Are we really economically "recovering"?

Point taken. Perhaps I should have said that recent government policy didn't cause this problem ... actually, we've been headed in this direction for quite awhile; there was just so much money sloshing around in America that it's taken awhile for outsourcing and offshoring to catch up with us.

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"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.

I'm not talking "back to normal" to 1990's standards. I'm talking this country's timeline a whole.

Ever since we created this country our living standards increased with the Depression as a "small" hiccup, compared to whats going on now. The productivity of U.S. workers rose 96 percent since 1945, and average hourly compensation rises in tandem—94 percent from 1945 to 1973. In the next three decades, from 1973 to 2011, worker productivity rises another 80 percent but hourly compensation rises only 10 percent.

This has ALOT to do with politics BUT it is not a Democrat or Republican problem. This is OUR problem. If we want to fix this problem we need to stand up for ourselves and stop being pushed over. Make your voices heard. Not only to our politicians but to everyday people(Work,coffee shop,ect.).

I work at a retail outlet in the middle of a welfare ridden city. When I am "told" to do someone else's job because they are slacking off I tell them "No" When they say, "Oh it will only take 5 mins to do, just do it" I say "Well then instead of texting on their phone for 10 minutes they shoulda gotten it done."

When pay cuts come down from corporate level I make a stink about it. Yes it may only be a dollar a week or whatever BUT that is MY dollar. Add it up to 20,000 employees and its a nice chunk of change. Where everyone else say "Be lucky you have a job and deal with it" If i see an area where they are trying to "screw over the workers" I refuse to participate. (Mandatory unpaid training ,etc)

I may be considered a complainer,whiner,ect and I know it but I work my butt off and I am not easily pushed around and I make it known. They wonder at work why I don't get fired but I do my job and I do it as good if not better than most people in the company.

Why let people take the things you have worked so hard to earn? I'm not saying be like me and get yourself fired from your job or be a complete jerk. But I have fun with it.

I'm a smoker and I love the people who come up to me and ask, "Can I get a cigarette?" My response is,"Can I get a dollar?" When I goto the cigarette store they don't just hand them out for free.

Why do people say "Well at least my money is going to feeding the poor starving child."? Is that YOUR poor starving child? NO, its someone else's who needs to get off their butt and feed their own child. But why would they if someone else is willing to feed them.

This country is so used to being happy with the way things are and they don't realize what is being taken away.

Just like this recent "fiscal cliff" dealings. Everyone is like "Whew, glad they only raised the taxes on the rich and let the tax cuts expire. I'll be good since I'm not rich" WAKE UP YOU DUMMIES!!!! YOUR TAXES JUST WENT UP!!!!

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U.S. Constitution -10th Amendment
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

We are heading back to the conditions of the turn of the century (1900), when there were a handful of very wealthy, with the rest of the populace rather poor. There was no 'middle class' to speak of. Probably the biggest single contributor today is offshore manufacturing. The people at the top of the food chain make tons of money off of this, but the middle income jobs are gone, so everyone else is working at low-paying service industry jobs. Eventually, the tax base will collapse, and the Great American Experiment will be over. I believe we are actually past the tipping point, and just running on inertia as the government frantically tries to kick the can a little further down the road.

As in all human endeavors, it is brought about by greed. The wealthy in 1900 ran everything because they were greedy. Unions emerged, bringing a better life to most Americans, but once again, they became greedy, and American goods became unaffordable. This led companies to seek cheaper labor overseas, driven by- you guessed it- greed. Thanks to all of the entitlement programs gradually added over the years, the government is going (actually, is already far beyond) broke. Why have entitlement programs boomed? Greed. Folks getting hand-outs tend to vote for elected officials who support those hand-outs. Greed, greed, greed.

There are indications that the economy is getting better, but if you look at the total picture, it is very dark indeed.

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"What one generation tolerates, the next generation embraces." -John Wesley

I am getting along fine for someone not considered sane.I am not falling for the sky is falling propaganda.I have confidence that the american people will get things under control.

Ok, well if your doing so good you can pay your share of the national debt now then. I expect you to be mailing the IRS your check now.


National Debt:
How many people are in your household?

1= $52,341.30
2= $104,682.60
3= $157,023.90
4= $209,365.20

Think you had your debt paid off? Think again!!!!

Edited to add: And since 51% of households are not paying taxes, the amount you owe is double what is listed!!!

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U.S. Constitution -10th Amendment
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

I was reading the list and trying to make sense of it.

Some of it certainly points out the fact we are reaching a great divide between incomes in this country.

Certainly actions of our government has created a lot of this.

There is a reason the Wal Mart heirs are so wealthy. Far too many Americans are thrilled with being able to buy baskets full of shiny, cheap geegaws.

That is also party the reason jobs have gone offshore, and part of the reason for so much consumer debt.

I put a lot of the blame on government spending - and government actions.
Some of the blame, we must accept ourselves.

I am a little skeptical of the 1 M homeless children. I find that unbelievable.
I certainly hope and pray it isn't true. I'm wondering what they consider 'homeless'?

Because of Economics, the middle class of US are the most powerful group of people in the world-we are under attack.

Passing the Taft Hartley act was the beginning of the end of the middle class.

The next nail in the coffin was when Reagan broke the air traffic controllers union.

The next nail was when Clinton and contress passed NAFTA, but really basically ALL free trade agreements hurt US workers except farming.

This is why republicans should be FOR unions and against free trade.

My brother once voted for Jesse Jackson and then Pat Buchanon because both were economic populists.

Companies can merge and corner the market and set their own prices. Workers have to use their labor as a bargaining chip. You should NEVER cross a picket line.

As the middle class has fallen in wages and the rich have got richer and the money that used to go to the workers wages go to CEO pay and stockholder dividends.

Republicans don't like gov't giveaways yet as the income inequality gets higher then people demand more from the government. Where if we had strong unions then there would be no need for the earned income tax credit, food stamps for people who work or insurance subsidies for children. People would be able to collectively bargain and get these things from their employers.

In the 1970s and 1980s the auto unions were as strong as unions could be. A starting janitor as an auto plant made wages that would be impressive in today's economy.
Of course, that lead to very expensive cars and poor, complaisant quality. And the auto industry lost customers with the speed of a meteor falling to earth as soon as competition from Japan was allowed.

And air traffic controllers still have a pretty hefty payscale and good benefits by today's standard.

The trouble with assigning virtue to an entity whose purpose is material gain is not resonable, whether union or employer.

Now if you wanted to say the tension created by a better balanced share of power betweent unions and employers is good because it insures that neither will be able to grab all the goodies, then that is closer to the truth.

But unchecked unions are as damaging to the average man as unchecked employers.

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For we used to ask when we were little, thinking that the old men knew all things which are on earth: yet forsooth they did not know; but we do not contradict them, for neither do we know.

Tough call.

People are supposedly poorer, yet are still willing to shell out an average, of nearly $1800, for a ticket to the Alabama/Notre Dame final game.

Some parking is $500.

Maybe these folks are the 1%.




http://annistonstar.com/view/full_st...e=home_opinion

I agree with everything you stated, but, I would substitute the words "self interest" in place of "greed". Greed sounds downright sinful. Self interest is something we all have innately, just like joy and sadness. It's part of human nature, and although there are some truly (rarely) altruistic individuals, the actions described in your post are pretty much what we should expect.

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http://www.ozarktubs.com
"The Big Load Washtub"

^ Not that it was allowed, allowing them in with minimum tariff fees and lowering safety standards.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/baizhuch...e-tariff-wall/

Wonder why China is a manufacturing hub of the world? Here's your answer

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U.S. Constitution -10th Amendment
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Some folks did well back in the great depression too. We're seeing another round of small businesses closing here. The middle class is suffering a slow death by a thousand cuts it seems. I don't personally know anyone who will not tell you they have had to cut back to get by. The alternative of finding a better job or even a part time is a very rare option here.

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Some people just need a high five.....right up side their heads.

I don't know that things are not worse, just that some don't know it.
I still see money wasted on basketsful of Chinese junk at Wal Mart, and I still see some people buying big new cars, and the roads are full of people driving.

Although, it's true, many fortunes were made during the depression.

EXACTLY. There has been a concerted effort to undermine the middle class here. Unfair trade deals, off shoring manufacturing jobs, union busting. Pick your poison, it all leads to the same place. I think about everything has been done to destroy the blue collar worker. Throw in overbearing regs, higher taxes and inflation and there you have it. We are reaping what we sow or maybe it's more correct to say what we voter.

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So in the morning, please don't say ya love me.
Cause you know I'll only kick you out the door.

And Republicans!

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So in the morning, please don't say ya love me.
Cause you know I'll only kick you out the door.

As long as the leaders of this nation are leading the masses down the road of blame and the masses blame each other this country will never get back on track. There has to be a coming together of the people to make changes happen. There is no middle of the road. Look at congress and some people here. Far left and far right that think they are right and will never work together to make it right. We used to be a country of people, proud to be American, working TOGETHER to make this country even better. Not anymore, get what you can get and walk all over the rest to get it....James

And Republicans!

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So in the morning, please don't say ya love me.
Cause you know I'll only kick you out the door.

Wonderful, glad to see that someone else gets it. Now tell me, do you have any idea what the yearly interest on you and your families share of the debt is?

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So in the morning, please don't say ya love me.
Cause you know I'll only kick you out the door.

Blaming greed for our current economic condition is like blaming gravity when a plane goes down. What you are calling 'greed' is the natural pursuit of personal interest. Without it our species would not survive, without it YOU would not survive too long.

Like it or not, the world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. The baker, the blacksmith, and the carpenter do not produce their goods for YOUR benefit, they do so because it benefits them...personal interest or what you keep calling "greed".