America's Staggering Inequality and Our Strong Preference for a Swedish Alternative

[Intense]

Socialism is designed to reduce the gap between rich and poor. Conservative capitalism is designed to widen it.

bullshit, Everybody has the opportunity to MAKE something of themselves if they CHOSE to.
It's nobodies FAULT but their own if they CHOSE not to. And it isn't the Responsibility of the people who do make something of themselves to TAKE CARE of those who CHOSE not to.
That's the beauty of LIVING IN FREE COUNTRY.

You all don't like it, you friggen move.

There is a reality in economics called scarcity. It means quite simply that there is not an unlimited supply of everything.

In no way could everyone be RICH in America just by CHOOSING to be RICH. That is profoundly retarded, or, more to the point, that is profoundly Stephanie.

Misappropriation of Trust and Finite Funds contributes what exactly to Growth???? Yeah.... I thought so. Why not limit your scheming to your own resources??? Why must the rest of us be compelled against our will to support poorly planned Government backed Scams???

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Socialism is designed to reduce the gap between rich and poor. Conservative capitalism is designed to widen it.

bullshit, Everybody has the opportunity to MAKE something of themselves if they CHOSE to.

.....And, we can ALWAYS rely on "conservatives" evaluating whether-or-not you HAVE made something of yourself.....dependent (of course) on how-sizable your campaign-contributions are.

​

 

[NYcarbineer]

bullshit, Everybody has the opportunity to MAKE something of themselves if they CHOSE to.
It's nobodies FAULT but their own if they CHOSE not to. And it isn't the Responsibility of the people who do make something of themselves to TAKE CARE of those who CHOSE not to.
That's the beauty of LIVING IN FREE COUNTRY.

You all don't like it, you friggen move.

There is a reality in economics called scarcity. It means quite simply that there is not an unlimited supply of everything.

In no way could everyone be RICH in America just by CHOOSING to be RICH. That is profoundly retarded, or, more to the point, that is profoundly Stephanie.

Misappropriation of Trust and Finite Funds contributes what exactly to Growth???? Yeah.... I thought so. Why not limit your scheming to your own resources??? Why must the rest of us be compelled against our will to support poorly planned Government backed Scams???

For the same reason I'm compelled against my will to support a military more costly than the rest of the world's military combined. How about that, if you're looking for that sort of rationale...

 

[NYcarbineer]

Why don't you conservatives move? You're always complaining about what's wrong with the U.S.

The difference is that we don't hold other countries up as a shining example that we should follow. We are not followers. We are leaders. It's the lefties who whine about other countries doing it better. And yet, those countries are not as free as we are. You would sacrifice freedom for an easy life. We will not. We will live by the US Constitution. You will shred it.

So which of these 'socialist' programs have been found unconstitutional?

1. Social Security
2. Medicaid
3. Food stamps
4. Minimum wage
5. Public schools
6. Heat/energy assistance
7. Progressive income tax
8. Medicare
9. Veteran's Health Administration
10. Student aid
11. Subsidized housing

...for starters...

Anyone? Obvious CG doesn't know. Who wants to help her?

 

[shintao]

Jonathan Weiler: America's Staggering Inequality and Our Strong Preference for a Swedish Alternative

Of course, many think inequality is irrelevant, as long as a rising tide lifts all boats. But while the wealthiest Americans live ever more opulent lifestyles, ordinary Americans, especially at the sixtieth percentile and below are running in place, if not falling further behind. For one thing, the typical household puts in longer work hours now than was true in 1979, placing added strains on many American families. Furthermore, in the past three years the general picture of distribution has likely worsened, with record levels of long-term unemployment as well as draconian cuts to basic services like health care and education at the state and local level, which have disproportionately affected people lower down the income ladder. So, the relatively weak gains for the majority of Americans in the past thirty years have been precarious, subject to a swift and un-nerving reversal of fortune, while those at the top continue to enjoy record incomes and wealth.


Marked for emphasis on the truth!

You want Truth?

Inequality? No one can disagree there is a disparity, but the real unselfish question is, Why does it matter what the income & wealth inequality is? You will never be a Bill Gates, so stop whining. The comparison is unreal, like apples & lemons, and who ever come up with the idea is loonytoons.

Now if you want to cry about your plight in America, then do the things that will change that characteristic, just as others have. Fiscal responsibility in a capitalist system is your own problem.

 

[Flopper]

We could stand some improvement.

Unemployment
US 9.2%
Sweden 7.8%

GDP Growth 2010
U.S. 2.9%
Sweden 4.1%

Deficit 2010 Pct of GDP
U.S. 10.7%
Sweden 3.1%

Educational Rank
U.S 27
Sweden 15



Educational Score Performance - Country Rankings
United States GDP Growth Rate

 

[bigrebnc1775]

Jonathan Weiler: America's Staggering Inequality and Our Strong Preference for a Swedish Alternative

Of course, many think inequality is irrelevant, as long as a rising tide lifts all boats. But while the wealthiest Americans live ever more opulent lifestyles, ordinary Americans, especially at the sixtieth percentile and below are running in place, if not falling further behind. For one thing, the typical household puts in longer work hours now than was true in 1979, placing added strains on many American families. Furthermore, in the past three years the general picture of distribution has likely worsened, with record levels of long-term unemployment as well as draconian cuts to basic services like health care and education at the state and local level, which have disproportionately affected people lower down the income ladder. So, the relatively weak gains for the majority of Americans in the past thirty years have been precarious, subject to a swift and un-nerving reversal of fortune, while those at the top continue to enjoy record incomes and wealth.


Marked for emphasis on the truth!

I could have swron that everybody said this Inequality bullshit would end with obama's election. As long as the political elite remain in power no one will be equal.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Hey, what's stopping you from moving?
See ya.

Why don't you conservatives move? You're always complaining about what's wrong with the U.S.

The difference is that we don't hold other countries up as a shining example that we should follow. We are not followers. We are leaders.

Yeah.....we WERE convinced o' that, one time......

"We've been kicking other peoples asses for so long I figured it's time we got ours kicked." - Platoonhttp://www.impawards.com/1986/posters/platoon.jpg​

*

....and, then.....a lot-of-us did some serious GROWING-UP!!!!!

Be patient. Hell...even YOU might grow-up.........one o' these days.....​

 

[georgephillip]

Jonathan Weiler: America's Staggering Inequality and Our Strong Preference for a Swedish Alternative

Of course, many think inequality is irrelevant, as long as a rising tide lifts all boats. But while the wealthiest Americans live ever more opulent lifestyles, ordinary Americans, especially at the sixtieth percentile and below are running in place, if not falling further behind. For one thing, the typical household puts in longer work hours now than was true in 1979, placing added strains on many American families. Furthermore, in the past three years the general picture of distribution has likely worsened, with record levels of long-term unemployment as well as draconian cuts to basic services like health care and education at the state and local level, which have disproportionately affected people lower down the income ladder. So, the relatively weak gains for the majority of Americans in the past thirty years have been precarious, subject to a swift and un-nerving reversal of fortune, while those at the top continue to enjoy record incomes and wealth.


Marked for emphasis on the truth!

Do You Think It Can't Happen Here?

"As Yasser El-Shimy, former diplomatic attaché at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote in Foreign Policy, 'income inequality has reached levels not before seen in Egypt’s modern history.'

"But Egypt still bests quite a few countries when it comes to income inequality, including the United States:

"According to the CIA World Fact Book, the U.S. is ranked as the 42nd most unequal country in the world, with a Gini Coefficient of 45.

"In contrast:

"– Tunisia is ranked the 62nd most unequal country, with a Gini Coefficient of 40.

"– Yemen is ranked 76th most unequal, with a Gini Coefficient of 37.7.

"– And Egypt is ranked as the 90th most unequal country, with a Gini Coefficient of around 34.4.

"The Gini coefficient is used to measure inequality: the lower a country’s score, the more equal it is.

"Obviously, there are many things about the U.S. economy that make it far preferable to that in Egypt, including lower poverty rates, higher incomes, significantly better infrastructure, and a much higher standard of living overall.

"But income inequality in the U.S. is the worst it has been since the 1920′s, which is a real problem.

"Currently, the top one percent of households make nearly 25 percent of the total income in the country, after they made less than 10 percent in the 1970′s.

"Between 1980 and 2005, 'more than 80 percent of total increase in Americans’ income went to the top 1 percent.'”

ThinkProgress...

 

[shintao]

Jonathan Weiler: America's Staggering Inequality and Our Strong Preference for a Swedish Alternative

Of course, many think inequality is irrelevant, as long as a rising tide lifts all boats. But while the wealthiest Americans live ever more opulent lifestyles, ordinary Americans, especially at the sixtieth percentile and below are running in place, if not falling further behind. For one thing, the typical household puts in longer work hours now than was true in 1979, placing added strains on many American families. Furthermore, in the past three years the general picture of distribution has likely worsened, with record levels of long-term unemployment as well as draconian cuts to basic services like health care and education at the state and local level, which have disproportionately affected people lower down the income ladder. So, the relatively weak gains for the majority of Americans in the past thirty years have been precarious, subject to a swift and un-nerving reversal of fortune, while those at the top continue to enjoy record incomes and wealth.


Marked for emphasis on the truth!

I could have swron that everybody said this Inequality bullshit would end with obama's election. As long as the political elite remain in power no one will be equal.

That is just the nature of the capitalist beast. If you want equality, try socialism, as you will never be equal to Bill Gates.

 

[Woyzeck]

Jonathan Weiler: America's Staggering Inequality and Our Strong Preference for a Swedish Alternative

Of course, many think inequality is irrelevant, as long as a rising tide lifts all boats. But while the wealthiest Americans live ever more opulent lifestyles, ordinary Americans, especially at the sixtieth percentile and below are running in place, if not falling further behind. For one thing, the typical household puts in longer work hours now than was true in 1979, placing added strains on many American families. Furthermore, in the past three years the general picture of distribution has likely worsened, with record levels of long-term unemployment as well as draconian cuts to basic services like health care and education at the state and local level, which have disproportionately affected people lower down the income ladder. So, the relatively weak gains for the majority of Americans in the past thirty years have been precarious, subject to a swift and un-nerving reversal of fortune, while those at the top continue to enjoy record incomes and wealth.


Marked for emphasis on the truth!

Its the kind of country where there's a bigger stink and fear in government power over health care, than there is in the reality of power given to the government in the Patriot Act.

 

[bigrebnc1775]

Jonathan Weiler: America's Staggering Inequality and Our Strong Preference for a Swedish Alternative

Of course, many think inequality is irrelevant, as long as a rising tide lifts all boats. But while the wealthiest Americans live ever more opulent lifestyles, ordinary Americans, especially at the sixtieth percentile and below are running in place, if not falling further behind. For one thing, the typical household puts in longer work hours now than was true in 1979, placing added strains on many American families. Furthermore, in the past three years the general picture of distribution has likely worsened, with record levels of long-term unemployment as well as draconian cuts to basic services like health care and education at the state and local level, which have disproportionately affected people lower down the income ladder. So, the relatively weak gains for the majority of Americans in the past thirty years have been precarious, subject to a swift and un-nerving reversal of fortune, while those at the top continue to enjoy record incomes and wealth.


Marked for emphasis on the truth!

I could have swron that everybody said this Inequality bullshit would end with obama's election. As long as the political elite remain in power no one will be equal.

That is just the nature of the capitalist beast. If you want equality, try socialism, as you will never be equal to Bill Gates.

Who do you think runs a socialist country?

 

[Bass v 2.0]

If you want to live under a socialist system, stay in Europe. Americans are not Europeans. Our way is the American Way. Don't like it, **** off.

"Europeans" are not socialists, don't you damn rightwingers know anything about Europeans?

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

So which of these 'socialist' programs have been found unconstitutional?

1. Social Security
2. Medicaid
3. Food stamps
4. Minimum wage
5. Public schools
6. Heat/energy assistance
7. Progressive income tax
8. Medicare
9. Veteran's Health Administration
10. Student aid
11. Subsidized housing

...for starters...

Social Security, The Minimum Wage Act, and the progressive income tax were all deemed unconstitutional.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Conservatives if they had their way would eliminate Medicare, Social Security, the minimum wage, food stamps, public assistance, housing assistance, heat/energy assistance, student assistance, Medicaid, the progressive income tax, not to mention alot I'm not thinking of offhand...

Sounds good to me.

...all of that would make lower income Americans poorer, period.

That's one theory. It may also force people to start pulling their own weight again like they used to in our grandparents' days and take more responsibility for their lives.

That is what conservatives want to do. And conservatives know for a fact that those lower income Americans will not magically find some way replace all of that help,

so, for a fact, conservatives WANT the poor to be poorer. Conservatives want nothing to alleviate the condition of the least wealthy in this country.

It's not the responsibility of conservatives or anyone else to alleviate the condition of the poor. The only responsibility they hold is for those in Congress to get out of the way and allow equal opportunity. From there, it's up to each of us to make of ourselves what we will.

Furthermore, you're bashing of conservatives for allegedly hating the poor is incredibly hypocritical because it is the conservatives in this country who by and large donate far more to charity than so called liberals do. And that my friend IS irrefutable as it is a proven statistic.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

If you want to live under a socialist system, stay in Europe. Americans are not Europeans. Our way is the American Way. Don't like it, **** off.

"Europeans" are not socialists, don't you damn rightwingers know anything about Europeans?

"Europeans" are socialists, don't you damn parasitic clingers know anything about Europeans?

 

[The T]

If you want to live under a socialist system, stay in Europe. Americans are not Europeans. Our way is the American Way. Don't like it, **** off.

"Europeans" are not socialists, don't you damn rightwingers know anything about Europeans?

"Europeans" are socialists, don't you damn parasitic clingers know anything about Europeans?

Indeed since they are so Hell-bent on emulating them, as they are now backtracking from their failures?

 

[Bass v 2.0]

"Europeans" are not socialists, don't you damn rightwingers know anything about Europeans?

"Europeans" are socialists, don't you damn parasitic clingers know anything about Europeans?

Indeed since they are so Hell-bent on emulating them, as they are now backtracking from their failures?

All three of you retarded, Europe is not socialist but since neither of you retards know what socialism is I'm not surprised.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

"Europeans" are socialists, don't you damn parasitic clingers know anything about Europeans?

Indeed since they are so Hell-bent on emulating them, as they are now backtracking from their failures?

All three of you retarded, Europe is not socialist but since neither of you retards know what socialism is I'm not surprised.

You are retarded. Europe is socialist, but since you don't know what socialism is I'm not surprised.

 

[Intense]

There is a reality in economics called scarcity. It means quite simply that there is not an unlimited supply of everything.

In no way could everyone be RICH in America just by CHOOSING to be RICH. That is profoundly retarded, or, more to the point, that is profoundly Stephanie.

Misappropriation of Trust and Finite Funds contributes what exactly to Growth???? Yeah.... I thought so. Why not limit your scheming to your own resources??? Why must the rest of us be compelled against our will to support poorly planned Government backed Scams???

For the same reason I'm compelled against my will to support a military more costly than the rest of the world's military combined. How about that, if you're looking for that sort of rationale...

Actually I'm not, I support Nothing beyond the consent of the Governed. I believe in a Strong Defense, that includes a Strong National Guard and Reserve.

Holding the World's hand, being stretched too thin and being deployed all over Kingdom Come??? Not at all. We need to Reign in Aid and spending. We are handing out aid and candy, buying Allies, wasting every Penney. We need Allies that understand Justice, Good Will, Give and Take. Why are we spending on Others with Borrowed money that we are paying interest on??? Why??? Maybe China want's the privilege?

Now, how about giving this one another whirl.
Misappropriation of Trust and Finite Funds contributes what exactly to Growth???? Yeah.... I thought so. Why not limit your scheming to your own resources??? Why must the rest of us be compelled against our will to support poorly planned Government backed Scams???