This is why the U.S. middle class collapsed

[scruffy]

We are primarily a SERVICE economy, slugger. Have been for several decades now.
Time to turn off alt-right media and maybe listen to some NPR..or hey even Bloomberg.

Sorry, that is incorrect and wrong.

The service sector does not equate with a service economy.

 

[scruffy]

Many factory jobs have been taken over by robotics. With future advances in AI and 3D printing, those subscribing for the return of the good-old-days are out of touch with reality.

The good old days just means everyone has a job, and the jobs pay enough for a comfortable living.

 

[CrazyTrader55]

The good old days just means everyone has a job, and the jobs pay enough for a comfortable living.

The good old days were what my Dad had. He bought his house for $22k in the 1960's, had it paid off by the 1970's, and never moved out. The prices that people are paying today for a home are shocking, and it's not sustainable.

 

[Correll]

Many factory jobs have been taken over by robotics. With future advances in AI and 3D printing, those subscribing for the return of the good-old-days are out of touch with reality.

Many have NOT. There are still nearly 13 million manufacturing jobs in this country.


The status quo, before Trump has been that it is...somehow WRONG, to even discuss the interests of those workers, or their families or their communities.


That's bat shit crazy.

 

[candycorn]

Many have NOT. There are still nearly 13 million manufacturing jobs in this country.


The status quo, before Trump has been that it is...somehow WRONG, to even discuss the interests of those workers, or their families or their communities.


That's bat shit crazy.

LOL... He's discussing the interests of those workers? Really? When?

He campaigned on saying they'd pay no tax on OT. Somehow that's gone out the window. He also said that he would lower prices. Now he says prices are going up.

 

[Correll]

LOL... He's discussing the interests of those workers? Really? When?
....

Did you read the post I was responding to?

It is typical of the lefty or status quo response to any discussion on the interests of the us working class or manufacturing labor sector.


ie, that is stupid to even try to help them, because of "progress" or "globalization".


The status quo has been for quite some time, even TRYING to help US workers is considered to be... "stupid" or "ignorant", something you expect from "fly over country" or "rednecks".


I think it is a type of classism, based on education levels, that is quite... stupid and willfully blind.



That was my point and that is what you should address if you respond to that post.


Pointing out that Trump is behind on one or two campaign promises, is really missing the big picture.

 

[TimFitz]

One word…NAFTA.

Question: Do you remember when Wal Mart was proud to sell American in their stores?

I do.

NAFTA was originally proposed by Ronald Reagan, and negotiated under George HW Bush.

Trump blew it up in 2017, beginning a long and fraught series of negotiations which produced the USMCA.

Trump blew up his own deal in 2025.

Yet another example of Trump’s consistant bad faith and bertayal.

There are very good reason why no one trusts Trump.

His word has always been worthless.

Oh, and the Walton family gives a lot of political donations………all to Republicans.

 

[initforme]

The battle cry of the left.

It's too hard so don't even try!

It's bullshit anyway. We can bring back a manufacturing base with the associated good wages.

We just have to get rid of the exploiters who want to exploit the brown and brown adjacent people of the world for cheap veggies.

And unionize all those jobs.

 

[Billiejeens]

The tariffs are a long game designed to ensure we have an industrial base, a culture led by middle-class Americans with good jobs, and a fair-trading system.

These countries will negotiate to lower our tariffs and will only be temporarily hostile.

People should not jump ship the moment an inevitable storm kicks up. Just because necessary change is not easy doesn't mean it's not necessary.

 

[JoeB131]

This explains it all. Also some props for Ross Perot who called it in the 1990's and was one of the few. Trump's tariff policies are RIGHT for this country, short term pain for long term gain.

How does protecting an inefficient operation help?

The problem with American industry was it's refusal to innovate for decades. They came out of WWII in a dominant position (because everyone else was in ruins) and then wondered why the rest of the world passed us by when they rebuilt.

 

[initforme]

The tariffs are a long game designed to ensure we have an industrial base, a culture led by middle-class Americans with good jobs, and a fair-trading system.

These countries will negotiate to lower our tariffs and will only be temporarily hostile.

People should not jump ship the moment an inevitable storm kicks up. Just because necessary change is not easy doesn't mean it's not necessary.

How long do people barely hanging on wait? 3 months should be long enough to see big changes. When unionization increases things will be moving.

 

[JoeB131]

The tariffs are a long game designed to ensure we have an industrial base, a culture led by middle-class Americans with good jobs, and a fair-trading system.

These countries will negotiate to lower our tariffs and will only be temporarily hostile.

People should not jump ship the moment an inevitable storm kicks up. Just because necessary change is not easy doesn't mean it's not necessary.

So much wishful thinking in that sentence.

So much.

The long game will be that American industries will still be overpriced, inefficient, and have low quality compared to the rest of the world.

Tariffs are an admission that we can't compete on a level playing field.

 

[JoeB131]

The good old days just means everyone has a job, and the jobs pay enough for a comfortable living.

You mean when Democrats were in charge?

Republicans have been making war on the middle class since Ronnie Ray-gun fired the PATCO workers.

 

[Correll]

How long do people barely hanging on wait? 3 months should be long enough to see big changes. When unionization increases things will be moving.

What's unemployment benefits running at this point?

 

[Billiejeens]

How long do people barely hanging on wait? 3 months should be long enough to see big changes. When unionization increases things will be moving.

Describe the people who are barely hanging on who are affected by these current "paper loses"

 

[initforme]

What's unemployment benefits running at this point?

Unemployment benefits don't pay enough. Now prices will go up. Just telling people to "get a job" is not a valid reply.

 

[initforme]

Describe the people who are barely hanging on who are affected by these current "paper loses"

People who are average workers, watching their retirement savings go away. Those who of retirement age. This isn't "great"

 

[Correll]

Unemployment benefits don't pay enough. Now prices will go up. Just telling people to "get a job" is not a valid reply.

They don't? I was only on it once, and it was great. I sat on my ass and they just sent me money. My job now looks to be very secure. I will probably end up retiring without even getting to do that again.


I'm not aware of anyone that has lost a job from this...oh wait, I do have a friend who worked for teh federal government.

She is kind of unhappy. But she is using the down time to go to ICELAND, with my wife.

 

[Moonglow]

This explains it all. Also some props for Ross Perot who called it in the 1990's and was one of the few. Trump's tariff policies are RIGHT for this country, short term pain for long term gain.

Reagan and Bush sold off the factories to the lowest bidder from around the globe.

 

[Moonglow]

We won. Not everyone is retired or working in the gov't or service industry. The American People fired the Democrats.

Will you cry like when Trump lost in 2020, when the GOP loses again?