Posted on 05/16/2006 9:05:47 AM PDT by jpsb
I have for many years now, been warning of the age old battle between the super rich and the middle class. Only in the usa during the 19th and 20th century, did the middle class win that battle. During the 19th and 20th century in the usa the power of the super wealthy was curtailed. Government enacted laws that protected the middle class and encouraged exspandsion of the middle class.
Anti-trust laws prevented the super rich from gaining control over entire industries. Today these laws are ignored. Labor laws enabled workers to bargain for a living wage. Today these laws are ignored. Trade laws protected American manurfacturs and labor from unfair foreign competition. Today these laws are ignored.
The super wealthy gained control of the government via lobbyists arguing corporate interests over middle class interests.
Also interesting to note that the poor class always sides with the super rich, since the super rich give the poor bread and circus.
Why do the super always fear the middle class? Because a middle class can threaten the interests of the rich. A middle class that has it own means of generating wealth is not dependent on the rich, it's a wild card that might very well sack the rich.
Ever wonder why the wealth generating machines of the usa (manufacturing) are being moved overseas? Wonder no more, the rich want to break the back of the American middle class by taking away the middle classes ability to generate wealth. Ever wonder why the rich want to flood the usa with uneducated poor from totarian nations? Wonder one more, these people will be the hammer that will enforce the policies the rich (government) want enforced. Publicly objects to government policies like bilingualism or immigration or entitlements for the poor and you will get your ass kicked by the "new" Americans.
This is what is happening, the global monied elites do not give a damn about the usa or it citizens. The global monied elite in control of our government see the uppity American middle class and it quaint Constitution as a threat. We that believe in the Constitution, G*d and the rule of Constitutional law are about to be made extinct so that the world will be a safe place for the elite families of the world and thier coporate/government servants.
And these are usually the people who think that mundane chores such as washing the dishes and mowing the lawn (tasks that all American kids were expected to do not that long ago) are beneath their children, so they hire an illegal immigrant to do them instead.
3 of my favorite things, cute blonds, Oktoberfest and beer!
Good grief. Is that you ALgore?
Protectionism was used in the past because America was the little guy trying to compete with large overseas corporations that could flood the market with cheap products to put any new American businesses out of business.
This is still a valid reason for tarriffs. Using tarriffs to keep established large factories from leaving is NOT what was used in the past.
Artificial barriers designed to protect those who ask for more compensation than they are worth encourages poor quality and laziness.
I don't think we are in any kind of trouble. This country has an unemployment rate of 4.7%, which most economists would consider mild over-employment. This is despite the 11 million illegal aliens employed in America. America excells because of the quality and innovation that it provides, not because the government is effectively managing economic barriers.
>>Too much.
What should it be?
How do you know better than all other health care consumers combined?
How would you propose lowering it?
Those of you that think the nation state is dead are in for a very rude awaking. Only the usa deludes itself into thinking that a Utopian NWO will replace the nation state. Nationalism is very much alive and well in the non western world.
No, and I doubt algore would agree with anything I worte.
I think that most of us normal Americans still love our country and don't consider "nation" to be a dirty word. It's only a small elite that really believes in this internationalist NWO crap.
Unfortunately, they have most of the power and the gap between them and us seems to get bigger by the day.
Pat is right and so were the Founding Fathers who put tariffs in place.
I'm not sure how you would even enforce such a tarriff. If Ford is punished for moving a plant to Mexico, by imposing a tarriff on Ford products imported from Mexico, then what's to prevent Ford from re-labelling and selling their products to a middle-man to avoid the tarriff?
Same thing which is preventing Ford from breaking tax laws.
Because President Bush is so chummy with the UN and the wannabe president of the world, Kofi Annan? Get a grip.
Ask France.
Well, even Gore may have tossed a bone of praise to capitalism.
I agreed with many parts of the article. All I need to do is turn on the nightly news if I want to see well to do people who clearly want to wipe out the middle class culture of this country. I have doubts about how successful they will be in the end. The middle class has the ability to adapt.I expect the sheltered rich to start buying their way into Europe, Australia, or New Zealand.
It's Scrooge McDuck, get your facts straight. Do you know how many factories that duck has amassed overseas to put U.S. workers out of business? It would make you quack with rage.
No, no.. by porters. They tote stuff.
Luxembourg, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Canada, Iceland, UK, Belgium, Sweden, Australia, Finland, France, Japan, Italy, and Germany.
You might want to check out the oecd.org web site.
And yet the European Union (part of the west, I believe) has about 3 times the number of manufacturing jobs the US does.
When I was growing up, way back in the last century, in addition to the biggies, there were a host of independents. Along with your purchase of gas, were "gifts" like dishes, glassware, flatware, and toys. Sometimes they had "gas wars" and one could purchase gas at ridiculously low prices, even for the times.
When one pulled into a gas station, a young man ran from his shelter, to your car. He not only pumped your gas, but washed your windshields (front, back, and even side windows on occasion), and asked to check your water and oil. If a tire was low, he put air in it (for free!).
That my friend, was competition and service.
There are still a host of independents. Many gas station owners have a single station. Those who say there is a monopoly/no competition are almost too stupid for words.
How did neoliberal economic policies work out for Argentina? So well, they have taken a left turn.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.