a sociology major, you could've just said "It's spurrious". Thats your argument. I know plenty about correlations of X and Y.
Its basically accepted that union work isn't as efficient as non-union work, as basic competition ensures that. The correlation between technological innovation (by means of working towards making profits and being more competitive) and less union work is valid.
And yes, thanks for making that point that America got rich as shit after Reagan lowered taxes.
And yes, thanks for making the point that while that help us, continued big spending hurt us.
Which is why we are NOW gonna lower spending. Right thing to do.....right?
But the correlation is valid.