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I don't think workforce reduction is the issue. The issue we are facing is we aren't seeing much job growth, and the few new jobs created don't pay the bills. Folks working in a traditionally well paying occupation with less competition don't have much exposure to the situation facing the bottom rung, and perhaps the majority of the workforce.
Perfectly stated, and as one who works just up from the bottom "rung", from what I'm seeing, you are exactly right.
We have far too many who, even if they are working, are not making enough to survive, and are having to have the government subsidize their living expenses because what they are making is not enough compared to the cost of gas, utilities, food, medical care, etc.
It's a house of cards, but the people farther up the food chain, as you stated, are not aware of it. Yet.
I think having decent wages for working that have kept up with the cost of living decently are the only thing that separate us from third world countries.
Instead, we have obscene wages for a few at the top.
I think having decent wages for working that have kept up with the cost of living decently are the only thing that separate us from third world countries.
Instead, we have obscene wages for a few at the top.
The question is, how do you propose to "fix" this problem without a massive push towards socialism? The minute anyone attempts to address income disparity, the 1% leg humpers cry communism. I'm not saying I particularly care for socialist ideals, but the system in place most certainly doesn't benefit the majority.
The question is, how do you propose to "fix" this problem without a massive push towards socialism? The minute anyone attempts to address income disparity, the 1% leg humpers cry communism. I'm not saying I particularly care for socialist ideals, but the system in place most certainly doesn't benefit the majority.
I don't believe the answer is income redistribution because it doesn't address the issues at the foundation. The current political/economic environment is setup to allow this mess. Free Trade Agreements are allowing jobs to be sent overseas with incentives for executives because they can minimize wages, maximize profits and they don't have to pay tariffs on imports. Being the largest consumer market in the world, that's a HUGE advantage for foreign and local companies that want to pay slave wages. Those countries don't have as many "regulations", etc., making it an even sweeter deal.
Then you have the US Government saying they're going to overtly attempt to move wealth around through "higher taxes on the rich" and the people are upset that income redistribution is occuring and socialism has creeped in. In reality, the Federal Reserve and the US Government are covertly redistributing wealth from the middle class and poor to the rich through "Quantitative Easing" and other economically toxic activities. It's happening right under the noses of the American public. All that's happening is that the Fed is infusing the banks with money through the purchase of Mortgage Backed Securities and TBonds, and the banks are lending it back to the government or other entities at the top of the money counterfeiting pyramid.
People know something's wrong, but they don't understand that the government is paying back their campaign financers through transfering wealth to them and adding "regulations" that allow them to abuse workers through wage reductions and shipping jobs out of the country.
but too many haven't wanted to spend the $50 or $100 a year on latex.
The ONLY problem the US has is having produced far too many low/no skilled people
at the same time that the US has so dramatically reduced the number of low/no skilled jobs.
Aside from the direct effect this has on these people... it depreciates the value of labor in general.
The number one reason why Tom can't earn more for his time (even low/no skilled time)...
is because of the raw number of people available to compete with him for any job.
Making business pay Tom more won't fix this imbalance.
Making others in the 99% pay more in taxes to make up the difference only perpetuates the imbalance.
but too many haven't wanted to spend the $50 or $100 a year on latex.
The ONLY problem the US has is having produced far too many low/no skilled people
at the same time that the US has so dramatically reduced the number of low/no skilled jobs.
Aside from the direct effect this has on these people... it depreciates the value of labor in general.
The number one reason why Tom can't earn more for his time (even low/no skilled time)...
is because of the raw number of people available to compete with him for any job.
Making business pay Tom more won't fix this imbalance.
Making others in the 99% pay more in taxes to make up the difference only perpetuates the imbalance.
There are about the same number of manufacturing jobs in the USA today as there were back in 1950, even though our population is more than double the size (151M to 311M):
While education in the USA should be producing more people with skills, the exodus of industry has led to such a small demand that skills are being lost across manufacturing industries. There is a critical need for quality paying jobs in the low/no skill labor department. The answer isn't to get businesses to pay more, it's to get more businesses to locally produce. Doing so builds synergy across the local industry, strengthening exports, raising skillsets in the population, generating weatlh, raising wages, allowing people to consume, etc.
Where we are now is particularly difficult because even if we were to bring industry back home, we have a populace that's largely lacking in skills for even the most simple of jobs. It would take time and investment, and most importantly (IMO) incentive to do so.
There are about the same number of manufacturing jobs in the USA today as...
...and some of them are even in the "low/no skilled" range.
Quote:
Where we are now is particularly difficult because even if we were to bring industry back home,
we have a populace that's largely lacking in skills for even the most simple of jobs.
It would take time and investment, and most importantly (IMO) incentive to do so.
Which pretty much negates the utility of considering such... let alone actually spending to do so.
It's further complicated by the (mostly reasonable and well considered) geopolitical and environmental
reasons that these jobs were eliminated and/or exported to begin with.
Shifting these jobs back here WILL come with other costs.
Last edited by MrRational; 07-11-2013 at 08:45 AM..
...and some of them are even in the "low/no skilled" range.
Which pretty much negates the utility of considering such... let alone actually spending to do so.
It's further complicated by the (mostly reasonable and well considered) geopolitical reasons
that these jobs were eliminated and/or exported to begin with.
Shifting these jobs back here WILL come with other costs.
What would those costs be? It seems to be political agreements and legislation that's caused this paradigm in the first place. Why would the USA need to spend to place a tarrif on imports or to favor local labor?
Why would the USA need to spend to place a tariff on imports or to favor local labor?
A tariff is worth discussing but that is a far different thing from re-establishing the low/no skill
dirty manufacturing we have been discussing.
Quote:
What would those (geopolitical and environmental) costs be (to re-establish
the low/no skill dirty manufacturing) ?
Looking for an absolute answer? Not biting.
Generally though... can you envision how people in those places might react if their work and entre
into a middle class existence was taken away by us? I can and few of the scenarios are appealing.
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