Posted on 01/17/2006 8:02:19 AM PST by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
Inspired by a reader who sent a list of once American corporations who's profits are no longer funneled to the hard-working American employee, I investigated the subject.
The clip that landed on my desk was from "America is Selling Out," published in The American Conservative, December, 2005. As I digested, emotionally charged from the publication's Web site at www.economyincrisis.org, I agreed with some of the information, discarded the sensational propaganda and extrapolated my take on the issues' raw facts.
From what I've experienced and witnessed first-hand, I consider the current state of the American economy as a politically driven "the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer" economic model.
There are too many alarming signs in our country for the politicians to actually be blindly racing the mad horse into the flaming barn as it might appear. The social-economic gaps in our nation are at record heights. In recent years, there have been more billionaires than ever, more fresh college graduates filing bankruptcy than ever and increasing numbers of the middle class economically sinking.
Sadly, this is all by design, not some directionless fluke. Since the rich are richer than ever and the most profitable corporations are breaking records, the misled reports boast positive economic growth that are not a true reflection to what has happened to the nation's work force as a result of active globalization.
The weight has gotten heavier for those who pull the load - the American population - because it's the increased sweat that fuels the skyrocketing extravagance of the filthy elite few. This is the reversal point of the American Dream into the American Nightmare.
The current American economic model seems like a reversal of Robin Hood. The big and powerful are profiting and becoming even more powerful as the comfortable livings of the endangered middle class are reallocated for the increasingly exclusive and isolated pockets of wealth hoarders.
No one who is aware will deny that the corporations who apparently are running this country are outsourcing our jobs. The rationalization for the mass outsourcing is to provide American consumers with cheaper products. It almost makes sense that consumables should be cheaper since the displaced workers no longer have the higher-paying jobs to afford historically high-quality, American-made products.
The American Dream - the belief that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity - has vanished in the atmosphere of this greed and power driven frenzy.
These days it's looking more like the American Dream is being outsourced in exchange for the American Nightmare which the vast majority of the nation's population is waking up to in this cheaper reality.
I sure agree with you there.
OMG LOL
Even funnier is that you probably think your question is serious.
"Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." George Orwell
After three years of job losses, the region southeast of San Francisco has steadied itself and is re-emerging as the world headquarters of concepts for gadgets, Web sites and consumer products.
IOW, Entertainment Nation.
P. T. Barnum, too!!!
He'd also understand that we need the FairTax as the tax law of the land, WillieGee ... or maybe he really DOES know that and isn't letting on yet?
Guess you've read some of WillieGee's "stuff" previousl. Wait'll he gets on his class warfare rant about "property", etc. It's classic.
If only America would adopt mass rail transit and maglev. All our problems would be solved!
You may not have much of Looey's "stuff" before. He's deadly serious (for some reason) but it's not too certain what it's about.
Ask him what 2 + 6 equals.
Fer shur!!!
Then we could export some of these nutcases to other countries to "help" them as economic (or ballet) advisers.
... and stupid behavior, too.
"... scarce jobs in a declining economy."
WTF? 4.9% unemployment rate (December 2005), 4.7% productivity growth (3rd quarter 2005), 4.1% GDP growth (3rd quarter 2005)
Oh, you forgot your /sarc tag ...
The answer must be serious...since either no one has bothered with an honest one or you just don't know.
So is my new Dell laptop, made in Malaysia, or my Kohler cast iron tub, made in China, or even my Volvo XC90 (Volvo's owned by Ford) counted as "American manufacturing output" or not?
We can trade insults, or you can answer the question.
Either that, or you've asked the question before, didn't receive the answer you expected, so continue to ask. But since I'm feeling amused, with regard to your Volvo, did you look at the federally-mandated domestic content sticker?
"more fresh college graduates filing bankruptcy than ever and increasing numbers of the middle class economically sinking."
Sigh... I think the fundamental underlying problem is more that people's mouths are getting bigger than their wallets. Consumer spending as been increasing, luxury brands have become mainstream while the prices havent, and Americans are falling more and more into credit card debt. Ever seen a poor black woman in sweatpants or that college girl on student loans carrying a $500 Louis Vuitton purse or wearing Chanel sunglasses? See those people next door to you in that large McMansion (that are being built in record numbers) with the nice new car and speedboat? He's up to his eyeballs in debt.
The national debt of course is a macroeconomic reflection of what people are doing in their own lives. We live in a very instant gratification materialistic celebrity driven culture so how of course thats going to lead to people buying more than saving. Americans have some of the worse savings rates in the world. It seems like all the indicators he gives for why the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poor can stem from this problem.
The American Dream is still alive. My parents and myself are proof that you can work hard, provide for all of your needs, and live a comfortable life if you make the correct decisions with your money (save, invest wisely, get an education, think towards the future). The inlaws on the other hand who make more money than my dad and have a nicer house with a pool and better dressed children are living paycheck to paycheck with no retirement money because they never saved or invested.
Say, could you direct me to any published statistics of "North American Union manufacturing output?" Thanks in advance.
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