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Middle Class Job Losses Batter Economy
Associated Press | January 2 2006 | Associated Press and Vicki Smith

Posted on 01/02/2006 4:19:44 AM PST by ventana

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To: eeevil conservative
And in spades!

But it's a waste of time and effort, to attempt to teach many years worth of history, to those who apparently slept through all of their classes and never bothered to read much of anything outside of school.

461 posted on 01/02/2006 10:29:40 PM PST by nopardons
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To: hubbubhubbub

That is sheer ignorance speaking. Sorry. You need to get a grip on reality. And I didn't have a UAW job. Why do your kind always persist in making rash assumptions and basing conclusions on those rash assumptions if not to pollute the debate with nonsequiters. It's as good as lying to make a point..


462 posted on 01/02/2006 10:30:04 PM PST by Havoc (President George and King George.. coincidence?)
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To: MojoWire

Bunk. Next treason lobby twit rationalization.


463 posted on 01/02/2006 10:31:09 PM PST by Havoc (President George and King George.. coincidence?)
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To: ventana

I notice this article mentions NOTHING about WHY those jobs are gone, eh? Why am I not Surprised?
And it has so little to do with WAGES.....
Over-Taxation....
Over-Unionization....
Over-Regulation....
Inane Enviro Laws...
Unlimited Civil Liability...
Advances in Technology....
The Standardized Shipping Container....
The Computer....
The Internet....


464 posted on 01/02/2006 10:31:35 PM PST by tcrlaf
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To: Foundahardheadedwoman

You gotta' admit, 8 years of Perot would've been much more preferrable to 8 years of Clinton.


465 posted on 01/02/2006 10:33:52 PM PST by streetpreacher (If at the end of the day, 100% of both sides are not angry with me, I've failed.)
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To: MojoWire

Sorry; but, no. Liberals have their own pathetic version of things just like you have your pathetic version of things. US companies got their start and their licenses to do business in the US here - in the US. They aren't owed that license and they don't have a right to it. And, yes, in a world where loyalty means something, it does matter where one occupies himself in business terms. There are laws and ethics which
rule the situation as much as market forces. Liberals tend not to give a D@mn about either the law or ethics any more than you do. Republicans and myself, by and large do care about both.. apparently you've heard of this at some point...


466 posted on 01/02/2006 10:36:31 PM PST by Havoc (President George and King George.. coincidence?)
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To: eeevil conservative
I never really understood the right to strike for wages. Seems like if somebody is out of work and wants to do the work for less than the union is demanding they ought to be allowed to take the job.

When I got out of the service I tried to get a job that I was trained for but wasn't related to the right people. I ended up going to college instead out of desperation on the GI bill and it all worked out. But unions are a closed society and the thinking I see in some of these posts gets me to think there must be some inbreeding also.

For sure there are a LOT of people without basic economic training.
467 posted on 01/02/2006 10:37:32 PM PST by Sunnyflorida
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To: Mase
Not real sure what you're talking about there Steve and I have no idea why you think I would be in favor of any of this. This country hasn't voted down a free trade agreement in my lifetime and our standard of living has risen dramatically. There is a direct correlation between the amount of economic freedom a country practices and their per capita GDP, political liberty and standard of living... The Heritage Foundation offers an annual report proving that the countries with the most economic freedom also have higher rates of long-term economic growth and are more prosperous than are those with less economic freedom.

I think you may have missed the point, which was conflating economic indicators with other indicators, dismissively referred to elsewhere as ethereal or ephemeral in nature.

From the link you supplied:

Notable is the fact that the United States has tumbled from the top 10 economies, falling two spots from its 2004 ranking into a tie for 12th with Switzerland. This drop reflects the policy improvements made by the world's freest countries. Although remaining a "free" economy, the U.S. has been treading water while other nations are improving their scores and surpassing it in the rankings.

I suppose free-traders might argue that America is not moving fast enough to reduce trade barriers that seem to have served it well for the first 200 years of its existence. Probably at least some fair traders would argue that the drop in the index wrt to the US is an indicator of downwards harmonization. That's a tie. I would argue that economic freedom is a term that leads to conflation of concepts in logical argument-- freedom and economics, or certain free trade economics, to be more exact.

Yes, reducing government control at every opportunity is a good thing. Creating barriers to trade is just another form of government control.

OK, we part company where economics is elevated over all other forms of human activity in importance and reflected in government affairs. I guess an economist would even argue that the ink used to pen "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" was simply a waste, or perhaps should have been re-phrased or at least interpreted as "economic freedom." I am not sure this was the case, and I am not sure that others would agree either.

Speaking of enlightened economic policies...I tend to like Milton Friedman. He said: Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.

The quote leads me to conclude that Mr. Friedman -- he's an economist, isn't he? -- is very self-confident in both his own convictions and his defense of his profession. I'm sorry, but forgive me that I don't sense the logic of the words he uses, nor his reasoning from the quote alone. Friedman's quote just sounds to me like a prime example of conflated rhetoric, and perhaps even a somewhat dismal one at that (smile).

My personal experience is traveling to Mexico immediately after NAFTA-- remember the rosy promises made in both countries? Mexico devalued its currency soon afterwards, and a lot of hurting people there became even more hard-pressed. Hertz tried to stiff me for the effects then-recent devaluation by insisting I pay for my reservation in a revised cost that reflected the new exchange rate in dollars, not pesos, at the counter. I found it both humorous and sad. So much for economic freedom. PS, free trade or not, economic freedom or not, I won that argument with Hertz. I have little tolerance for economic flimflam-- zero tolerance when it comes to free trade flimflam versus natural rights and environmental protection.

We all pay for what we get and we all eventually reap what we sow-- one way or another. Flimflam free trade arguments will lead to harmonization, and downwards harmonization will lead to a harmonized standard of living. When the US harmonizes with third world countries with free trade, it will get third world standards of living. It's simple economics.

468 posted on 01/02/2006 10:38:53 PM PST by SteveH (First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.)
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To: nopardons

but is so much easier to just think I am heartless than to do some homework on the facts....

I did not pic the nic eeevil conservative for nothin'..LOL!

I know I will be accused of it-- I choose to embrace it! and Wear it like a BADGE!


469 posted on 01/02/2006 10:39:18 PM PST by eeevil conservative (courage is living in tyranny and speaking for freedom/not living in freedom and speaking for tyranny)
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To: muir_redwoods

You're dodging. Assault and battery and theft were'nt mentioned or alluded to in my point. Go back and read because the point was fair competition. When you lost the point you dodged it.. just want it clear that you fudged. Thanks.


470 posted on 01/02/2006 10:39:22 PM PST by Havoc (President George and King George.. coincidence?)
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To: Sunnyflorida

ROFLLLLLL!!!!

you said "inbreeding"

ROFLLLLLLLLL!!!!!

PERFECT!


471 posted on 01/02/2006 10:40:39 PM PST by eeevil conservative (courage is living in tyranny and speaking for freedom/not living in freedom and speaking for tyranny)
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To: eeevil conservative
sweety--the UNIONS have earned this

Please don't call me "sweety", that's not appropriate terminology for friendly discourse. In any case, I think that anyone making over fifty thou a year is overpaid. Take pay cuts! I want to pay even less for YOUR services so I can live even more cheaply!

472 posted on 01/02/2006 10:41:06 PM PST by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: RFEngineer
I've followed your posts throughout the whole thread. You've become increasingly bitter throughout

No, you just seem to think it's useful to apply "bitter" to me in passing as though it makes some point for you. In point of fact I'm having the time of my life laughing myself silly on this end while I listen to Ann Coulter play in the background. She's a real inspiration for dealing with the ethically challenged.

473 posted on 01/02/2006 10:42:49 PM PST by Havoc (President George and King George.. coincidence?)
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To: Ciexyz
forgive me for the sweety thing.....

please check your mail on that....

In any case, I think that anyone making over fifty thou a year is overpaid. Take pay cuts! I want to pay even less for YOUR services so I can live even more cheaply!

are you being sarcastic here? I NEVER WANT TO WORK FOR A POOR MAN!
474 posted on 01/02/2006 10:43:56 PM PST by eeevil conservative (courage is living in tyranny and speaking for freedom/not living in freedom and speaking for tyranny)
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To: Jack Black

Thank you. I strive for clarity amidst a group consistently trying to fog it up. Wanna grab something and have a go - they keep popping up through these little holes over here...


475 posted on 01/02/2006 10:44:30 PM PST by Havoc (President George and King George.. coincidence?)
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To: streetpreacher

You have no way of knowing that and Perot, had he somehow managed to become president, would most assuredly have mucked things up...BIG TIME!


476 posted on 01/02/2006 10:47:57 PM PST by nopardons
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To: nopardons

Is there some way to do a "list" search on FR?


477 posted on 01/02/2006 10:50:07 PM PST by streetpreacher (If at the end of the day, 100% of both sides are not angry with me, I've failed.)
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To: nopardons

Anyhow...


478 posted on 01/02/2006 10:51:09 PM PST by streetpreacher (If at the end of the day, 100% of both sides are not angry with me, I've failed.)
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To: Havoc
Were the "ROBBER BARONS" also "traitors"?

Where was the "loyalty", when companies, in the mid 19th century fired employees, when they got mangled in machines?

Do you actually know ANY factual American history?

479 posted on 01/02/2006 10:51:22 PM PST by nopardons
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To: nopardons

Compared to Bill, I would've probably settled for the devil...


480 posted on 01/02/2006 10:51:55 PM PST by streetpreacher (If at the end of the day, 100% of both sides are not angry with me, I've failed.)
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