I am approaching the 1% on my income alone. I am a technical architect for a major high tech firm. I did not finish college, I did not come from a wealthy background. My father was skilled labor, he helped assemble Nuclear Power Plant Control Panels for General Electric. He did not graduate college, my grand fathers, one was a contractor, the other operated printing presses. Most of the women in my families background were stay at home moms. My father worked his @ss off as do I and all of my brothers.
The middle class certainly is made by free market principles. The fact that we are able to empower ourselves and elevate our own financial status through hard work and determination is a testament to that. Just take a look at Jesse James, the guy who became famous for making motorcycles. He didn't come from wealth, he isn't highly educated... He learned how to work metal and fabricate by going to work for Boyd Coddington, his love for motorcycles and his passion to create is what drove him to create west coast choppers. He was making good money long before he was famous. Once he got in to the reality TV phenomena it really took off.
That kind of success is not possible in any other country. And I am sorry, but the government didn't make it possible either. He didn't use government grants.. In fact government regulation made his success more difficult.. Vehicle licensing, safety standards, EPA regulations etc. etc. all added to the cost of his business through compliance.
Sorry buddy, but you're wrong.
Like Jesse James, I know a lot of small business owners who made their fortunes selling their products and services to highly paid union workers.
And how many Jesse James' are out there? A lot more people in the middle class got there by having a good paying union job. Your way, only the inventor or business owner makes a good living. If he just stays working for Boyd Coddington, he never gets ahead. Unless they pay their employees well and if so, that's because unions brought up the wages of all working Americans.
You would have never made it into the top 1% if we did things Ron Paul's way. For many reasons. No Degree? You work for someone else?
And you would be doing what your grandfather did. Either that or get someone else to let you be their apprentice. So you would probably fall into the small merchantile class.
Most Americans would fall into the large working poor class if it weren't for liberal progressive democracy. I would think most Republicans think they would never fall into the last catagory but I have to say many of them are wrong.
I hold a job that most people with advanced degrees salavate over. I grossed nearly 200,000 last year. I can and probably will be starting a consulting business soon and it will eclipse the numbers brought in by my salary / bonus. I have learned a skill, worked hard and leveraged my people skills to create relationships that have allowed me to advance in my career.
You claim high paid union workers buy goods... Yeah.. Look at what liberal / union policies have done to Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, etc. etc. They're rotting cesspools... That's what progressive liberal policies get you.
I am not a pure Libertarian or a devout Ron Paul follower. I do believe however that our government has grown FAR outside it's boundaries and it needs to be scaled back dramatically.
As for your comments on our currency.. Sure it's a fiat currency.. The problem with your disregard for the debt is they are PRINTING currency which does what? That's right, DEVALUES IT... So if you have savings and investments that are substantial they are being devalued.. You are being robbed blind... Nice job buddy...
Zimbabwe anyone??? You do know about ZImbabwe right? I have actual ZImbabwe currency right here in my office.. One single bill, five hundred trillion zimbabwe dollars.. Shocking huh? It used to trade on par with the US Dollar in the 80's.. WHat happened?
LOL
Get a clue dude.