[thejokker]

it is the responsibility of business to maintain a strong middle-class. our nations strength depends upon it. how many billionaires on the list of the richest men in the world are wal-mart executives? this is an issue where neither "party" has the high ground. clearly business cannot be restricted by undue government regulation but neither is it acceptable to create a new "elite" class of wealthy businessmen while the middle-class is reduced to serfdom...

[Physicist]

it is the responsibility of business to maintain a strong middle-class.

I agree. And the best way for Wal-Mart to do that is to make the middle-class consumer's dollar stretch farther.

Pop quiz: If Wal-Mart could provide the same service with, say, a third of the employees they use right now, would it be better or worse for the economy? If we didn't need Wal-Mart at all, but were magically able to buy directly from each of Wal-Mart's suppliers, would it be better or worse for the economy?

[JBW]

How is it "the responsibility of business to maintain a strong middle-class"? How is it that business is creating a "new elite class . . . while the middle-class is reduced to serfdom"?

Private businesses have no responsibility to do anything with a view towards the larger economy. Private businesses are obligated to obey the law and create profits, nothing more.

If every private business did nothing more than obey the law and make a profit, our entire society would be better off. To the extent our economy is healthy today (and it is) it is the result of free-market principles. On the contrary, our greatest economic failures have been when legislatures or activists have tried to impose other (non-market) obligations on business.

Today's middle class in America is the wealthiest in history. Even the poor have cell phones, air conditioning, television and the Internet.

By contrast, only a few decades ago the poor lacked indoor plumbing, electricity and enough food to eat.

How can you possibly claim that anyone today is "being reduced to serfdom"?

[freedomfiter2]

neither is it acceptable to create a new "elite" class of wealthy businessmen while the middle-class is reduced to serfdom...

Yeah, we don't want anyone competing with the old elite class of businessmen.

[Alberta's Child]

Most people don't recognize the irony of all this "we're losing our middle class!" agonizing we hear so often. The loss of our middle class is primarily driven by an increase in the size of our upper class, not an increase in the size of our lower class.

[Sam's Army]

"but neither is it acceptable to create a new "elite" class of wealthy businessmen while the middle-class is reduced to serfdom..."

Excellent choice of words there, comrade.

[.cnI redruM]

>>>>it is the responsibility of business to maintain a strong middle-class.

Manure. It is the responsibility of the average American to maintain himself.