"You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of pros

[asterism]

The rich got richer because of the golden rule..

"He who has the gold...makes the rules" Our laws are written by the rich, for the rich. They have done nothing but make it easier to accumulate and protect wealth. CEOs in the US make more than CEOs in other countries. They do not work harder and they do not produce better results
Meanwhile, the working class has been sold on trickle down economics being their ultimate savior.

JFK once said that a rising economic tide lifts all boats.....now it only lifts the yachts

No, it lifts all boats that don't have holes in them. The problem for most of the working poor and most of the middle class declining is that they refuse to bother taking ownership of their own success.

I say this while realizing that there are millions of working poor that have done things correctly and still can't catch a break. However, the massive government programs created to solve that problem haven't been effective.

You are talking about over 50% of the population that the right wing is calling fuck-ups. It is your fault that you were laid off, it is your fault that you can't afford college for your kids, it is your fault that healthcare costs so much

No, it's their fault they didn't learn how to manage money. It's their fault they still won't bother. My parents couldn't afford college for me. Honestly, that might have been the best thing to ever happen in my life.

 

[asterism]

RW can't tell the difference between blaming others and an individual accepting responsibility for his lot in life and doing something about it.

He obviously doesn't value achievement.

 

[asterism]

RW can't tell the difference between blaming others and an individual accepting responsibility for his lot in life and doing something about it.

The American worker is doing something about it. They work harder, are more educated and are the most productive workers on earth..

And they have less to show for it

Most productive? By what measure?

 

[JBeukema]

A few factoids:
1. The wealthy moved 14,000 US factories overseas because of cheap labor

translation: capitalists want to avoid the progress made in the U.S. which gave rise to the middle class, so- true to form- they've grown to cross the borders of the nation-states in order to exploit those of the proletariat who cannot trust in any government bodies or raise sufficient arms to ensure fair compensation and a decent standard of living.

The solution: (1) ban the importation of any goods not deemed sweat-free (2) reform the American system (3) support pro-democracy and pro-labour movements around the world with training and materiel.

2. The wealthy built 100,000 new factories overseas because of cheap labor

translation: the capitalist wanted to further increase their profit margin by crossing the borders of nation-states in order to avoid the Clean Air and Water acts, which ended the flaming rivers and work to prevent our own Great London Smog.

The solution: an import tariff on those nations which fail to enact reasonable environmental protection laws


The results of these measures:
1) Encourage environmental protection around the world

2) Help to alleviate the exploitation of the poor around the world- by Western capitalists, at least

3) Help encourage changes around the world that result in foreign nations adopting systems which make them more likely to be our allies than our enemies; build rapport with the world's people

4) Disincentive 'outsourcing' and bring manufacturing and other jobs back to the U.S.

3. The unemployment rate for the under 30 is over 25%

Due, in large part, to the above problems

4. The top 10% of incomes own 90% of everything

Thanks, in large part, to the Republicans since Reagan working to undermine the progress of the labour movement and wage class warfare against the working man in exchange for campaign donations and the trend towards fascism (the merging of state and corporate power; see: Mineral Management Service)

 

[JBeukema]

RW can't tell the difference between blaming others and an individual accepting responsibility for his lot in life and doing something about it.

It's not 'blaming' anyone to point out the actions and policies which have been destroying America: ludicrous spending by both parties and pro-capitalist (read: anti-American and anti-worker) policies that favour the Corporation over the citizen

 

[asterism]

RW can't tell the difference between blaming others and an individual accepting responsibility for his lot in life and doing something about it.

It's not 'blaming' anyone to point out the actions and policies which have been destroying America: ludicrous spending by both parties and pro-capitalist (read: anti-American and anti-worker) policies that favour the Corporation over the citizen

You think it's the policies, I think it's the practice.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/24/business/24shortcuts.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

Balancing a checkbook is harder than Calculus?

Here's some information that teachers who can't balance their own checkbooks wish didn't exist:

UB Today: Final Word: Why Johnny Can't Balance a Checkbook

 

[JBeukema]

practice = actions

 

[rightwinger]

RW can't tell the difference between blaming others and an individual accepting responsibility for his lot in life and doing something about it.

The American worker is doing something about it. They work harder, are more educated and are the most productive workers on earth..

And they have less to show for it

Most productive? By what measure?

Ranking the Workers of the World - The Numbers Guy - WSJ

in 2006 U.S. workers, on average, added the highest value, in terms of gross domestic product: $63,885 per person employed, compared to runner-up Ireland’s $55,986. However, on an hourly basis, the U.S. ranked second, at $35.63 per hour, compared to Norway’s $37.99,

The US worker also puts in more hours than workers in other industrialized nations.

I fail to see why the right wing continues to call them stupid and lazy

 

[JBeukema]

The American worker is doing something about it. They work harder, are more educated and are the most productive workers on earth..

And they have less to show for it

Most productive? By what measure?

Ranking the Workers of the World - The Numbers Guy - WSJ

in 2006 U.S. workers, on average, added the highest value, in terms of gross domestic product: $63,885 per person employed, compared to runner-up Ireland’s $55,986. However, on an hourly basis, the U.S. ranked second, at $35.63 per hour, compared to Norway’s $37.99,

The US worker also puts in more hours than workers in other industrialized nations.

I fail to see why the right wing continues to call them stupid and lazy

from your link

Getty Images
Norwegian workers, including these working on a natural-gas pipeline, are, per hour, the most productive in the world, according to U.N. estimates.

 

[rightwinger]

Most productive? By what measure?

Ranking the Workers of the World - The Numbers Guy - WSJ

in 2006 U.S. workers, on average, added the highest value, in terms of gross domestic product: $63,885 per person employed, compared to runner-up Ireland’s $55,986. However, on an hourly basis, the U.S. ranked second, at $35.63 per hour, compared to Norway’s $37.99,

The US worker also puts in more hours than workers in other industrialized nations.

I fail to see why the right wing continues to call them stupid and lazy

from your link

Getty Images
Norwegian workers, including these working on a natural-gas pipeline, are, per hour, the most productive in the world, according to U.N. estimates.

But Norway actually makes its workers work fewer hours and gives more time off.

Imagine...actualy caring about the quality of life of your workforce

 

[Lonestar_logic]

You can not have a prosperous society by letting the rich run roughshod over people through exploitation and oppression.

Was BP exploiting natural resources that belong to us all? You betcha.
Was Wall Street exploiting lax rules of credit to bundle securities in a way to hide worthless assets to collect commissions on junk? You betcha.

It is pretty simple about legislation. Behave yourself and be responsible to not only your company but your neighbors. You do not exist in a vacuum. If you heed that no new legislation will come.

They applied for a lease like everyone else, there was no exploitation of natural resources you idiot!

 

[asterism]

The American worker is doing something about it. They work harder, are more educated and are the most productive workers on earth..

And they have less to show for it

Most productive? By what measure?

Ranking the Workers of the World - The Numbers Guy - WSJ

in 2006 U.S. workers, on average, added the highest value, in terms of gross domestic product: $63,885 per person employed, compared to runner-up Ireland’s $55,986. However, on an hourly basis, the U.S. ranked second, at $35.63 per hour, compared to Norway’s $37.99,

The US worker also puts in more hours than workers in other industrialized nations.

I fail to see why the right wing continues to call them stupid and lazy

So they are at best second place in productivity, much of which is actually just a function of economies of scale.

I haven't called all American workers stupid and lazy, just the stupid and lazy ones.

 

[rightwinger]

Most productive? By what measure?

Ranking the Workers of the World - The Numbers Guy - WSJ

in 2006 U.S. workers, on average, added the highest value, in terms of gross domestic product: $63,885 per person employed, compared to runner-up Ireland’s $55,986. However, on an hourly basis, the U.S. ranked second, at $35.63 per hour, compared to Norway’s $37.99,

The US worker also puts in more hours than workers in other industrialized nations.

I fail to see why the right wing continues to call them stupid and lazy

So they are at best second place in productivity, much of which is actually just a function of economies of scale.

I haven't called all American workers stupid and lazy, just the stupid and lazy ones.

The fact is that the American worker is holding up his part of the bargain....he just has less and less to show for it while the wealthy claim more and more of available wealth

 

[Trajan]

Ranking the Workers of the World - The Numbers Guy - WSJ



The US worker also puts in more hours than workers in other industrialized nations.

I fail to see why the right wing continues to call them stupid and lazy

So they are at best second place in productivity, much of which is actually just a function of economies of scale.

I haven't called all American workers stupid and lazy, just the stupid and lazy ones.

The fact is that the American worker is holding up his part of the bargain....he just has less and less to show for it while the wealthy claim more and more of available wealth

damn it...can I get some at 7-11? I want mine before its gone...., so how much wealth is left? Have they taken it all? can we make more?....drats!!!!!

 

[rightwinger]

So they are at best second place in productivity, much of which is actually just a function of economies of scale.

I haven't called all American workers stupid and lazy, just the stupid and lazy ones.

The fact is that the American worker is holding up his part of the bargain....he just has less and less to show for it while the wealthy claim more and more of available wealth

damn it...can I get some at 7-11? I want mine before its gone...., so how much wealth is left? Have they taken it all? can we make more?....drats!!!!!

We can start with a tax cut that created no jobs and a stagnant economy
Then beef up the Healthcare plan to eliminate the possibility of being wiped out financially by a major medical condition
Then make all education expenses tax deductable
Cut the tax code deductions in half

 

[JFK_USA]

They certainly aren't Starving as they gobble up junk food while watching their big screen TVs.

There are serious issues with the status of the poor in our society - lack of food is not one of them.

This is one of my favorite right wing tactics. Take attention away from the rich by blaming the poor. Its the old "Poor people drive Escalades" myth. Selling the mistruth that the poor are living high off the hog.

I personally,am more concerned with the working poor. Those Americans who work 40-50 hours a week and have less and less to show for it. People who would lose everything if they become sick, people who must assume tens of thousands in debt to send their kids to college, people who wonder if they should pay the doctor bill or the rent.

Used to be, you could support a family on a high school education and one spouse working. That American dream has vanished as the wealthy have become richer and the standard of living has declined

You reference that time a lot. I grew up then and we never ever had a new car, much less borrowed money for one. My parents never bought "as much house as we could afford" and we didn't upgrade based on Dad getting a raise. It was a small house, below average size and we had a big family. "Work hard and get a scholarship" was the college plan. We had a boat, one that Dad got when he bet the guy he could get it running - "if you can fix it, you can have it." 1 TV, no cable, none of the new gadgets. All this is possible on one income today with a typical family.

Yeah thats great and all but let me tell you reality.

Burger King, McDonalds, Captain D's just years ago got rid of paper applications and have online applications or phone applications. Well okay so you get the internet at $35/month or now get a phone too. Well Internet and phone plans run around $70/month. Thats on the cheap side.

Okay so now Rent in a not so bad neighborhood is $500/month. Not including utilities that run $70-80/month. So now all together that is just to keep a roof on your head, heat and a way to apply for jobs is $650/month.

Let's say you get a job with McDonalds at $7.25/hour and you get 25 hours a week. That is $181.25/week BEFORE TAXES. Take home Probably around 160. So people take home $640/month. Well they are in the hole $10 without counting food, gas, transportation and other things. Its not easy to live poor. We don't drive in escaldes or bentleys. Its a struggle. We don't live comfortably EVER. Don't assume because you see some idiot in the hood driving a Cadallac while the rest drive an escort.

This isn't a glamorous life, its sucks for those trying their best to make ends meet.