Obama blames the rise of the machines for high unemployment.

[Remodeling Maidiac]

No need to add anymore substance. Obamas words give all the substance we need, so thank you. Keep up the good work of keeping a thread you believe to be false bumped!

 

[thereisnospoon]

Slave labor?
Yes yes yes...All of the pro union people look at their demise as pure greed. We've played that tune before and it's really boring. Next.
Ok....your last paragraph is all over the place. It makes no sense. It's a rant.
We're discussing technology and it's effects on labor. You're going off on fat cats, profits and foreign competition....Jesus Christ...I bet you don't use turn signals while driving either.
Where are the "real problems"?
What $2 to $3 trillion dollars? To what do you refer? I have read about this mythical pot of gold US businesses are allegedly "sitting on" ,but have never seen proof of it's existence.
For a moment, I will stipulate the money exists.
IN your opinion what is the primary function of a business? This question ties directly with profit vs expenses. In particular, labor.
BTW, the middle class continues to expand while each few years the federal bureaucracy in charge of calculating the gross income of the poverty line keeps having to revise that number upward.
Oh, BTW, you still have not addressed the "taken care of "issue.....Wanna give that a whirl?

Yeah.... slave labor. When you hire Chinese people who have been slopping around in rice paddies for centuries for $1/hr to avoid paying a decent wage here in America... that is slave labor. Or Mexicans at $1.25.... or Indians for whatever they make. Funny how they subsidize their "cost of doing business" but they feel no empathy to American Citizens who have to live in a country where the cost of living is 100X more than in any of the countries they choose to employ. In fact, in China.... they are selling their own futures(and ours as a country) for that same slave labor. From what I've read, they have to share their own intellectual property to the Chinese government in order for them to do business there.

What is the Primary function of a business? To make money. However, the real function of a business is not to make money at the expense of their home country that ALLOWS them to make the level of profit that they do. Where is the sense of Citizenry? Corporations want to be treated as "people" but they don't want to play by the same ethical rules that everyday people do....do they?

The $2-3 TRILLION that they are sitting on is a fact. The only object of dispute is why they aren't investing it in this country. They say.... "they are scared to" because of taxes and whatnot... I, and many others say... They are choosing NOT TO... because they want an administration that will suck their collective dicks all day long... In short, the cost of stagnation is worth it to them for now. No matter who is president come 2012, you will see a difference in their purse strings... they can't hold out forever. If it's Obama... they will loosen their grip on that money... if it's someone else... they will do the same. They know that if you are standing still, you are falling behind. This is their power play. I hope they fail and realize that the will of THE PEOPLE holds more power than their Capital assets.

Then perhaps, we will see a Corporate Community that is realistic in their goals and not trying to maximize their share while minimizing labor's share. Don't get me wrong.... IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM... am I(or anyone but the MOST Radical lefties) calling for equal pay with CEO's or anything like that. But damn it, people need to keep a decent roof over their heads... people need to feed their families and keep them clothed keep them safe.

IF all that I would like to see were to happen... the rich would still be very rich... maybe not obscenely rich... but they would be able to do just about anything they would want to do... but the people that are slaving away to make them money would be a little better off. And that's all most of us want. We don't want to be "Given something for nothing". We don't want to "start at the top", we don't want government to take care of our every whim.

That is the bullshit talking points of the extreme right that is bought and paid for by the same people that is making all the money. They want you to vote against your own self interest and for them.

Finally... Taken Care of.... you asked for it... you got it. First off, you have to recognize the scenario in which I was speaking. The Scenario was that robotics and automation took care of the vast majority of jobs and chores in a business setting. That would lead to a huge amount of people who were not NEEDED for much of any job that is available now. OF course, in other countries... it still may be more cost effective to use the aforementioned "slave labor" than it would be to use machines. In that Scenario... Being "taken care of" would mean housing, Food, Clothing and Health Care. Make no mistake... if you watch the Science Channel at all, or read Technology oriented media... we are not all that far away from that very scenario... 20-30 years perhaps. It's already been happened in Japan since 2001, and CNC Machining in America does it now. They need very little human interaction. As Technology evolves, you will see more and more of it.

At this point in time... Health Care would be a great place to start with the being "taken Care of" thing. Our system is bloated, way too expensive and is working on a rather dumb platform... Fee for service. Fee for service means that doctors and hospitals can sneak in tests and procedures that aren't necessary to pad their payouts. A Fee For OUTCOME platform is that the least expensive procedure necessary to provide a positive outcome is the norm. Why should one get a Chest Xray for a common Cold or the Flu? Both of those diseases will run it's course. If it lingers beyond a reasonable time frame... THEN you go on antibiotics in case it's bacterial. IF it still is persistent... THEN you get a sputum culture and a Chest Xray. Our whole Medical infrastructure is based on profit and a sense of co-dependency between Pharmaceutical companies(Drugs), Med Tech Companies(tests and procedures) and doctors.

My solution is to make Hospitals and Doctors Non-Profit. They will still get their money and live better than most... but they will NOT be allowed to gouge the population. Likewise, Med/Tech and Big Pharma will have to fall in line.

I know, I know... what about INNOVATION????? I'll tell you what happens to innovation. When huge profits aren't the motivation anymore... Innovation will come from sharing information with the rest of the world and they can work on new drugs and products.... TOGETHER! After all... isn't that what Medical science is all about? Saving peoples' lives? Not just those lives who can afford to pay... but all lives?

What the **** do rural and ancient cultures such as Chinese people who live off their land have to do with anything?
Wages are not the same everywhere. So the way you see it is there should be some bureaucratic authority that mandates all wages be forced upward in ALL nations?
You should have stopped at "to make money". The rest of your answer is crap.
In the context of this discussion, China is irrelevant. If you want to discuss China and it's abuses of environment and labor, please feel free to open another thread.
Then you can post factual links that not only explain this alleged two or three trillion of "squat" money but why( facts only no editorial opinions) businesses might be stashing cash.
Medical care is not fee for service. Insurance pays for the majority of health care here.
Very expensive insurance.
If we all paid out of pocket for regular doctor visits, our hang nails and other simple maladies, we could all but eliminate the most expensive part of health insurance, first dollar coverage. Unfortunately the majority of Americans have been led to believe that ALL medical services should be free of out of pocket expense.
If we could buy health insurance across state lines in a competitive marketplace insurance would be much less expensive. If we could buy high deductible policies for major issues and learn to go to the doctor's office with checkbook in hand, our healthcare would be much less expensive.
I can remember when I had to get a physical for High School sports , I was working. I paid the doctor myself....1977...The cost? $30 cash on the barrel. Why? Back then the insurance we had took care of real needs. Not every little sniffle.
We should all be educated on the fact that before we go to the government for our every need, we have the responsibility to take care of our selves FIRST.
This idea that the taxpayers should be on the hook for womb to tomb care and security is incompatible with our freedom, liberty and way of life.
If you want government to pet you, tuck you in at night, free you of all disappointment and tell you everything is ok because you are no longer responsible for yourself, please find a suitable country outside the US. This is not the place for social safety nets and irresponsibility.
Look, you have this lefty rage against the machine thing going on in your head
You view anyone and anything that has places value on freedom, success , hard work, responsibility, taking care of priorities and living within one's means as evil.
You view freedom and liberty as a means to do what you want, demanding anything you wish, do anything you wish without having to suffer the consequences of your actions
and obey no rules. Fine. You go ahead and think that way.
Just remember ....It's not about being right. It's about doing right.
We're through. You will now feel compelled to have the last word.

 

[rightwinger]

No need to add anymore substance. Obamas words give all the substance we need, so thank you. Keep up the good work of keeping a thread you believe to be false bumped!

When asked by Ann Curry why Industry had invested only 2% in new jobs while they invested 26% in new technologies, Obama replied:

"The other thing that happened though, this goes to the point you were just making, is there are some structural issues with our economy where a lot of businesses have learned to become much more efficient with a lot fewer workers," President Obama said about unemployment in an interview with NBC's Ann Curry.

"If you see it when you go to a bank you use the ATM, you don't go to a bank teller. Or you go to the airport and you use a kiosk instead of checking in at the gate," he said.

 

[Steelplate]

Slave labor?
Yes yes yes...All of the pro union people look at their demise as pure greed. We've played that tune before and it's really boring. Next.
Ok....your last paragraph is all over the place. It makes no sense. It's a rant.
We're discussing technology and it's effects on labor. You're going off on fat cats, profits and foreign competition....Jesus Christ...I bet you don't use turn signals while driving either.
Where are the "real problems"?
What $2 to $3 trillion dollars? To what do you refer? I have read about this mythical pot of gold US businesses are allegedly "sitting on" ,but have never seen proof of it's existence.
For a moment, I will stipulate the money exists.
IN your opinion what is the primary function of a business? This question ties directly with profit vs expenses. In particular, labor.
BTW, the middle class continues to expand while each few years the federal bureaucracy in charge of calculating the gross income of the poverty line keeps having to revise that number upward.
Oh, BTW, you still have not addressed the "taken care of "issue.....Wanna give that a whirl?

Yeah.... slave labor. When you hire Chinese people who have been slopping around in rice paddies for centuries for $1/hr to avoid paying a decent wage here in America... that is slave labor. Or Mexicans at $1.25.... or Indians for whatever they make. Funny how they subsidize their "cost of doing business" but they feel no empathy to American Citizens who have to live in a country where the cost of living is 100X more than in any of the countries they choose to employ. In fact, in China.... they are selling their own futures(and ours as a country) for that same slave labor. From what I've read, they have to share their own intellectual property to the Chinese government in order for them to do business there.

What is the Primary function of a business? To make money. However, the real function of a business is not to make money at the expense of their home country that ALLOWS them to make the level of profit that they do. Where is the sense of Citizenry? Corporations want to be treated as "people" but they don't want to play by the same ethical rules that everyday people do....do they?

The $2-3 TRILLION that they are sitting on is a fact. The only object of dispute is why they aren't investing it in this country. They say.... "they are scared to" because of taxes and whatnot... I, and many others say... They are choosing NOT TO... because they want an administration that will suck their collective dicks all day long... In short, the cost of stagnation is worth it to them for now. No matter who is president come 2012, you will see a difference in their purse strings... they can't hold out forever. If it's Obama... they will loosen their grip on that money... if it's someone else... they will do the same. They know that if you are standing still, you are falling behind. This is their power play. I hope they fail and realize that the will of THE PEOPLE holds more power than their Capital assets.

Then perhaps, we will see a Corporate Community that is realistic in their goals and not trying to maximize their share while minimizing labor's share. Don't get me wrong.... IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM... am I(or anyone but the MOST Radical lefties) calling for equal pay with CEO's or anything like that. But damn it, people need to keep a decent roof over their heads... people need to feed their families and keep them clothed keep them safe.

IF all that I would like to see were to happen... the rich would still be very rich... maybe not obscenely rich... but they would be able to do just about anything they would want to do... but the people that are slaving away to make them money would be a little better off. And that's all most of us want. We don't want to be "Given something for nothing". We don't want to "start at the top", we don't want government to take care of our every whim.

That is the bullshit talking points of the extreme right that is bought and paid for by the same people that is making all the money. They want you to vote against your own self interest and for them.

Finally... Taken Care of.... you asked for it... you got it. First off, you have to recognize the scenario in which I was speaking. The Scenario was that robotics and automation took care of the vast majority of jobs and chores in a business setting. That would lead to a huge amount of people who were not NEEDED for much of any job that is available now. OF course, in other countries... it still may be more cost effective to use the aforementioned "slave labor" than it would be to use machines. In that Scenario... Being "taken care of" would mean housing, Food, Clothing and Health Care. Make no mistake... if you watch the Science Channel at all, or read Technology oriented media... we are not all that far away from that very scenario... 20-30 years perhaps. It's already been happened in Japan since 2001, and CNC Machining in America does it now. They need very little human interaction. As Technology evolves, you will see more and more of it.

At this point in time... Health Care would be a great place to start with the being "taken Care of" thing. Our system is bloated, way too expensive and is working on a rather dumb platform... Fee for service. Fee for service means that doctors and hospitals can sneak in tests and procedures that aren't necessary to pad their payouts. A Fee For OUTCOME platform is that the least expensive procedure necessary to provide a positive outcome is the norm. Why should one get a Chest Xray for a common Cold or the Flu? Both of those diseases will run it's course. If it lingers beyond a reasonable time frame... THEN you go on antibiotics in case it's bacterial. IF it still is persistent... THEN you get a sputum culture and a Chest Xray. Our whole Medical infrastructure is based on profit and a sense of co-dependency between Pharmaceutical companies(Drugs), Med Tech Companies(tests and procedures) and doctors.

My solution is to make Hospitals and Doctors Non-Profit. They will still get their money and live better than most... but they will NOT be allowed to gouge the population. Likewise, Med/Tech and Big Pharma will have to fall in line.

I know, I know... what about INNOVATION????? I'll tell you what happens to innovation. When huge profits aren't the motivation anymore... Innovation will come from sharing information with the rest of the world and they can work on new drugs and products.... TOGETHER! After all... isn't that what Medical science is all about? Saving peoples' lives? Not just those lives who can afford to pay... but all lives?

What the **** do rural and ancient cultures such as Chinese people who live off their land have to do with anything?
Wages are not the same everywhere. So the way you see it is there should be some bureaucratic authority that mandates all wages be forced upward in ALL nations?
You should have stopped at "to make money". The rest of your answer is crap.
In the context of this discussion, China is irrelevant. If you want to discuss China and it's abuses of environment and labor, please feel free to open another thread.
Then you can post factual links that not only explain this alleged two or three trillion of "squat" money but why( facts only no editorial opinions) businesses might be stashing cash.
Medical care is not fee for service. Insurance pays for the majority of health care here.
Very expensive insurance.
If we all paid out of pocket for regular doctor visits, our hang nails and other simple maladies, we could all but eliminate the most expensive part of health insurance, first dollar coverage. Unfortunately the majority of Americans have been led to believe that ALL medical services should be free of out of pocket expense.
If we could buy health insurance across state lines in a competitive marketplace insurance would be much less expensive. If we could buy high deductible policies for major issues and learn to go to the doctor's office with checkbook in hand, our healthcare would be much less expensive.
I can remember when I had to get a physical for High School sports , I was working. I paid the doctor myself....1977...The cost? $30 cash on the barrel. Why? Back then the insurance we had took care of real needs. Not every little sniffle.
We should all be educated on the fact that before we go to the government for our every need, we have the responsibility to take care of our selves FIRST.
This idea that the taxpayers should be on the hook for womb to tomb care and security is incompatible with our freedom, liberty and way of life.
If you want government to pet you, tuck you in at night, free you of all disappointment and tell you everything is ok because you are no longer responsible for yourself, please find a suitable country outside the US. This is not the place for social safety nets and irresponsibility.
Look, you have this lefty rage against the machine thing going on in your head
You view anyone and anything that has places value on freedom, success , hard work, responsibility, taking care of priorities and living within one's means as evil.
You view freedom and liberty as a means to do what you want, demanding anything you wish, do anything you wish without having to suffer the consequences of your actions
and obey no rules. Fine. You go ahead and think that way.
Just remember ....It's not about being right. It's about doing right.
We're through. You will now feel compelled to have the last word.

US Businesses sitting on trillions of dollars - Google Search

Right there is a simple Google search... Why don't you TRY USING IT!!!!

Don't give me the freedom, hard work bullshit. I work just as hard as you on a weekend day as you do during the week. I do recognize the "consequences of my actions"... oh wait... that's right... your an unintelligent twit who likes to espouse the "truth" according to Glenn Beck.

I work with the Developmentally disabled... (READ: Mentally Retarded, for those of you with a lack of understanding, OR COMPASSION) I do right... every god damned day I go to work and have been doing so for 22 Years of my life. What the **** have you done? Who have YOU helped? And no... it's not just about "collecting a paycheck". It's about helping people who desperately NEED it.

Furthermore... I donate my time, money and material possessions to a local homeless shelter(Haven Ministries... look it up). I also donate time to the AMERICAN RED CROSS and HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.

Why don't you assholes grow the **** up and realize that Volunteerism is a choice that doesn't NEARLY go far enough? You think it's because your taxes are too high on your 20-50K job? ******* absurd. The problem is that the extremely wealthy have been allowed to dictate their own god damned policies for the last 30 years.

But I know.. you refuse to see anything beyond the scope of your own comfort level. You find it easier to assume that the GOD DAMNED liberal of this country are causing all the problems.. when in fact, it's the WIN AT ALL COSTS Capitalists who have reigned since I was 16 years old.

Trickle down economics was and is a farce. Thanks Ronnie Reagan... even your namesake son disagrees with your philosophy. Trickle down is the right wing version of Communism... great in theory... sucks in reality.

 

[GoneBezerk]

Nt

yeah.... Slave labor. When you hire chinese people who have been slopping around in rice paddies for centuries for $1/hr to avoid paying a decent wage here in america... That is slave labor. Or mexicans at $1.25.... Or indians for whatever they make. Funny how they subsidize their "cost of doing business" but they feel no empathy to american citizens who have to live in a country where the cost of living is 100x more than in any of the countries they choose to employ. In fact, in china.... They are selling their own futures(and ours as a country) for that same slave labor. From what i've read, they have to share their own intellectual property to the chinese government in order for them to do business there.

What is the primary function of a business? To make money. However, the real function of a business is not to make money at the expense of their home country that allows them to make the level of profit that they do. Where is the sense of citizenry? Corporations want to be treated as "people" but they don't want to play by the same ethical rules that everyday people do....do they?

The $2-3 trillion that they are sitting on is a fact. The only object of dispute is why they aren't investing it in this country. They say.... "they are scared to" because of taxes and whatnot... I, and many others say... They are choosing not to... Because they want an administration that will suck their collective dicks all day long... In short, the cost of stagnation is worth it to them for now. No matter who is president come 2012, you will see a difference in their purse strings... They can't hold out forever. If it's obama... They will loosen their grip on that money... If it's someone else... They will do the same. They know that if you are standing still, you are falling behind. This is their power play. I hope they fail and realize that the will of the people holds more power than their capital assets.

Then perhaps, we will see a corporate community that is realistic in their goals and not trying to maximize their share while minimizing labor's share. Don't get me wrong.... In no way, shape, or form... Am i(or anyone but the most radical lefties) calling for equal pay with ceo's or anything like that. But damn it, people need to keep a decent roof over their heads... People need to feed their families and keep them clothed keep them safe.

If all that i would like to see were to happen... The rich would still be very rich... Maybe not obscenely rich... But they would be able to do just about anything they would want to do... But the people that are slaving away to make them money would be a little better off. And that's all most of us want. We don't want to be "given something for nothing". We don't want to "start at the top", we don't want government to take care of our every whim.

That is the bullshit talking points of the extreme right that is bought and paid for by the same people that is making all the money. They want you to vote against your own self interest and for them.

Finally... Taken care of.... You asked for it... You got it. First off, you have to recognize the scenario in which i was speaking. The scenario was that robotics and automation took care of the vast majority of jobs and chores in a business setting. That would lead to a huge amount of people who were not needed for much of any job that is available now. Of course, in other countries... It still may be more cost effective to use the aforementioned "slave labor" than it would be to use machines. In that scenario... Being "taken care of" would mean housing, food, clothing and health care. Make no mistake... If you watch the science channel at all, or read technology oriented media... We are not all that far away from that very scenario... 20-30 years perhaps. It's already been happened in japan since 2001, and cnc machining in america does it now. They need very little human interaction. As technology evolves, you will see more and more of it.

At this point in time... Health care would be a great place to start with the being "taken care of" thing. Our system is bloated, way too expensive and is working on a rather dumb platform... Fee for service. Fee for service means that doctors and hospitals can sneak in tests and procedures that aren't necessary to pad their payouts. A fee for outcome platform is that the least expensive procedure necessary to provide a positive outcome is the norm. Why should one get a chest xray for a common cold or the flu? Both of those diseases will run it's course. If it lingers beyond a reasonable time frame... Then you go on antibiotics in case it's bacterial. If it still is persistent... Then you get a sputum culture and a chest xray. Our whole medical infrastructure is based on profit and a sense of co-dependency between pharmaceutical companies(drugs), med tech companies(tests and procedures) and doctors.

My solution is to make hospitals and doctors non-profit. They will still get their money and live better than most... But they will not be allowed to gouge the population. Likewise, med/tech and big pharma will have to fall in line.

I know, i know... What about innovation????? I'll tell you what happens to innovation. When huge profits aren't the motivation anymore... Innovation will come from sharing information with the rest of the world and they can work on new drugs and products.... Together! After all... Isn't that what medical science is all about? Saving peoples' lives? Not just those lives who can afford to pay... But all lives?

what the **** do rural and ancient cultures such as chinese people who live off their land have to do with anything?
Wages are not the same everywhere. So the way you see it is there should be some bureaucratic authority that mandates all wages be forced upward in all nations?
You should have stopped at "to make money". The rest of your answer is crap.
In the context of this discussion, china is irrelevant. If you want to discuss china and it's abuses of environment and labor, please feel free to open another thread.
Then you can post factual links that not only explain this alleged two or three trillion of "squat" money but why( facts only no editorial opinions) businesses might be stashing cash.
Medical care is not fee for service. Insurance pays for the majority of health care here.
Very expensive insurance.
If we all paid out of pocket for regular doctor visits, our hang nails and other simple maladies, we could all but eliminate the most expensive part of health insurance, first dollar coverage. Unfortunately the majority of americans have been led to believe that all medical services should be free of out of pocket expense.
If we could buy health insurance across state lines in a competitive marketplace insurance would be much less expensive. If we could buy high deductible policies for major issues and learn to go to the doctor's office with checkbook in hand, our healthcare would be much less expensive.
I can remember when i had to get a physical for high school sports , i was working. I paid the doctor myself....1977...the cost? $30 cash on the barrel. Why? Back then the insurance we had took care of real needs. Not every little sniffle.
We should all be educated on the fact that before we go to the government for our every need, we have the responsibility to take care of our selves first.
This idea that the taxpayers should be on the hook for womb to tomb care and security is incompatible with our freedom, liberty and way of life.
If you want government to pet you, tuck you in at night, free you of all disappointment and tell you everything is ok because you are no longer responsible for yourself, please find a suitable country outside the us. This is not the place for social safety nets and irresponsibility.
Look, you have this lefty rage against the machine thing going on in your head
you view anyone and anything that has places value on freedom, success , hard work, responsibility, taking care of priorities and living within one's means as evil.
You view freedom and liberty as a means to do what you want, demanding anything you wish, do anything you wish without having to suffer the consequences of your actions
and obey no rules. Fine. You go ahead and think that way.
Just remember ....it's not about being right. It's about doing right.
We're through. You will now feel compelled to have the last word.

us businesses sitting on trillions of dollars - google search

right there is a simple google search... Why don't you try using it!!!!

Don't give me the freedom, hard work bullshit. I work just as hard as you on a weekend day as you do during the week. I do recognize the "consequences of my actions"... Oh wait... That's right... Your an unintelligent twit who likes to espouse the "truth" according to glenn beck.

I work with the developmentally disabled... (read: Mentally retarded, for those of you with a lack of understanding, or compassion) i do right... Every god damned day i go to work and have been doing so for 22 years of my life. What the **** have you done? Who have you helped? And no... It's not just about "collecting a paycheck". It's about helping people who desperately need it.

Furthermore... I donate my time, money and material possessions to a local homeless shelter(haven ministries... Look it up). I also donate time to the american red cross and habitat for humanity.

Why don't you assholes grow the **** up and realize that volunteerism is a choice that doesn't nearly go far enough? You think it's because your taxes are too high on your 20-50k job? ******* absurd. The problem is that the extremely wealthy have been allowed to dictate their own god damned policies for the last 30 years.

But i know.. You refuse to see anything beyond the scope of your own comfort level. You find it easier to assume that the god damned liberal of this country are causing all the problems.. When in fact, it's the win at all costs capitalists who have reigned since i was 16 years old.

Trickle down economics was and is a farce. Thanks ronnie reagan... Even your namesake son disagrees with your philosophy. Trickle down is the right wing version of communism... Great in theory... Sucks in reality.

 

[Steelplate]

Ok... wait a sec Gonebeserk....

Please explain to me what "nt" is? and how it was meant? Just curious.

If you have nothing relevant to dispute or debate, why would you throw that out?

 

[GoneBezerk]

Nt...nothing, changed my post.

Ok... wait a sec Gonebeserk....

Please explain to me what "nt" is? and how it was meant? Just curious.

If you have nothing relevant to dispute or debate, why would you throw that out?

 

[Steelplate]

Nt...nothing, changed my post.

Ok... wait a sec Gonebeserk....

Please explain to me what "nt" is? and how it was meant? Just curious.

If you have nothing relevant to dispute or debate, why would you throw that out?

OK... cool.

Sorry. Sometimes I feel liberals are the equivalent of the Israelis on this message board. We are distinctly the minority here. So we are continuously on the lookout from the occasional "scud missile" thrown our way.

I did not mean any disrespect.. by any means.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Yeah.... slave labor. When you hire Chinese people who have been slopping around in rice paddies for centuries for $1/hr to avoid paying a decent wage here in America... that is slave labor. Or Mexicans at $1.25.... or Indians for whatever they make. Funny how they subsidize their "cost of doing business" but they feel no empathy to American Citizens who have to live in a country where the cost of living is 100X more than in any of the countries they choose to employ. In fact, in China.... they are selling their own futures(and ours as a country) for that same slave labor. From what I've read, they have to share their own intellectual property to the Chinese government in order for them to do business there.

What is the Primary function of a business? To make money. However, the real function of a business is not to make money at the expense of their home country that ALLOWS them to make the level of profit that they do. Where is the sense of Citizenry? Corporations want to be treated as "people" but they don't want to play by the same ethical rules that everyday people do....do they?

The $2-3 TRILLION that they are sitting on is a fact. The only object of dispute is why they aren't investing it in this country. They say.... "they are scared to" because of taxes and whatnot... I, and many others say... They are choosing NOT TO... because they want an administration that will suck their collective dicks all day long... In short, the cost of stagnation is worth it to them for now. No matter who is president come 2012, you will see a difference in their purse strings... they can't hold out forever. If it's Obama... they will loosen their grip on that money... if it's someone else... they will do the same. They know that if you are standing still, you are falling behind. This is their power play. I hope they fail and realize that the will of THE PEOPLE holds more power than their Capital assets.

Then perhaps, we will see a Corporate Community that is realistic in their goals and not trying to maximize their share while minimizing labor's share. Don't get me wrong.... IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM... am I(or anyone but the MOST Radical lefties) calling for equal pay with CEO's or anything like that. But damn it, people need to keep a decent roof over their heads... people need to feed their families and keep them clothed keep them safe.

IF all that I would like to see were to happen... the rich would still be very rich... maybe not obscenely rich... but they would be able to do just about anything they would want to do... but the people that are slaving away to make them money would be a little better off. And that's all most of us want. We don't want to be "Given something for nothing". We don't want to "start at the top", we don't want government to take care of our every whim.

That is the bullshit talking points of the extreme right that is bought and paid for by the same people that is making all the money. They want you to vote against your own self interest and for them.

Finally... Taken Care of.... you asked for it... you got it. First off, you have to recognize the scenario in which I was speaking. The Scenario was that robotics and automation took care of the vast majority of jobs and chores in a business setting. That would lead to a huge amount of people who were not NEEDED for much of any job that is available now. OF course, in other countries... it still may be more cost effective to use the aforementioned "slave labor" than it would be to use machines. In that Scenario... Being "taken care of" would mean housing, Food, Clothing and Health Care. Make no mistake... if you watch the Science Channel at all, or read Technology oriented media... we are not all that far away from that very scenario... 20-30 years perhaps. It's already been happened in Japan since 2001, and CNC Machining in America does it now. They need very little human interaction. As Technology evolves, you will see more and more of it.

At this point in time... Health Care would be a great place to start with the being "taken Care of" thing. Our system is bloated, way too expensive and is working on a rather dumb platform... Fee for service. Fee for service means that doctors and hospitals can sneak in tests and procedures that aren't necessary to pad their payouts. A Fee For OUTCOME platform is that the least expensive procedure necessary to provide a positive outcome is the norm. Why should one get a Chest Xray for a common Cold or the Flu? Both of those diseases will run it's course. If it lingers beyond a reasonable time frame... THEN you go on antibiotics in case it's bacterial. IF it still is persistent... THEN you get a sputum culture and a Chest Xray. Our whole Medical infrastructure is based on profit and a sense of co-dependency between Pharmaceutical companies(Drugs), Med Tech Companies(tests and procedures) and doctors.

My solution is to make Hospitals and Doctors Non-Profit. They will still get their money and live better than most... but they will NOT be allowed to gouge the population. Likewise, Med/Tech and Big Pharma will have to fall in line.

I know, I know... what about INNOVATION????? I'll tell you what happens to innovation. When huge profits aren't the motivation anymore... Innovation will come from sharing information with the rest of the world and they can work on new drugs and products.... TOGETHER! After all... isn't that what Medical science is all about? Saving peoples' lives? Not just those lives who can afford to pay... but all lives?

What the **** do rural and ancient cultures such as Chinese people who live off their land have to do with anything?
Wages are not the same everywhere. So the way you see it is there should be some bureaucratic authority that mandates all wages be forced upward in ALL nations?
You should have stopped at "to make money". The rest of your answer is crap.
In the context of this discussion, China is irrelevant. If you want to discuss China and it's abuses of environment and labor, please feel free to open another thread.
Then you can post factual links that not only explain this alleged two or three trillion of "squat" money but why( facts only no editorial opinions) businesses might be stashing cash.
Medical care is not fee for service. Insurance pays for the majority of health care here.
Very expensive insurance.
If we all paid out of pocket for regular doctor visits, our hang nails and other simple maladies, we could all but eliminate the most expensive part of health insurance, first dollar coverage. Unfortunately the majority of Americans have been led to believe that ALL medical services should be free of out of pocket expense.
If we could buy health insurance across state lines in a competitive marketplace insurance would be much less expensive. If we could buy high deductible policies for major issues and learn to go to the doctor's office with checkbook in hand, our healthcare would be much less expensive.
I can remember when I had to get a physical for High School sports , I was working. I paid the doctor myself....1977...The cost? $30 cash on the barrel. Why? Back then the insurance we had took care of real needs. Not every little sniffle.
We should all be educated on the fact that before we go to the government for our every need, we have the responsibility to take care of our selves FIRST.
This idea that the taxpayers should be on the hook for womb to tomb care and security is incompatible with our freedom, liberty and way of life.
If you want government to pet you, tuck you in at night, free you of all disappointment and tell you everything is ok because you are no longer responsible for yourself, please find a suitable country outside the US. This is not the place for social safety nets and irresponsibility.
Look, you have this lefty rage against the machine thing going on in your head
You view anyone and anything that has places value on freedom, success , hard work, responsibility, taking care of priorities and living within one's means as evil.
You view freedom and liberty as a means to do what you want, demanding anything you wish, do anything you wish without having to suffer the consequences of your actions
and obey no rules. Fine. You go ahead and think that way.
Just remember ....It's not about being right. It's about doing right.
We're through. You will now feel compelled to have the last word.

US Businesses sitting on trillions of dollars - Google Search

Right there is a simple Google search... Why don't you TRY USING IT!!!!

Don't give me the freedom, hard work bullshit. I work just as hard as you on a weekend day as you do during the week. I do recognize the "consequences of my actions"... oh wait... that's right... your an unintelligent twit who likes to espouse the "truth" according to Glenn Beck.

I work with the Developmentally disabled... (READ: Mentally Retarded, for those of you with a lack of understanding, OR COMPASSION) I do right... every god damned day I go to work and have been doing so for 22 Years of my life. What the **** have you done? Who have YOU helped? And no... it's not just about "collecting a paycheck". It's about helping people who desperately NEED it.

Furthermore... I donate my time, money and material possessions to a local homeless shelter(Haven Ministries... look it up). I also donate time to the AMERICAN RED CROSS and HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.

Why don't you assholes grow the **** up and realize that Volunteerism is a choice that doesn't NEARLY go far enough? You think it's because your taxes are too high on your 20-50K job? ******* absurd. The problem is that the extremely wealthy have been allowed to dictate their own god damned policies for the last 30 years.

But I know.. you refuse to see anything beyond the scope of your own comfort level. You find it easier to assume that the GOD DAMNED liberal of this country are causing all the problems.. when in fact, it's the WIN AT ALL COSTS Capitalists who have reigned since I was 16 years old.

Trickle down economics was and is a farce. Thanks Ronnie Reagan... even your namesake son disagrees with your philosophy. Trickle down is the right wing version of Communism... great in theory... sucks in reality.

Glen Beck? Don't watch. Don't listen. Sorry. You lose.
From your article.....When asked why companies are holding back so much, many economists cite broader uncertainty that goes well beyond anything happening in Washington. Firms aren't sure whether the economy can sustain a strong recovery. And as long as consumer spending remains low, there's not much incentive for companies to ramp up.......So, despite the troubling economic outlook companies should just start hiring anyway event though there is high risk? That's it?
Oh...and just because the Washington Post editorial staff says to that reporter "run the story", that makes is true?
You have to do better than that and the plethora of blog links in your Google search.
Look, no one owes anyone a job.
Should a business simply hire people even though that company does not have open positions for those people?
Look pal, I see you had to resort to insults to get your point across.
That means one thing, Your posting of your resume is all bull shit.
Anyone who resorts to hurling insults has run out of ideas. You are out of gas and have lost all credibility. This is typical of liberalism. If you can't win an argument or supply a factual rebuttal, impugn your opposition. I see you've studied the play book well.

 

[Steelplate]

Glen Beck? Don't watch. Don't listen. Sorry. You lose.
From your article.....When asked why companies are holding back so much, many economists cite broader uncertainty that goes well beyond anything happening in Washington. Firms aren't sure whether the economy can sustain a strong recovery. And as long as consumer spending remains low, there's not much incentive for companies to ramp up.......So, despite the troubling economic outlook companies should just start hiring anyway event though there is high risk? That's it?
Oh...and just because the Washington Post editorial staff says to that reporter "run the story", that makes is true?
You have to do better than that and the plethora of blog links in your Google search.
Look, no one owes anyone a job.
Should a business simply hire people even though that company does not have open positions for those people?
Look pal, I see you had to resort to insults to get your point across.
That means one thing, Your posting of your resume is all bull shit.
Anyone who resorts to hurling insults has run out of ideas. You are out of gas and have lost all credibility. This is typical of liberalism. If you can't win an argument or supply a factual rebuttal, impugn your opposition. I see you've studied the play book well.

Amazing... you are willing to take the "Conglomerate's" word for it, but are cool with "Obama's a kenyan born muslim with Communistic ties" bullshit.


enough of the commentary... Why is Consumer spending low? Riddle me that Batman? Because very few people have decent paying jobs anymore. I am lucky.... at the moment.... I work for the Commonwealth of PA... THat's right, I am a unionized Piece of shit working for your taxpayer dollars(and mine too, don't forget). I make about 35K/year doing unimaginable shit that your weak and judgmental ass could not handle doing.... Cleaning shit off another grown man's ass.... changing diapers off of a person so physically handicapped that they look like a damned pretzel. Taking a literal beating from someone deemed incompetent to withstand legal prosecution and not being allowed the right to defend yourself..... That's right... I am lucky. I take care of those your side is choosing to victimize.... and you have not a single clue who you are rallying against.

Because make no mistake.... I work for the Commonwealth... the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE... in fact. But do you have any clue who you are hurting with your across the board cuts in services? Let me clue you in on something... it's not the deadbeats taking advantage of the system... it's the people like I WORK WITH!!!! You See, they can't vote and they can't lobby. But the people who you hate so much... they can do both.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Glen Beck? Don't watch. Don't listen. Sorry. You lose.
From your article.....When asked why companies are holding back so much, many economists cite broader uncertainty that goes well beyond anything happening in Washington. Firms aren't sure whether the economy can sustain a strong recovery. And as long as consumer spending remains low, there's not much incentive for companies to ramp up.......So, despite the troubling economic outlook companies should just start hiring anyway event though there is high risk? That's it?
Oh...and just because the Washington Post editorial staff says to that reporter "run the story", that makes is true?
You have to do better than that and the plethora of blog links in your Google search.
Look, no one owes anyone a job.
Should a business simply hire people even though that company does not have open positions for those people?
Look pal, I see you had to resort to insults to get your point across.
That means one thing, Your posting of your resume is all bull shit.
Anyone who resorts to hurling insults has run out of ideas. You are out of gas and have lost all credibility. This is typical of liberalism. If you can't win an argument or supply a factual rebuttal, impugn your opposition. I see you've studied the play book well.

Amazing... you are willing to take the "Conglomerate's" word for it, but are cool with "Obama's a kenyan born muslim with Communistic ties" bullshit.


enough of the commentary... Why is Consumer spending low? Riddle me that Batman? Because very few people have decent paying jobs anymore. I am lucky.... at the moment.... I work for the Commonwealth of PA... THat's right, I am a unionized Piece of shit working for your taxpayer dollars(and mine too, don't forget). I make about 35K/year doing unimaginable shit that your weak and judgmental ass could not handle doing.... Cleaning shit off another grown man's ass.... changing diapers off of a person so physically handicapped that they look like a damned pretzel. Taking a literal beating from someone deemed incompetent to withstand legal prosecution and not being allowed the right to defend yourself..... That's right... I am lucky. I take care of those your side is choosing to victimize.... and you have not a single clue who you are rallying against.

Because make no mistake.... I work for the Commonwealth... the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE... in fact. But do you have any clue who you are hurting with your across the board cuts in services? Let me clue you in on something... it's not the deadbeats taking advantage of the system... it's the people like I WORK WITH!!!! You See, they can't vote and they can't lobby. But the people who you hate so much... they can do both.

Obama's ties to what?!!!! What the **** are you blabbering about?
It is not consumer spending that is low. It is consumer confidence. People see the price of gas, the rising food prices and they hunker down and slam shut their pocketbooks.
Why? People are not confident in the current administration's handling of domestic policy and the economy.
Why are you telling us about your job? Do you realize you're not phasing anyone?
Your job is a CHOICE....You took the job for the benefits and retirement. That's what every self pity party government employee says.
So really..You can stop bitching about your job. You can also stop crowing how you are the hardest worker on the planet. Because, ya know what, this thread was never about you.
However, you're liberal. And liberals are narcissists.

 

[OmniRocky]

Obama was correct in what he said....only conservatives don't get it

The theories sound good, but when you consider that we've had ATMs since the 1970s, that cannot account for any significant impact on unemployment. If they did, then you'd have to say that Bush did an amazing job with the economy in spite of ATMs and kiosks. It just doesn't pan out.

 

[Steelplate]

No.. you are wrong... It is Consumer spending. When people have to worry about necessities... they don't really give a shit about smartphone technologies.

You are wrong.... face it. I am very far from a narcissist... after all... what is more narcissistic than saying..."why should I have to pay"?

After all... my tax dollars help to pay my own salary... how 'bout yours? If you are a private sector employee... you are beggin for a decent life.... "please Mr. Man... don't outsource my job and make me a ward of the state... or a Greeter at Walmart"/

Seriously.. I've laid my career out in the open for your scrutiny to the general public... what do you do to help our world?

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

No.. you are wrong... It is Consumer spending. When people have to worry about necessities... they don't really give a shit about smartphone technologies.

You are wrong.... face it. I am very far from a narcissist... after all... what is more narcissistic than saying..."why should I have to pay"?

After all... my tax dollars help to pay my own salary... how 'bout yours? If you are a private sector employee... you are beggin for a decent life.... "please Mr. Man... don't outsource my job and make me a ward of the state... or a Greeter at Walmart"/

Seriously.. I've laid my career out in the open for your scrutiny to the general public... what do you do to help our world?

your just like Obama. You got yourself on some kind of pedestal because your a public servant. Your such a saint because of your job? Give me a break. Last time I checked the clergy (community organizers) liked little boys. Your job doesn't dictate your prestiege, its just your job. You chose it, deal with it. A person that brags about their charity or honor has none at all.

 

[Londoner]

Marx -- a brilliant lunatic -- respected the power of capitalism.

He likened it to a bulldozer.

Meaning:

Whatever stands in the way of profit -- science, truth, justice -- ultimately gets sacrificed to the bottom line.

For example:

If your company is polluting the Hudson River with PCBs, and science proves that it causes cancer -- and people start dying -- than the bulldozer pays an unscrupulous scientist to disprove the link between PCBs and cancer.

Meaning:

When the war is between truth and money . . . money always wins.

The Republican information machine has placed an entire generation of under-educated Americans in a moron bubble.

Inside the bubble we hear nothing of oil geopolitics.

Ask a moron inside the bubble to describe America's involvement in Iran's politics in the 50's or Reagan's relationship to Hussein, and they stare at you blankly.

What is the National Anthem of Planet Moron?

Mechanization and atomization have not lead to the loss of blue collar jobs.

The bulldozer is powerful.

We are doomed.

 

[ShackledNation]

Marx -- a brilliant lunatic -- respected the power of capitalism.

He likened it to a bulldozer.

Meaning:

Whatever stands in the way of profit -- science, truth, justice -- ultimately gets sacrificed to the bottom line.

For example:

If your company is polluting the Hudson River with PCBs, and science proves that it causes cancer -- and people start dying -- than the bulldozer pays an unscrupulous scientist to disprove the link between PCBs and cancer.

Meaning:

When the war is between truth and money . . . money always wins.

The Republican information machine has placed an entire generation of under-educated Americans in a moron bubble.

Inside the bubble we hear nothing of oil geopolitics.

Ask a moron inside the bubble to describe America's involvement in Iran's politics in the 50's or Reagan's relationship to Hussein, and they stare at you blankly.

What is the National Anthem of Planet Moron?

Mechanization and atomization have not lead to the loss of blue collar jobs.

The bulldozer is powerful.

We are doomed.

None of your arguments have anything to do with technology resulting in job loss.

 

[Steelplate]

Obama's ties to what?!!!! What the **** are you blabbering about?
It is not consumer spending that is low. It is consumer confidence. People see the price of gas, the rising food prices and they hunker down and slam shut their pocketbooks.
Why? People are not confident in the current administration's handling of domestic policy and the economy.
Why are you telling us about your job? Do you realize you're not phasing anyone?
Your job is a CHOICE....You took the job for the benefits and retirement. That's what every self pity party government employee says.
So really..You can stop bitching about your job. You can also stop crowing how you are the hardest worker on the planet. Because, ya know what, this thread was never about you.
However, you're liberal. And liberals are narcissists.

You know exactly what I am talking about....

Why did I speak of my job? Because my JOB deals with the people you deem "wastes of space". They can't work, they can't make money for some rich asshole. So you want to cut their services to the bone. Just like in the 80's when Mental patients were kicked out of Institutions across the country because ol' Ronnie decided to lower taxes for his Corporate buddies....Just like the situation is now... just like it's Been since Ronnie.

I took the job because I needed one. I stayed all these years because I love it. Not the pay or the benefits... but the people I work with. It wasn't a pity party... but that's all you can see... black and white.

BTW.... what is more narcissistic than the term "Why should I have to pay for someone else"? That's about as selfish and narcissistic as it gets.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Obama's ties to what?!!!! What the **** are you blabbering about?
It is not consumer spending that is low. It is consumer confidence. People see the price of gas, the rising food prices and they hunker down and slam shut their pocketbooks.
Why? People are not confident in the current administration's handling of domestic policy and the economy.
Why are you telling us about your job? Do you realize you're not phasing anyone?
Your job is a CHOICE....You took the job for the benefits and retirement. That's what every self pity party government employee says.
So really..You can stop bitching about your job. You can also stop crowing how you are the hardest worker on the planet. Because, ya know what, this thread was never about you.
However, you're liberal. And liberals are narcissists.

You know exactly what I am talking about....

Why did I speak of my job? Because my JOB deals with the people you deem "wastes of space". They can't work, they can't make money for some rich asshole. So you want to cut their services to the bone. Just like in the 80's when Mental patients were kicked out of Institutions across the country because ol' Ronnie decided to lower taxes for his Corporate buddies....Just like the situation is now... just like it's Been since Ronnie.

I took the job because I needed one. I stayed all these years because I love it. Not the pay or the benefits... but the people I work with. It wasn't a pity party... but that's all you can see... black and white.

BTW.... what is more narcissistic than the term "Why should I have to pay for someone else"? That's about as selfish and narcissistic as it gets.

No....This is where you are dead wrong. I support public assistance for those incapable of caring for themselves as well as those who cannot work due to physical or mental incapacities.
Generally the objection to welfare and other social spending is the outright disgusting waste of taxpayer dollars. The bureaucracy, the over employment in those bureaucracies, the incredible waste and of course those who game the system.
Again you take the opportunity to take a shot at those who have succeeded. Your problem.
If you like the people you work with, you have a strange way of showing it.
You people think because we want accountability and an end to wasteful spending we want to end social programs. That's the all or nothing straw man argument you libs use to keep your precious budgets intact.
Just like the rest of us, you people in the public sector will just have to get used to working with less and get used to smaller budgets.
If you don't like it, you are free to join the private sector.

 

[Sallow]

No.. you are wrong... It is Consumer spending. When people have to worry about necessities... they don't really give a shit about smartphone technologies.

You are wrong.... face it. I am very far from a narcissist... after all... what is more narcissistic than saying..."why should I have to pay"?

After all... my tax dollars help to pay my own salary... how 'bout yours? If you are a private sector employee... you are beggin for a decent life.... "please Mr. Man... don't outsource my job and make me a ward of the state... or a Greeter at Walmart"/

Seriously.. I've laid my career out in the open for your scrutiny to the general public... what do you do to help our world?

your just like Obama. You got yourself on some kind of pedestal because your a public servant. Your such a saint because of your job? Give me a break. Last time I checked the clergy (community organizers) liked little boys. Your job doesn't dictate your prestiege, its just your job. You chose it, deal with it. A person that brags about their charity or honor has none at all.

Bashing Christians now? For shame..for shame..

 

[Sallow]

Marx -- a brilliant lunatic -- respected the power of capitalism.

He likened it to a bulldozer.

Meaning:

Whatever stands in the way of profit -- science, truth, justice -- ultimately gets sacrificed to the bottom line.

For example:

If your company is polluting the Hudson River with PCBs, and science proves that it causes cancer -- and people start dying -- than the bulldozer pays an unscrupulous scientist to disprove the link between PCBs and cancer.

Meaning:

When the war is between truth and money . . . money always wins.

The Republican information machine has placed an entire generation of under-educated Americans in a moron bubble.

Inside the bubble we hear nothing of oil geopolitics.

Ask a moron inside the bubble to describe America's involvement in Iran's politics in the 50's or Reagan's relationship to Hussein, and they stare at you blankly.

What is the National Anthem of Planet Moron?

Mechanization and atomization have not lead to the loss of blue collar jobs.

The bulldozer is powerful.

We are doomed.

None of your arguments have anything to do with technology resulting in job loss.

Um yeah..they do.