You have any backup for this claim?
Around the spring of 2013, I did work up some numbers myself. By traditional growth we should have had around 176.085 million people employed. Instead we had 134.839 million employed. That works out to 23% underemployment. LINK I beleive it is reasoned to address this as one quarter of our work-force outy of work. You and others may disagree. I do think it would be fair game to quibble about the 2%. I do not have a study to vindicate my comment about people making half the money they were five years ago. What I did stumble across was an article that claims over 40% of Americans are making less than the 1968 minimum wage. LINK Is this the United States you championed your whole life? It sure isn't the one I championed.
So no, you won't take ownership.
I absolutely take ownership of my desire for less government interference in trade and our economy in general.
Well that sounds good, but when it comes to these threads, the first things out of the mouths of folks like you is "Protectionists". Those of us who lament what has taken place resent that. There have been massive downsides. None of that is mentioned in favor of saying things that are intended to marginalize us for speaking out. Where is your indignation that missile gyro technology was transferred to China? Where is your indignation at the fact that missle vibration damper technology was transferred to China? Where is your indignation at the fact that technology going back to the 1950s, was gifted to China over a period of a couple of decades? Where is your indignation at the fact China was gifted with 50 to 70 years of technology, just so this economic nightmare could be facilitated? Today we and our allies, and folks not traditionally affiliated with us, face a growing military threat from China simply because the Free Traders prevailed?
When it comes to our patent database (essentially) being turned over to China, to China getting many of our military secrets, it's all a big yawn to you.
I'm against that.
Oh yes, I'm sure you are. None the less, that is never the emphasis of folks like you. "Protectionist" is always the first word put of your mouth. It's a pajorative that has been used to nullify any rational debate.
None of this is admitted to as a massive down-side.
Those things are bad. Do you feel they'd be better with higher tariffs?
Did I mention tariffs? No. Funny thing is though, a group of people we're supposed to respect did. Our Founding Fathers set tariffs up as the way to finance our government. They reasoned that a few percentage points of tariffs would fund the government, and limit it's size. That along with sane financial practices would keep the size of our government in check. Now that they have been proven brilliant beyond several centuries into our existence as a nation, you folks still show up to hump the leg of the Leftist professors who sold you on tariffs bad, anything done under the name of Free Trade, absolute God-like.
Who cares if China can target our cities with advanced accuracy? Who cares if their missle failures were reduced by 90% with our technology transfers? Who cares if we have 23% of our workforce idle? Who cares if 40% of our workers are making less than the minimum wage of 1968? Trade! Trade! Trade! Trade! Trade! Trade!
We don't have free trade with China.
No we don't, because China manipulates it's currency
We never signed a free trade agreement with China.
And yet here you are taking me to task instead of our Federal Government's and Communist China's policies. Never-mind that nuclear war with China is that much more thinkable, because their missile reliability has been nearly perfected and their accurace is such that they can pinpoint a strike to within 50 feet. No, that damned Preotectionist is doing it again. Do you folks have any idea how bombasticly stupid you come off in these debates?
You and I should be on the same side. Intead you'll forgive the Free Trade enabled chicanery no matter what, and trash those who you claim to agree with when it comes to the effects of what has taken place.
As for highest in the world corporate tax rates, what does that encourage Corporations to do? Shall I play the Jeopardy music here for you, while you suck up the courage to admit there is government intervention that spurs on the offshore madness?
Since I've already said we should cut our taxes, not raise them, do you feel you've made a point here?
Did you or did you not infer that government had not helped corporations move jobs off shore due to tax breaks? I believe you did.
No, you're not bothered by government control at all.
Yes I am.
And yet, as concerned as you say you are over issues like this, your target is the "Protectionists", not the federal government or our trade practices. So no, I don't believe you.
Please link me to the prior post on this thread where you blasted the goverment for motivating corporations to move off-shore.
Every thread on trade, where I mock big government conservative calls for higher taxes (tariffs) and suggest we make the US more friendly to corporations, by reducing taxes and regs, the opposite of your ideas.
Please link me to one place where I advocated for higher taxation or more regulations. I have touched on what our Founders did, but I made no values judgment related to that. So basically, this is pure fantasy on your part.
$0.25 cent an hour wages in China vs $15.00 an hour wages in the U. S. is not a problem to you. If it results in job displacement in the U. S. you view that as a great thing.
Link to a thread where I claimed any such thing.
It's what is taking place, and you continue to advocate for Free Trade despite that fact. Am I now to believe you don't advocate for what you have been advocating for?.