DEAR AMERICA: You Should Be Mad As Hell About This

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Library of Congress

In November, Americans will have a chance to speak their minds.

And there's one thing everyone should agree on:

America just isn't working right now.

It's not just Americans who aren't working. It's America itself, a country whose economy once worked for almost everyone, not just the rich.

In the old America, if you worked hard, you had a good chance of moving up.

In the old America, the fruits of people's labors accrued to the whole country, not just the top.

In the old America, there was a strong middle class, and their immense collective purchasing power drove the economy for decades.

No longer.

Over the past couple of decades, the disparity between "the 1%" and everyone else has hit a level not seen since the 1920s. And there is a widespread and growing sense that life here is not fair or right.

If America cannot figure out a way to fix these problems, the country will likely become increasingly polarized and de-stabilized. And if that happens, the recent "Occupy" protests will likely be only the beginning.

The problem in a nutshell is this:

In the never-ending tug-of-war between "labor" and "capital," there has rarely—if ever—been a time when "capital" was so clearly winning.

And that's not just unfair.

It's un-American.

Read more: http://www.businessi...6#ixzz1xf2mWmgr

Edited June 13, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[lostinblue 1,989]

Edited June 13, 2012 by lostinblue

[^_^ 5,021]

... a country whose economy once worked for almost everyone, not just the rich.

When was this?

Please respond with a precise time period and a testable description of what it means for an economy to "work for everyone".

[one...two...tree 2,762]

When was this?

Please respond with a precise time period and a testable description of what it means for an economy to "work for everyone".

1971

[^_^ 5,021]

1971

That's what we call an incomplete answer.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

[MyLittlePony 340]

I see were this is going.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

1971

Isn't that when Nixon redefined how we count the unemployed?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

[B1Bob 20]

Library of Congress

In November, Americans will have a chance to speak their minds.

And there's one thing everyone should agree on:

America just isn't working right now.

It's not just Americans who aren't working. It's America itself, a country whose economy once worked for almost everyone, not just the rich.

In the old America, if you worked hard, you had a good chance of moving up.

In the old America, the fruits of people's labors accrued to the whole country, not just the top.

In the old America, there was a strong middle class, and their immense collective purchasing power drove the economy for decades.

Nowhere in the constitution will you find anything about life being fair. Your right about America is not working. we have become a nation of entitlement minded people who demand that govt provide our every need. We have never had more govt regulation, more people on the taxpayer dole, more Govt workers. it is sucking the life blood out of our economy.

If you want real change, don't vote for either of those clowns, because either choice will be more of the same. We need to bring all our troops home, reduce taxes, cut entitlements to anyone who is able to work, stop paying people to have babies, stop paying for flood insurance for 10 million dollar beach homes, stop regulating business into the ground, stop paying people not to plant food and let the free market rule. we also need to make it a felony to employ anyone who is not in this country legally, stop filling the jails with drug addicts and etc etc etc.

I could go on.

Edited June 14, 2012 by B1Bob

[웃 910]

We have never had more Govt workers

What is your source?

[slim 1,530]

I don't understand why folks point the finger at rich people. Every single person in this country who is in financial trouble is there because they are greedy - just like those rich people.

If we could just be happy with what we have and realize how rich we all are, our country would be in much better shape.

[james&olya 1,121]

I don't understand why folks point the finger at rich people. Every single person in this country who is in financial trouble is there because they are greedy - just like those rich people.

Sometimes you really step in it!!! This is one of those times! The biggest reason for bankruptcies are unexpected medical expenses. Add to that being laid off, divorces.... Yes, greed can be a factor but is far from the biggest factor and a very long way from 100%!!!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

We have never had more ... more Govt workers.

Really? Looking at federal government employment, there are fewer federal employees today (2.65MM) than there were some three decades ago back in 1975 (2.85MM). Only there are 100 million more people populating the country today than we had back then - that's an almost 50% increase in population vs. a 7% decrease in federal government workers. To put it into another perpective, there were roughly 80MM jobs in this country back in the mid 70's - i.e. federal employment was about 3.5% of the US workforce. Now, there were roughly 130MM jobs in this country in 2010 - federal employment accounted for 2% of the workforce. So, you were saying?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Really? Looking at federal government employment, there are fewer federal employees today (2.65MM) than there were some three decades ago back in 1975 (2.85MM). Only there are 100 million more people populating the country today than we had back then - that's an almost 50% increase in population vs. a 7% decrease in federal government workers. To put it into another perpective, there were roughly 80MM jobs in this country back in the mid 70's - i.e. federal employment was about 3.5% of the US workforce. Now, there were roughly 130MM jobs in this country in 2010 - federal employment accounted for 2% of the workforce. So, you were saying?

How many of those are defense positions?