The Collapsing American Middle Class

[Fenton Lum]

NAFTA has many unintended consequences.

+ machines continue to take over jobs at all levels.

The day will soon come when you'll be taking to a machine when calling customer service and not know it.

Computers can do accounting, write legal briefs and file them, hire and fire people (human resources) make out schedules... Computers can operate other computers... What can you do that a computer can't? (or won't ever)...

Maybe we should legalize all drugs and just allow a generation to die off.

You can try that, it'll fail as a strategy, but whatever.

 

[francoHFW]

No, DO blame reaganist taxes and policies, still defended to the death by the GOP. If you count all taxes and fees, we basically have a flat tax on everyone, with all new wealth going to the richest.

The Demise of the American Middle Class In Numbers.

Over the past 30 years the American dream has gradually disappeared. The process was slow, so most people didn’t notice. They just worked a few more hours, borrowed a little more and cut back on non-essentials. But looking at the numbers and comparing them over long time periods, it is obvious that things have changed drastically. Here are the details:

1. WORKERS PRODUCE MORE BUT THE GAINS GO TO BUSINESS.

Over the past 63 years worker productivity has grown by 2.0% per year.

But after 1980, workers received a smaller share every year. Labor’s share of income (1992 = 100%):

1950 = 101%
1960 = 105%
1970 = 105%
1980 = 105% – Reagan
1990 = 100%
2000 = 96%
2007 = 92%

A 13% drop since 1980

2. THE TOP 10% GET A LARGER SHARE.

Share of National Income going to Top 10%:

1950 = 35%
1960 = 34%
1970 = 34%
1980 = 34% – Reagan
1990 = 40%
2000 = 47%
2007 = 50%

An increase of 16% since Reagan.

3. WORKERS COMPENSATED FOR THE LOSS OF INCOME BY SPENDING THEIR SAVINGS.

The savings Rose up to Reagan and fell during and after.

1950 = 6.0%
1960 = 7.0%
1970 = 8.5%
1980 = 10.0% – Reagan
1982 = 11.2% – Peak
1990 = 7.0%
2000 = 2.0%
2006 = -1.1% (Negative = withdrawing from savings)

A 12.3% drop after Reagan.

4. WORKERS ALSO BORROWED TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS.

Household Debt as percentage of GDP:

1965 = 46%
1970 = 45%
1980 = 50% – Reagan
1990 = 61%
2000 = 69%
2007 = 95%

A 45% increase after 1980.

5. SO THE GAP BETWEEN THE RICHEST AND THE POOREST HAS GROWN.

Gap Between the Share of Capital Income earned by the top 1%
and the bottom 80%:

1980 = 10%
2003 = 56%

A 5.6 times increase.

6. AND THE AMERICAN DREAM IS GONE.

The Probably of Moving Up from the Bottom 40% to the Top 40%:

1945 = 12%
1958 = 6%
1990 = 3%
2000 = 2%

A 10% Decrease.

Links:

1 = ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/pf/totalf1.txt
1 = https://www.clevelandfed.org/Research/PolicyDis/No7Nov04.pdf
1 = Clipboard01.jpg (image)
2 – Congratulations to Emmanuel Saez
3 = http://www.demos.org/inequality/images/charts/uspersonalsaving_thumb.gif
3 = U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
4 = Federated Prudent Bear Fund (A): Overview
4 = FRB: Z.1 Release--Financial Accounts of the United States--March 10, 2016
5/6 = 15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Wealth And Inequality In America

Overview = http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010062415/reagan-revolution-home-roost-charts

your stats clearly show that the transition occurred under GHW Bush, not Reagan.

Due to lag time. And don't leave Bill Clinton outta this, he was part of it too. And Hilary will continue the whole thing.

Not that Trump won't mind you.

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

No, DO blame reaganist taxes and policies, still defended to the death by the GOP. If you count all taxes and fees, we basically have a flat tax on everyone, with all new wealth going to the richest.

The Demise of the American Middle Class In Numbers.

Over the past 30 years the American dream has gradually disappeared. The process was slow, so most people didn’t notice. They just worked a few more hours, borrowed a little more and cut back on non-essentials. But looking at the numbers and comparing them over long time periods, it is obvious that things have changed drastically. Here are the details:

1. WORKERS PRODUCE MORE BUT THE GAINS GO TO BUSINESS.

Over the past 63 years worker productivity has grown by 2.0% per year.

But after 1980, workers received a smaller share every year. Labor’s share of income (1992 = 100%):

1950 = 101%
1960 = 105%
1970 = 105%
1980 = 105% – Reagan
1990 = 100%
2000 = 96%
2007 = 92%

A 13% drop since 1980

2. THE TOP 10% GET A LARGER SHARE.

Share of National Income going to Top 10%:

1950 = 35%
1960 = 34%
1970 = 34%
1980 = 34% – Reagan
1990 = 40%
2000 = 47%
2007 = 50%

An increase of 16% since Reagan.

3. WORKERS COMPENSATED FOR THE LOSS OF INCOME BY SPENDING THEIR SAVINGS.

The savings Rose up to Reagan and fell during and after.

1950 = 6.0%
1960 = 7.0%
1970 = 8.5%
1980 = 10.0% – Reagan
1982 = 11.2% – Peak
1990 = 7.0%
2000 = 2.0%
2006 = -1.1% (Negative = withdrawing from savings)

A 12.3% drop after Reagan.

4. WORKERS ALSO BORROWED TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS.

Household Debt as percentage of GDP:

1965 = 46%
1970 = 45%
1980 = 50% – Reagan
1990 = 61%
2000 = 69%
2007 = 95%

A 45% increase after 1980.

5. SO THE GAP BETWEEN THE RICHEST AND THE POOREST HAS GROWN.

Gap Between the Share of Capital Income earned by the top 1%
and the bottom 80%:

1980 = 10%
2003 = 56%

A 5.6 times increase.

6. AND THE AMERICAN DREAM IS GONE.

The Probably of Moving Up from the Bottom 40% to the Top 40%:

1945 = 12%
1958 = 6%
1990 = 3%
2000 = 2%

A 10% Decrease.

Links:

1 = ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/pf/totalf1.txt
1 = https://www.clevelandfed.org/Research/PolicyDis/No7Nov04.pdf
1 = Clipboard01.jpg (image)
2 – Congratulations to Emmanuel Saez
3 = http://www.demos.org/inequality/images/charts/uspersonalsaving_thumb.gif
3 = U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
4 = Federated Prudent Bear Fund (A): Overview
4 = FRB: Z.1 Release--Financial Accounts of the United States--March 10, 2016
5/6 = 15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Wealth And Inequality In America

Overview = http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010062415/reagan-revolution-home-roost-charts

your stats clearly show that the transition occurred under GHW Bush, not Reagan.

Due to lag time. And don't leave Bill Clinton outta this, he was part of it too. And Hilary will continue the whole thing.

Not that Trump won't mind you.

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

Under the neoliberal Bill Clinton administration the FCC was deregulated which resulted in the shrinking of the parameters of acceptable debate in a space now owned by 6 multinational corporations with little interest in investigative journalism or pushing back on the power structure. Half a dozen corporations control what 90% of Americans see and hear. The American media at this point is corporate perceptual reality marketing geared toward the management of the expectations of the masses. Under Clinton welfare was destroyed at a time when 70% of the recipients were children. Glass–Steagall was dismantled and reasonably aware folk understand what happened as a result of that. America returned to profiteering from bondage via mass incarceration of primarily black and brown bodies (but certainly always the poor), 90% of who never get a trial, into for profit prisons where other companies such as telephone and food service corporations further the exploitation of the underclass. In a hollowed out postindustrial society where there are no jobs for the poor or those sans degrees, society can now extract $40-50K per year per body, while blathering on about “bringing the jobs back”, which no one has any real intention of doing. The raping of society to support a bloated military occupation of the planet and endless wars of aggression to provide corporate access to markets and resources has continued unabated under the Obama administration and none of the afore mentioned “advances” were rolled back.
The Democratic Party is the Republican Party of my youth mouthing slightly less harsh rhetoric on social issues with no meaningful policy to back up the verbiage.

BS, brainwashed functional moron. Bill compromised with the New BS GOP, that's who put up all that tripe- FCC being dereg'd, Glas-St was all put up by the GOP. Also NAFTA, but then the GOP renegged on the training and education programs that would have prepared us for the GOOD jobs that Germany and China got. You're a brainwashed fool. Typical New BS GOP dupe.

 

[Fenton Lum]

No, DO blame reaganist taxes and policies, still defended to the death by the GOP. If you count all taxes and fees, we basically have a flat tax on everyone, with all new wealth going to the richest.

The Demise of the American Middle Class In Numbers.

Over the past 30 years the American dream has gradually disappeared. The process was slow, so most people didn’t notice. They just worked a few more hours, borrowed a little more and cut back on non-essentials. But looking at the numbers and comparing them over long time periods, it is obvious that things have changed drastically. Here are the details:

1. WORKERS PRODUCE MORE BUT THE GAINS GO TO BUSINESS.

Over the past 63 years worker productivity has grown by 2.0% per year.

But after 1980, workers received a smaller share every year. Labor’s share of income (1992 = 100%):

1950 = 101%
1960 = 105%
1970 = 105%
1980 = 105% – Reagan
1990 = 100%
2000 = 96%
2007 = 92%

A 13% drop since 1980

2. THE TOP 10% GET A LARGER SHARE.

Share of National Income going to Top 10%:

1950 = 35%
1960 = 34%
1970 = 34%
1980 = 34% – Reagan
1990 = 40%
2000 = 47%
2007 = 50%

An increase of 16% since Reagan.

3. WORKERS COMPENSATED FOR THE LOSS OF INCOME BY SPENDING THEIR SAVINGS.

The savings Rose up to Reagan and fell during and after.

1950 = 6.0%
1960 = 7.0%
1970 = 8.5%
1980 = 10.0% – Reagan
1982 = 11.2% – Peak
1990 = 7.0%
2000 = 2.0%
2006 = -1.1% (Negative = withdrawing from savings)

A 12.3% drop after Reagan.

4. WORKERS ALSO BORROWED TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS.

Household Debt as percentage of GDP:

1965 = 46%
1970 = 45%
1980 = 50% – Reagan
1990 = 61%
2000 = 69%
2007 = 95%

A 45% increase after 1980.

5. SO THE GAP BETWEEN THE RICHEST AND THE POOREST HAS GROWN.

Gap Between the Share of Capital Income earned by the top 1%
and the bottom 80%:

1980 = 10%
2003 = 56%

A 5.6 times increase.

6. AND THE AMERICAN DREAM IS GONE.

The Probably of Moving Up from the Bottom 40% to the Top 40%:

1945 = 12%
1958 = 6%
1990 = 3%
2000 = 2%

A 10% Decrease.

Links:

1 = ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/pf/totalf1.txt
1 = https://www.clevelandfed.org/Research/PolicyDis/No7Nov04.pdf
1 = Clipboard01.jpg (image)
2 – Congratulations to Emmanuel Saez
3 = http://www.demos.org/inequality/images/charts/uspersonalsaving_thumb.gif
3 = U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
4 = Federated Prudent Bear Fund (A): Overview
4 = FRB: Z.1 Release--Financial Accounts of the United States--March 10, 2016
5/6 = 15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Wealth And Inequality In America

Overview = http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010062415/reagan-revolution-home-roost-charts

your stats clearly show that the transition occurred under GHW Bush, not Reagan.

Due to lag time. And don't leave Bill Clinton outta this, he was part of it too. And Hilary will continue the whole thing.

Not that Trump won't mind you.

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

No, DO blame reaganist taxes and policies, still defended to the death by the GOP. If you count all taxes and fees, we basically have a flat tax on everyone, with all new wealth going to the richest.

The Demise of the American Middle Class In Numbers.

Over the past 30 years the American dream has gradually disappeared. The process was slow, so most people didn’t notice. They just worked a few more hours, borrowed a little more and cut back on non-essentials. But looking at the numbers and comparing them over long time periods, it is obvious that things have changed drastically. Here are the details:

1. WORKERS PRODUCE MORE BUT THE GAINS GO TO BUSINESS.

Over the past 63 years worker productivity has grown by 2.0% per year.

But after 1980, workers received a smaller share every year. Labor’s share of income (1992 = 100%):

1950 = 101%
1960 = 105%
1970 = 105%
1980 = 105% – Reagan
1990 = 100%
2000 = 96%
2007 = 92%

A 13% drop since 1980

2. THE TOP 10% GET A LARGER SHARE.

Share of National Income going to Top 10%:

1950 = 35%
1960 = 34%
1970 = 34%
1980 = 34% – Reagan
1990 = 40%
2000 = 47%
2007 = 50%

An increase of 16% since Reagan.

3. WORKERS COMPENSATED FOR THE LOSS OF INCOME BY SPENDING THEIR SAVINGS.

The savings Rose up to Reagan and fell during and after.

1950 = 6.0%
1960 = 7.0%
1970 = 8.5%
1980 = 10.0% – Reagan
1982 = 11.2% – Peak
1990 = 7.0%
2000 = 2.0%
2006 = -1.1% (Negative = withdrawing from savings)

A 12.3% drop after Reagan.

4. WORKERS ALSO BORROWED TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS.

Household Debt as percentage of GDP:

1965 = 46%
1970 = 45%
1980 = 50% – Reagan
1990 = 61%
2000 = 69%
2007 = 95%

A 45% increase after 1980.

5. SO THE GAP BETWEEN THE RICHEST AND THE POOREST HAS GROWN.

Gap Between the Share of Capital Income earned by the top 1%
and the bottom 80%:

1980 = 10%
2003 = 56%

A 5.6 times increase.

6. AND THE AMERICAN DREAM IS GONE.

The Probably of Moving Up from the Bottom 40% to the Top 40%:

1945 = 12%
1958 = 6%
1990 = 3%
2000 = 2%

A 10% Decrease.

Links:

1 = ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/pf/totalf1.txt
1 = https://www.clevelandfed.org/Research/PolicyDis/No7Nov04.pdf
1 = Clipboard01.jpg (image)
2 – Congratulations to Emmanuel Saez
3 = http://www.demos.org/inequality/images/charts/uspersonalsaving_thumb.gif
3 = U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
4 = Federated Prudent Bear Fund (A): Overview
4 = FRB: Z.1 Release--Financial Accounts of the United States--March 10, 2016
5/6 = 15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Wealth And Inequality In America

Overview = http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010062415/reagan-revolution-home-roost-charts

your stats clearly show that the transition occurred under GHW Bush, not Reagan.

Due to lag time. And don't leave Bill Clinton outta this, he was part of it too. And Hilary will continue the whole thing.

Not that Trump won't mind you.

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

Under the neoliberal Bill Clinton administration the FCC was deregulated which resulted in the shrinking of the parameters of acceptable debate in a space now owned by 6 multinational corporations with little interest in investigative journalism or pushing back on the power structure. Half a dozen corporations control what 90% of Americans see and hear. The American media at this point is corporate perceptual reality marketing geared toward the management of the expectations of the masses. Under Clinton welfare was destroyed at a time when 70% of the recipients were children. Glass–Steagall was dismantled and reasonably aware folk understand what happened as a result of that. America returned to profiteering from bondage via mass incarceration of primarily black and brown bodies (but certainly always the poor), 90% of who never get a trial, into for profit prisons where other companies such as telephone and food service corporations further the exploitation of the underclass. In a hollowed out postindustrial society where there are no jobs for the poor or those sans degrees, society can now extract $40-50K per year per body, while blathering on about “bringing the jobs back”, which no one has any real intention of doing. The raping of society to support a bloated military occupation of the planet and endless wars of aggression to provide corporate access to markets and resources has continued unabated under the Obama administration and none of the afore mentioned “advances” were rolled back.
The Democratic Party is the Republican Party of my youth mouthing slightly less harsh rhetoric on social issues with no meaningful policy to back up the verbiage.

BS, brainwashed functional moron. Bill compromised with the New BS GOP, that's who put up all that tripe- FCC being dereg'd, Glas-St was all put up by the GOP. Also NAFTA, but then the GOP renegged on the training and education programs that would have prepared us for the GOOD jobs that Germany and China got. You're a brainwashed fool. Typical New BS GOP dupe.

You're being "duped" by "both" side bub. Yeah, meant to drop the "s".

 

[francoHFW]

your stats clearly show that the transition occurred under GHW Bush, not Reagan.

Due to lag time. And don't leave Bill Clinton outta this, he was part of it too. And Hilary will continue the whole thing.

Not that Trump won't mind you.

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

your stats clearly show that the transition occurred under GHW Bush, not Reagan.

Due to lag time. And don't leave Bill Clinton outta this, he was part of it too. And Hilary will continue the whole thing.

Not that Trump won't mind you.

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

Under the neoliberal Bill Clinton administration the FCC was deregulated which resulted in the shrinking of the parameters of acceptable debate in a space now owned by 6 multinational corporations with little interest in investigative journalism or pushing back on the power structure. Half a dozen corporations control what 90% of Americans see and hear. The American media at this point is corporate perceptual reality marketing geared toward the management of the expectations of the masses. Under Clinton welfare was destroyed at a time when 70% of the recipients were children. Glass–Steagall was dismantled and reasonably aware folk understand what happened as a result of that. America returned to profiteering from bondage via mass incarceration of primarily black and brown bodies (but certainly always the poor), 90% of who never get a trial, into for profit prisons where other companies such as telephone and food service corporations further the exploitation of the underclass. In a hollowed out postindustrial society where there are no jobs for the poor or those sans degrees, society can now extract $40-50K per year per body, while blathering on about “bringing the jobs back”, which no one has any real intention of doing. The raping of society to support a bloated military occupation of the planet and endless wars of aggression to provide corporate access to markets and resources has continued unabated under the Obama administration and none of the afore mentioned “advances” were rolled back.
The Democratic Party is the Republican Party of my youth mouthing slightly less harsh rhetoric on social issues with no meaningful policy to back up the verbiage.

BS, brainwashed functional moron. Bill compromised with the New BS GOP, that's who put up all that tripe- FCC being dereg'd, Glas-St was all put up by the GOP. Also NAFTA, but then the GOP renegged on the training and education programs that would have prepared us for the GOOD jobs that Germany and China got. You're a brainwashed fool. Typical New BS GOP dupe.

You're being "duped" by "both" side bub. Yeah, meant to drop the "s".

Read about ANY of those laws and who wrote them, brainwashed functional moron.

 

[boilermaker55]

Now you know why corporate "america" isnt about the US, its about the chosen few.
UNIONS FOREVER!

Lawsuit Accuses Domino's Pizza of 'Rampant Wage Violations'

• By michael virtanen, associated press

ALBANY, N.Y. — May 24, 2016, 10:51 AM ET

• 8 Shares
• Email

The state's attorney general has sued Domino's Pizza Inc., affiliates and three franchisees alleging they underpaid workers based on payroll reports generated by the parent company's computer system.

"We've uncovered rampant wage violations at Domino's franchise stores, and intensive involvement by Domino's headquarters that caused many of these violations," Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Tuesday. "At some point, a company has to take responsibility for its actions and for its workers' well-being."

Schneiderman said the company knew since at least 2007 that its PULSE system's payroll software undercalculated gross wages while still encouraging franchisees to use it.

The suit filed Monday night in state Supreme Court in Manhattan alleges the three franchises and the company, as joint employers, underpaid workers at least $565,000 at 10 New York stores. It also seeks to determine full restitution owed to workers, a court finding that Domino's defrauded its franchisees and violated state law, and a monitor to ensure future compliance.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company called Schneiderman's lawsuit disappointing, saying it "disregards the nature of franchising and demeans the role of small business owners." The company said it has worked with his office for three years trying to help franchises comply with New York's complex wage laws.

Domino's is the largest pizza delivery company in the U.S. and gets most of its sales and profits — $272.8 million in fiscal 2015 revenues — through its franchise stores, the lawsuit said. "Yet, while the employees who deliver pizza from Domino's franchise stores are the linchpin of Domino's business, Domino's and the franchisee respondents systematically failed to pay delivery workers all of their hard-earned and lawfully owed wages."

Violations included failure to pay delivery workers the legal minimum wage and overtime rates and adequately reimburse their expenses, the suit alleges. In a new twist in the attorney general's wage theft cases, which have returned $26 million to nearly 20,000 workers since 2011, it says the franchisor is liable as a joint employer "because it exercised a high level of control over employee conditions at its franchise stores and because of its role in causing the wage violations at issue."

Robert Cresanti, president of the International Franchise Association, called the attempt to assign joint responsibility a politically motivated attack on the franchising business model to pay back special interests that have spent millions of dollars trying to unionize workers.

The attorney general's office has settled cases with 12 other Domino's franchisees, who collectively own 61 stores and have agreed to pay about $1.5 million. The company has 136 franchisee-owned stores in New York, along with 54 owned by Domino's itself.

"The attorney general now wants the company to take steps that would not only deprive our independent business owners of the opportunity to make their own employment decisions, but could impact the viability of the franchise model, the many opportunities it offers to those looking to start their own businesses, and the millions of jobs those franchised businesses create," Domino's spokesman Tim McIntyre said.

In a March letter to Terri Gerstein, chief of the attorney general's Labor Bureau, a lawyer for the company wrote that its standard franchise agreement requires complying with all laws and regulations and that the company agreed that every employee not paid the legal wage "should be made whole." The company would be willing to fund the cost of a monitor and franchise management training on complying with New York's wage and hour laws, attorney Eric Corngold wrote

And to show the real other side of this catastrophe .

Hey, J. Patrick Doyle, save some dough for the pizzas.

The Domino’s Pizza CEO’s lavish pay package — $43 million over the past three years — earned a sharp rebuke from the company’s shareholders on Tuesday.

Nearly a third of Domino’s investors voted against the re-election of director Andrew Balson, who chairs the board’s compensation committee, and nearly a quarter voted against the company’s executive pay plan.



Balson, a Bain Capital exec who also sits on the board of Outback Steakhouse owner Bloomin’ Brands, is “a serial overpayer,” according to Michael Pryce-Jones of Change to Win Investment Group, which advises trade-union pension funds.

“Unfortunately, he’s also got thick skin,” Pryce-Jones added, noting that Balson has riled shareholders at Bloomin’ as well as FleetCor Technologies, on whose board he also sits.

In a statement, Domino’s said it was “pleased” that a “substantial majority” of shareholders approved its pay policies and Balson’s reelection.

“We appreciate this vote of confidence in our board, our CEO, [and] our senior leadership team,” the company said.

Domino’s noted that its stock price has been on a tear in recent years under Doyle’s leadership. In 2013, Domino’s shares surged 63 percent — after growing 113, 28 and 90 percent in 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively.

As such, Domino’s has become “unique” in that the company performance hasn’t entirely shielded top brass from scrutiny over compensation, Pryce-Jones notes.

Disgruntled investors included the California Public Employees Retirement System, which called the plan “egregious.”

New York City Pension Funds, the Florida State Board of Administration and the Illinois State Board of Investment likewise voted against it.

 

[Fenton Lum]

Due to lag time. And don't leave Bill Clinton outta this, he was part of it too. And Hilary will continue the whole thing.

Not that Trump won't mind you.

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

Due to lag time. And don't leave Bill Clinton outta this, he was part of it too. And Hilary will continue the whole thing.

Not that Trump won't mind you.

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

Under the neoliberal Bill Clinton administration the FCC was deregulated which resulted in the shrinking of the parameters of acceptable debate in a space now owned by 6 multinational corporations with little interest in investigative journalism or pushing back on the power structure. Half a dozen corporations control what 90% of Americans see and hear. The American media at this point is corporate perceptual reality marketing geared toward the management of the expectations of the masses. Under Clinton welfare was destroyed at a time when 70% of the recipients were children. Glass–Steagall was dismantled and reasonably aware folk understand what happened as a result of that. America returned to profiteering from bondage via mass incarceration of primarily black and brown bodies (but certainly always the poor), 90% of who never get a trial, into for profit prisons where other companies such as telephone and food service corporations further the exploitation of the underclass. In a hollowed out postindustrial society where there are no jobs for the poor or those sans degrees, society can now extract $40-50K per year per body, while blathering on about “bringing the jobs back”, which no one has any real intention of doing. The raping of society to support a bloated military occupation of the planet and endless wars of aggression to provide corporate access to markets and resources has continued unabated under the Obama administration and none of the afore mentioned “advances” were rolled back.
The Democratic Party is the Republican Party of my youth mouthing slightly less harsh rhetoric on social issues with no meaningful policy to back up the verbiage.

BS, brainwashed functional moron. Bill compromised with the New BS GOP, that's who put up all that tripe- FCC being dereg'd, Glas-St was all put up by the GOP. Also NAFTA, but then the GOP renegged on the training and education programs that would have prepared us for the GOOD jobs that Germany and China got. You're a brainwashed fool. Typical New BS GOP dupe.

You're being "duped" by "both" side bub. Yeah, meant to drop the "s".

Read about ANY of those laws and who wrote them, brainwashed functional moron.

Look, if I can't depend on the democratic party, and I can’t, to beat this shit back then they're no damn good, and that, I would argue, is where we are. You want to harangue me into supporting one faction of a quibbling aristocracy while the power structure is aligned in the societal wealth extraction of this society? Man fuck that, just go on throwing your fits.

 

[francoHFW]

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

Horse patoot. Hillary has the good policy. The New BS GOP suqs since the 80's.

Under the neoliberal Bill Clinton administration the FCC was deregulated which resulted in the shrinking of the parameters of acceptable debate in a space now owned by 6 multinational corporations with little interest in investigative journalism or pushing back on the power structure. Half a dozen corporations control what 90% of Americans see and hear. The American media at this point is corporate perceptual reality marketing geared toward the management of the expectations of the masses. Under Clinton welfare was destroyed at a time when 70% of the recipients were children. Glass–Steagall was dismantled and reasonably aware folk understand what happened as a result of that. America returned to profiteering from bondage via mass incarceration of primarily black and brown bodies (but certainly always the poor), 90% of who never get a trial, into for profit prisons where other companies such as telephone and food service corporations further the exploitation of the underclass. In a hollowed out postindustrial society where there are no jobs for the poor or those sans degrees, society can now extract $40-50K per year per body, while blathering on about “bringing the jobs back”, which no one has any real intention of doing. The raping of society to support a bloated military occupation of the planet and endless wars of aggression to provide corporate access to markets and resources has continued unabated under the Obama administration and none of the afore mentioned “advances” were rolled back.
The Democratic Party is the Republican Party of my youth mouthing slightly less harsh rhetoric on social issues with no meaningful policy to back up the verbiage.

BS, brainwashed functional moron. Bill compromised with the New BS GOP, that's who put up all that tripe- FCC being dereg'd, Glas-St was all put up by the GOP. Also NAFTA, but then the GOP renegged on the training and education programs that would have prepared us for the GOOD jobs that Germany and China got. You're a brainwashed fool. Typical New BS GOP dupe.

You're being "duped" by "both" side bub. Yeah, meant to drop the "s".

Read about ANY of those laws and who wrote them, brainwashed functional moron.

Look, if I can't depend on the democratic party, and I can’t, to beat this shit back then they're no damn good, and that, I would argue, is where we are. You want to harangue me into supporting one faction of a quibbling aristocracy while the power structure is aligned in the societal wealth extraction of this society? Man fuck that, just go on throwing your fits.

Keep voting for greedy lying thieving idiot GOP billionaires then, fool. Just look at all the good moves the New BS GOP has blocked the last 7 years, with the help of brainwashed Foxbots or WHATEVER dupes of their giant bs propaganda machine. Trump parrots it all. Today- "Foster death was fishy" lol

 

[francoHFW]

NAFTA has many unintended consequences.

+ machines continue to take over jobs at all levels.

The day will soon come when you'll be taking to a machine when calling customer service and not know it.

Computers can do accounting, write legal briefs and file them, hire and fire people (human resources) make out schedules... Computers can operate other computers... What can you do that a computer can't? (or won't ever)...

Maybe we should legalize all drugs and just allow a generation to die off.

You can try that, it'll fail as a strategy, but whatever.

Works great in Portugal and Switz, dupe. You'll never hear it on the GOP Propaganda Machine- just racist law and order crap and fear mongering. Yup, the Drug War works great, and only costs trillions...

 

[Fenton Lum]

Under the neoliberal Bill Clinton administration the FCC was deregulated which resulted in the shrinking of the parameters of acceptable debate in a space now owned by 6 multinational corporations with little interest in investigative journalism or pushing back on the power structure. Half a dozen corporations control what 90% of Americans see and hear. The American media at this point is corporate perceptual reality marketing geared toward the management of the expectations of the masses. Under Clinton welfare was destroyed at a time when 70% of the recipients were children. Glass–Steagall was dismantled and reasonably aware folk understand what happened as a result of that. America returned to profiteering from bondage via mass incarceration of primarily black and brown bodies (but certainly always the poor), 90% of who never get a trial, into for profit prisons where other companies such as telephone and food service corporations further the exploitation of the underclass. In a hollowed out postindustrial society where there are no jobs for the poor or those sans degrees, society can now extract $40-50K per year per body, while blathering on about “bringing the jobs back”, which no one has any real intention of doing. The raping of society to support a bloated military occupation of the planet and endless wars of aggression to provide corporate access to markets and resources has continued unabated under the Obama administration and none of the afore mentioned “advances” were rolled back.
The Democratic Party is the Republican Party of my youth mouthing slightly less harsh rhetoric on social issues with no meaningful policy to back up the verbiage.

BS, brainwashed functional moron. Bill compromised with the New BS GOP, that's who put up all that tripe- FCC being dereg'd, Glas-St was all put up by the GOP. Also NAFTA, but then the GOP renegged on the training and education programs that would have prepared us for the GOOD jobs that Germany and China got. You're a brainwashed fool. Typical New BS GOP dupe.

You're being "duped" by "both" side bub. Yeah, meant to drop the "s".

Read about ANY of those laws and who wrote them, brainwashed functional moron.

Look, if I can't depend on the democratic party, and I can’t, to beat this shit back then they're no damn good, and that, I would argue, is where we are. You want to harangue me into supporting one faction of a quibbling aristocracy while the power structure is aligned in the societal wealth extraction of this society? Man fuck that, just go on throwing your fits.

Keep voting for greedy lying thieving idiot GOP billionaires then, fool. Just look at all the good moves the New BS GOP has blocked the last 7 years, with the help of brainwashed Foxbots or WHATEVER dupes of their giant bs propaganda machine. Trump parrots it all. Today- "Foster death was fishy" lol

That's your problem right there, no imagination. The power structure has you indoctrinated that all you can ever do is to either vote republican or democrat, and then wait for the substantial people to grant your wish of change.

It ain't never coming down like that, you're lazy and playing right into their game. All the system intended to give you was either another Bush or another Clinton - aristocratic dynasty shit. Same as it ever was. All americans have a basis upon which to be upset. Some of us have yet to figure out the game.

I'll wait for you.

 

[Fenton Lum]

NAFTA has many unintended consequences.

+ machines continue to take over jobs at all levels.

The day will soon come when you'll be taking to a machine when calling customer service and not know it.

Computers can do accounting, write legal briefs and file them, hire and fire people (human resources) make out schedules... Computers can operate other computers... What can you do that a computer can't? (or won't ever)...

Maybe we should legalize all drugs and just allow a generation to die off.

You can try that, it'll fail as a strategy, but whatever.

Works great in Portugal and Switz, dupe. You'll never hear it on the GOP Propaganda Machine- just racist law and order crap and fear mongering. Yup, the Drug War works great, and only costs trillions...

And Bill Clinton participated in a massive uptick in mass incarceration while Hilary referred to black kids as "super predators". Were you in search of a point? It’s the system pard, the whole thing. "One" side of the ruling class is not coming to save you from the "other".

 

[francoHFW]

BS, brainwashed functional moron. Bill compromised with the New BS GOP, that's who put up all that tripe- FCC being dereg'd, Glas-St was all put up by the GOP. Also NAFTA, but then the GOP renegged on the training and education programs that would have prepared us for the GOOD jobs that Germany and China got. You're a brainwashed fool. Typical New BS GOP dupe.

You're being "duped" by "both" side bub. Yeah, meant to drop the "s".

Read about ANY of those laws and who wrote them, brainwashed functional moron.

Look, if I can't depend on the democratic party, and I can’t, to beat this shit back then they're no damn good, and that, I would argue, is where we are. You want to harangue me into supporting one faction of a quibbling aristocracy while the power structure is aligned in the societal wealth extraction of this society? Man fuck that, just go on throwing your fits.

Keep voting for greedy lying thieving idiot GOP billionaires then, fool. Just look at all the good moves the New BS GOP has blocked the last 7 years, with the help of brainwashed Foxbots or WHATEVER dupes of their giant bs propaganda machine. Trump parrots it all. Today- "Foster death was fishy" lol

That's your problem right there, no imagination. The power structure has you indoctrinated that all you can ever do is to either vote republican or democrat, and then wait for the substantial people to grant your wish of change.

It ain't never coming down like that, you're lazy and playing right into their game. All the system intended to give you was either another Bush or another Clinton - aristocratic dynasty shit. Same as it ever was. All americans have a basis upon which to be upset. Some of us have yet to figure out the game.

I'll wait for you.

Another dupe of GOP propaganda...Look at policy and vote for the party that you agree with (DEMS DUH). Or vote Green and get the catastrophe George W. Boooosh.

 

[OnePercenter]

According to the story, the reason the American middle class is collapsing is wage disparity and cost disparity. Daaah! What political party do the wage and cost setters belong? Hint: It's not Democrats.

The answer is;

-Base Federal tax for corporations at 30% of revenue.

-Raise minimum wage to $23.50/hr. Based on where minimum wage should be using 1970-2016 rise in food, shelter, and transportation.

-Eliminate all business subsidies (deductions/write-offs/write-downs) except for employee expenses which are deducted dollar-for-dollar on all city, state, and Federal taxes and fees with the Feds refunding city, State, and fees.

-Companies with 600 employees or less, employee expenses above the deduction are subsidized at 100% with funds usually give back to the States.

-Adjust Social Security and private/public retirement and pension payments using 1970-2015 price structure.

-Remove the FICA limit.

-Back down ALL costs, prices, fees, to January 1, 2009 levels and hold them for 10 years which will eliminate inflation.

-Recall ALL off-shore investments tax free, and disallow any further off-shore investments.

-Make inversion illegal.

My plan would reduce small business costs for employees and taxes to 30%. That's a 15%-30% drop.

My plan would put BILLIONS into the economy daily.

My plan would put the $100 trillion plus currently owned by corporate America back into the economy.

My plan would end all welfare.

My plan would significantly increase social security and pension payments.

My plan would hold prices for 10 years, thus eliminating inflation.

 

[Fenton Lum]

And Bill Clinton participated in a massive uptick in mass incarceration while Hilary referred to black kids as "super predators".

Look into it, check it out for yourself.

 

[Fenton Lum]

You're being "duped" by "both" side bub. Yeah, meant to drop the "s".

Read about ANY of those laws and who wrote them, brainwashed functional moron.

Look, if I can't depend on the democratic party, and I can’t, to beat this shit back then they're no damn good, and that, I would argue, is where we are. You want to harangue me into supporting one faction of a quibbling aristocracy while the power structure is aligned in the societal wealth extraction of this society? Man fuck that, just go on throwing your fits.

Keep voting for greedy lying thieving idiot GOP billionaires then, fool. Just look at all the good moves the New BS GOP has blocked the last 7 years, with the help of brainwashed Foxbots or WHATEVER dupes of their giant bs propaganda machine. Trump parrots it all. Today- "Foster death was fishy" lol

That's your problem right there, no imagination. The power structure has you indoctrinated that all you can ever do is to either vote republican or democrat, and then wait for the substantial people to grant your wish of change.

It ain't never coming down like that, you're lazy and playing right into their game. All the system intended to give you was either another Bush or another Clinton - aristocratic dynasty shit. Same as it ever was. All americans have a basis upon which to be upset. Some of us have yet to figure out the game.

I'll wait for you.

Another dupe of GOP propaganda...Look at policy and vote for the party that you agree with (DEMS DUH). Or vote Green and get the catastrophe George W. Boooosh.

Honestly, you fanatics all sound alike to me, doesn't matter "which" side.

 

[francoHFW]

NAFTA has many unintended consequences.

+ machines continue to take over jobs at all levels.

The day will soon come when you'll be taking to a machine when calling customer service and not know it.

Computers can do accounting, write legal briefs and file them, hire and fire people (human resources) make out schedules... Computers can operate other computers... What can you do that a computer can't? (or won't ever)...

Maybe we should legalize all drugs and just allow a generation to die off.

You can try that, it'll fail as a strategy, but whatever.

Works great in Portugal and Switz, dupe. You'll never hear it on the GOP Propaganda Machine- just racist law and order crap and fear mongering. Yup, the Drug War works great, and only costs trillions...

And Bill Clinton participated in a massive uptick in mass incarceration while Hilary referred to black kids as "super predators". Were you in search of a point? It’s the system pard, the whole thing. "One" side of the ruling class is not coming to save you from the "other".

That was the GOP idea, which they still believe in. The Clintons can't stop apologizing for going along with that GOP part of the law, and are for decriminalizing, letting people out etc. Get some more tin foil, it's a CONSPIRACEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

 

[francoHFW]

According to the story, the reason the American middle class is collapsing is wage disparity and cost disparity. Daaah! What political party do the wage and cost setters belong? Hint: It's not Democrats.

The answer is;

-Base Federal tax for corporations at 30% of revenue.

-Raise minimum wage to $23.50/hr. Based on where minimum wage should be using 1970-2016 rise in food, shelter, and transportation.

-Eliminate all business subsidies (deductions/write-offs/write-downs) except for employee expenses which are deducted dollar-for-dollar on all city, state, and Federal taxes and fees with the Feds refunding city, State, and fees.

-Companies with 600 employees or less, employee expenses above the deduction are subsidized at 100% with funds usually give back to the States.

-Adjust Social Security and private/public retirement and pension payments using 1970-2015 price structure.

-Remove the FICA limit.

-Back down ALL costs, prices, fees, to January 1, 2009 levels and hold them for 10 years which will eliminate inflation.

-Recall ALL off-shore investments tax free, and disallow any further off-shore investments.

-Make inversion illegal.

My plan would reduce small business costs for employees and taxes to 30%. That's a 15%-30% drop.

My plan would put BILLIONS into the economy daily.

My plan would put the $100 trillion plus currently owned by corporate America back into the economy.

My plan would end all welfare.

My plan would significantly increase social security and pension payments.

My plan would hold prices for 10 years, thus eliminating inflation.

I agree, but $15 is enough, also tagged to inflation for good.

 

[francoHFW]

And 50% tax over 10 million income, 60% over 30 million, 70% over 50 million.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Just to head this deflection off; this is due to the leadership of BOTH parties being bought by the corporate crony network.

This is not a slam on Dems alone, but all the bastards that undermine our lives and economic future in DC by carrying corporate water for them.

The Bruised and Battered Middle Class

Likewise, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas have the 10 areas with the highest share of lower-income earners. With the exception of New Mexico, all those states have favored either Republicans or Democrats in four straight presidential elections.

The metro regions with the highest percentage of middle-income households, though, are disproportionately located in swing states or states that the Trump campaign believes are ripe for the New York billionaire's economic message. Pennsylvania and Ohio each have one, and Wisconsin alone has four.

"That tells me the trends described in this report are going to benefit the more populist candidates," said Alan Tonelson, an economic policy analyst who is critical of U.S. trade policy. "That seems to me to translate into good news for Trump … [Clinton] doesn't have very deep roots as a trade policy critic."

Our country was founded on protectionism and isolationism. We should have stuck with that.

 

[OnePercenter]

According to the story, the reason the American middle class is collapsing is wage disparity and cost disparity. Daaah! What political party do the wage and cost setters belong? Hint: It's not Democrats.

The answer is;

-Base Federal tax for corporations at 30% of revenue.

-Raise minimum wage to $23.50/hr. Based on where minimum wage should be using 1970-2016 rise in food, shelter, and transportation.

-Eliminate all business subsidies (deductions/write-offs/write-downs) except for employee expenses which are deducted dollar-for-dollar on all city, state, and Federal taxes and fees with the Feds refunding city, State, and fees.

-Companies with 600 employees or less, employee expenses above the deduction are subsidized at 100% with funds usually give back to the States.

-Adjust Social Security and private/public retirement and pension payments using 1970-2015 price structure.

-Remove the FICA limit.

-Back down ALL costs, prices, fees, to January 1, 2009 levels and hold them for 10 years which will eliminate inflation.

-Recall ALL off-shore investments tax free, and disallow any further off-shore investments.

-Make inversion illegal.

My plan would reduce small business costs for employees and taxes to 30%. That's a 15%-30% drop.

My plan would put BILLIONS into the economy daily.

My plan would put the $100 trillion plus currently owned by corporate America back into the economy.

My plan would end all welfare.

My plan would significantly increase social security and pension payments.

My plan would hold prices for 10 years, thus eliminating inflation.

I agree, but $15 is enough, also tagged to inflation for good.

I agree, but $15 is enough, also tagged to inflation for good.

Inflation numbers don't include shelter.

 

[Dale Smith]

NAFTA has many unintended consequences.

+ machines continue to take over jobs at all levels.

The day will soon come when you'll be taking to a machine when calling customer service and not know it.

Computers can do accounting, write legal briefs and file them, hire and fire people (human resources) make out schedules... Computers can operate other computers... What can you do that a computer can't? (or won't ever)...

Maybe we should legalize all drugs and just allow a generation to die off.

You can try that, it'll fail as a strategy, but whatever.

Works great in Portugal and Switz, dupe. You'll never hear it on the GOP Propaganda Machine- just racist law and order crap and fear mongering. Yup, the Drug War works great, and only costs trillions...

And Bill Clinton participated in a massive uptick in mass incarceration while Hilary referred to black kids as "super predators". Were you in search of a point? It’s the system pard, the whole thing. "One" side of the ruling class is not coming to save you from the "other".

That was the GOP idea, which they still believe in. The Clintons can't stop apologizing for going along with that GOP part of the law, and are for decriminalizing, letting people out etc. Get some more tin foil, it's a CONSPIRACEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Fenton Lum is 100 percent CORRECT and he definitely doesn't lean to the right. What Fenton has is a keen sense of what is really going on and putting it into terms that anyone can understand. Those on the left and the right should pay attention to what he says concerning this left versus right paradigm because at the very top they are owned by the same banking oligarchs and they OWN this country.