The Republican Party, with the help of Milton Friedman and voodoo economics did the same thing to the USA that Friedman did to Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela in the 70's and to Poland, Czekoslovakia, and South Africa in the 1990's. Destroy their economies to the benefit of wealthy American corporations, who bought up nationally owned infrastructure in these nations, at fire sale prices.
Three economic crashes in 40 years have crushed the working classes and the middle class is shrinking, all to the benefit of the most wealthy corporations and individuals in the USA. Republicans raised the minimum wage once in those 40 years, instead increasing the "earned tax credits" to low income workers to increase their income. This is has shifted more and more of the tax burden for social programs onto the middle class, as the working class sunk back into poverty, and the share of taxes paid by the wealthy, declined.
What Republicans fail to understand that foreign investment in American jobs is drying up because of political violence, instability, an inadequate and vastly overpriced health care system, and a large and dangerous white nationalist movement.
First world capital needs political stability, strong protections for private property as well as intellectual property, a well educated workforce, and good infrastructure. The only thing the USA provides right now is property rights protections. Until you're able to restore political stability within the framework of your democratic Constitution, you're at best, a second tier nation, and still sinking lower.
