Twitter
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Delicious
Digg
Newsvine
Google
Yahoo
TechnoratiGood Jobs Are Where the Money Is
I think of the people running this country as the mad-dashers, a largely confused and inconsistent group lurching ineffectively from one enormous problem to another.
They've made a hash of a war that never should have been launched. They can't find bin Laden. They've been shocked by the subprime debacle. They're lost in a maze on health care.
Now, like children who have eaten too much sugar, they are frantically trying to figure out how to put a few dollars into the hands of working people to stimulate an enfeebled economy.
They should stop, take a deep breath and acknowledge the obvious: the way to put money into the hands of working people is to make sure they have access to good jobs at good wages. That has long been known, but it hasn't been the policy in this country for many years.
Big business and the federal government have worked hand in hand to squeeze the daylights out of working people, stripping them (in an era of downsizing and globalization) of much of their bargaining power while ferociously pursuing fiscal policies that radically favored the privileged few.
My colleague at The Times, David Cay Johnston, took a look at income patterns in the U.S. over the past few decades in his new book, "Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You With the Bill)."
From 1980 to 2005 the national economy, adjusted for inflation, more than doubled. (Because of population growth, the actual increase per capita was about 66 percent.) But the average income for the vast majority of Americans actually declined during that period. The standard of living for the average family has improved not because incomes have grown, but because women have gone into the workplace in droves.
The peak income year for the bottom 90 percent of Americans was way back in 1973 - when the average income per taxpayer (adjusted for inflation) was $33,001. That is nearly $4,000 higher than the average in 2005.
It's incredible but true: 90 percent of the population missed out on the income gains during that long period.
Mr. Johnston does not mince words: "The pattern here is clear. The rich are getting fabulously richer, the vast majority are somewhat worse off, and the bottom half - for all practical purposes, the poor - are being savaged by our current economic policies."
His words are echoed in a proposed stimulus plan currently offered by the Economic Policy Institute in Washington. (The plan is available on its Web site, epi.org.) Stressing that any stimulus package should be "fair," the authors of the institute's proposal wrote:
"The distribution of wages, income and wealth in the United States has become vastly more unequal over the last 30 years. In fact, this country has a more unequal distribution of income than any other advanced country."
Economic alarm bells have been ringing in the U.S. for some time. There was no sense of urgency as long as those in the lower ranks were sinking in the mortgage muck and the middle class was raiding the piggy bank otherwise known as home equity.
But now that the privileged few are threatened (Merrill Lynch took a $9.8 billion fourth-quarter hit, and the stock market has spent the first part of the year behaving like an Olympic diving champion), it's suddenly time to take action.
There is no question that some kind of stimulus package geared to the needs of ordinary Americans is in order. But that won't begin to solve the fundamental problem.
Good jobs at good wages - lots of them, growing like spring flowers in an endlessly fertile field - is the absolutely essential basis for a thriving American economy and a broad-based rise in standards of living.
Forget all the CNBC chatter about Fed policy and bargain stocks. For ordinary Americans, jobs are the be-all and end-all. And an America awash in new jobs will require a political environment that respects and rewards work and aggressively pursues creative policies designed to radically expand employment.
I'd start with a broad program to rebuild the American infrastructure. This would have the dual benefit of putting large numbers of people to work and answering a crying need. The infrastructure is in sorry shape. New Orleans comes to mind, and the tragic bridge collapse in Minneapolis.
The country that gave us the Marshall Plan to rebuild postwar Europe ought to be able, 60 years later, to reconstitute its own sagging infrastructure.
There are also untold numbers of jobs and myriad societal benefits to be reaped from a sustained, good-faith effort to achieve energy self-sufficiency. Think Manhattan Project.
The possibilities are limitless. We could create an entire generation of new jobs and build a bigger and fairer economy for the 21st century. If only we were serious.
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
45 Comments so far
Show Allhttp://www.trafford.com/07-2440
Dear Sirs and Mesdames,
This subject, in my mind, is the most immediate most urgent and serious matter confronting the Human Race. Despite the fact that many great minds, philosophers, politicians, academics and economists, have all created eminent careers based on their knowledge and understanding of how free enterprise, national economies and the human race interact, they have all failed to admit the obvious. It is glaringly obvious that we have large swathes of the human race that do not have access to money; it is that simple.
Therefore we need a system of economy that literally accommodates the needs and aspirations of every human being. A system that will not rely on taxing others' in order to provide all the multifarious forms of infrastructures, as well as our human and social obligations. A system of taxation in which the haves are continually being pressured to claw back those taxes from the have-nots. We must face the fact, once and for all; this system can never provide all human needs and infrastructures.
We have allowed right-wing ideology to dictate the terms and even if or when large swathes of populations may be fed and housed or have health needs addressed. We tolerate the fact that we have millions of working poor who will never earn enough to meet all of life's basic costs. Many of these are struggling to raise families the bedrock of our future. Those who work lead the most precarious of lives.
Precarious, because their work and income has become the plaything of corporate power, which moves production to lower waged economies. This makes the executives and the shareholders richer but at the cost of the misery they leave behind. Wages go down, but not prices, or costs of living, and the formerly free "social wage entitlements" are removed.
This is the "rationalized" world directed by Corporate Power and implemented by our Governments, the world of "user pays".
Take it or suffer the consequences. The Government calls this "work choices". Hear the Corporate applause? The consequences are total destitution for some; they could buy none of life's essential services.
Complete and total destitution for many unless they work, no shelter, no food, no health care, and no education, none of life's necessities.
So we need a system, which provides equal opportunity and care for all, overlaid with free enterprise. At the same time we can put in place a fair and equitable industrial relations system that eliminates employer employee antagonisms.
Our democracy is in serious trouble. Rich people and corporations channel funds into political parties in order to achieve their own commercial or ideological ends cleverly bypassing democratic inputs. It is happening in all democracies but that does not make it "worlds best practice" or "right". We can correct that quite easily. We make so-called free trade agreements under which corporations are exempted from government regulation that control workers rights, pay and working conditions. Is this democracy, is this really necessary, should corporations have such unbridled power, where will it end?
Introduction of The Universal Economy will immediately and substantially impact and improve such questions as Poverty, provision of universal education, health care, pensions, unemployment, housing and all public infrastructure (roads bridges schools hospitals etc). None of this will require the imposition of taxation.
The concept of The Universal Economy will be easy to introduce, because it benefits everyone, everyone will want it to work. It will be hardest to implement in third world nations, not impossible, just slower to implement. It will kick start economies wherever it is introduced.
This is a concept for the twenty-first century. Put to one side traditional thought processes and embedded conventions see only the greater-good and benefit of mankind then you will support this enterprise with the open heart and mind it deserves. Adopt this concept for the good of humanity.
Give your support, not money.
Yours Faithfully, THOMAS W ADAMS.
This Friday, join the world social forum, global day of action!
https://www.ussf2007.org/en/GDA
TexRay I agree! EAT THE RICH!
The rich don't have a problem at all. If the value of their accumulated dollars goes down they can change to another currency or buy things that maintain value. The average person has no accumulated money to protect so he just gets poorer. If the economy slows down the owner lays off workers or moves overseas to reduce prices. The average person is unemployed, the owner gets along. The richer you are, the more you are protected. The poor have no protection at all. The rich are not bereft of ideas, quite the contrary, they have many options and they know it. If they are not desperately looking for solutions. it is because they don't have a problem.
The economic chickens are coming home to roost.
This is what was inevitable, given the 25year squeeze on the middle class that is so well documented in the article.
I'm not so sure, however, that the economic and political powers will come to the same enlightened conclusion that the author of the article does.
The whole political, economic, and social ruling class is shot-through with rot. They may acknowledge the problem, but they are so bankrupt of ideas that their only answer will be a mixture of stay the course and oppression.
I don't think that anything less than an upheaval a la The French Revolution will change things.
Ultimately, it isn't jobs we should be pushing for anyway -- but a great climate for people to be able to start their own small businesses. The present limitations:
* Real estate prices are WHACKED. Not just the mortgage on our homes, but ability to purchase (not merely lease) commercial space.
* Domination by Big Boxes selling imported goods. These Big Boxes can operate at periodic losses, get sweet tax deals, buy in bulk, etc. that small businesses cannot. So the better small business is probably service/niche/craft or food oriented.
* Lack of single-payer health care. Who'd want to give up health care? Especially the first couple years, when the business is just getting off the ground.
The crux of the problem with any call to create "jobs" (and I'm as guilty of it as anyone else) is that a "job" is a means for the laborer to trade his efforts at a loss -- in most cases. Self-employed businesspeople have a distinct advantage.
I've read statistics in several places which suggest that the bulk of the new-money millionaires are independent small-business owners. A "job", in comparison, is merely running-in-place for most of us.
"Good jobs at good wages - lots of them, growing like spring flowers in an endlessly fertile field - is the absolutely essential basis for a thriving American economy and a broad-based rise in standards of living."
The vultures on Wall Street and in government are now discovering that the fallout from the mortgage ponzi-scheme, the offshoring of jobs and the depression of wages is spilling over to the credit-card companies. Not too shocking if you have any common sense.
Anyway, Capital One recently announced it would take a $5.9 billion hit for bad debts in 2007 - a 90% increase from the previous year. This announcement is just the begining of what's to come as more and more people lose jobs and get their incomes sliced. Will they pay off their credit-cards or feed and shelter themselves and their kids?
What a mess!
Kucinich is the one with the everyone has a job idea, the NOLA being rebuilt (WTF, still ^ mortality rates, V with the homes, you know for the homeless)has already been passed, sponsored by a Congresswoman from CA., [CA-35], H R 3524, HOPE VI of 2007, passed Thursday or Friday.
luckylefty, you are 100% correct, Kucinich exempted, I always have my raggedy ass piece of paper, pocket size fold up Bill of Rights,(flip over)The Constitution, reminds me of what I once had, what I no longer have and what I will fight until my death to get back.
We still have the Second and the Tenth, need about 4 or 500,000 Patriots, we have our country back. You called it.
We could try and bring the League of Women Voters back into the "debate" game. No more Arms Merchants pretending to be a TV network silencing voices it doesn't like. The LWV were tough and they were fair and they asked questions the politicos didn't like which is why the Money Party took the "Debates" over for themselves. Put them back on the box, maybe somebody would watch and maybe they'd hear something that surprised or even excited them.
Right now, both Parties are walking the sheep into Master's Slaughterhouse. The Repugs say, "Fuck you, I like your meat." The Dems say, "Gee, I'm really sorry I have to do this to you but I think its for your own good, and you'll like being a center cut on Master's Plate. Nothing I can do about any of it. Make me a Majority and maybe I can do something for you. You know, maybe they could just cut off your legs."
Overseers on the Plantation running a popularity contest for the Slaves. Very entertainning.
And you're right. It isn't unintended consequences.
Peace.
Daniel David January 19th, 2008 3:57 pm
"Most of the posts I have ever written on CD to advocate for Democrats in government have attracted one or more of those "psychotic" responses."
Hate to break it to you Daniel but you are the one writing psychotic posts.
One really good definition of insanity is to keep repeating the same actions (voting Democrat) while each time expecting different results. From your posts what you want is for the rest of us to jump on board and take your little psychotic trip with you.
No thanks.
Lobo Gris
The amount of money spent on defense and interest on the debt is exhorbitant (750 billion or so). The will to spend money on projects that help the common good exists in the world and more governments seem to care lately. The US is not in that spirit. This is a function of the attitude in general of the American people. The rest of the world will go on without them.
Hey Paul - try Rockefeller et al. Reagan was just a patsy. If you're not a billionaire, you don't count. Bankers own and run everything. Everyone else is just another commodity. Exquisitely disposable, at that.
Americans are going to learn that they are just as valuable as the next dead Iraqi. The arrogance will turn to shock when they realize that - and it will be too late.
It's Hanlon's Razor rearing itself again, though I prefer to study the etymology of the word "conniving" instead. They've LONG relied on buffoonery as a ruse.
If they were genuinely mere bumblers, they couldn't retain their family dynasties which, in some cases, are several generations in the running.
The S&L failures under Raygun and King George I were just a running-up to the fleecing of the entire US banking system. Who the hell are these guys really working for?
Bob wrote: "I think of the people running this country as the mad-dashers, a largely confused and inconsistent group lurching ineffectively from one enormous problem to another."
It seems that all these years I have been wildly overestimating Mr. Herbert's intelligence. The people currently running this country are, with a few exceptions, in fact an extraordinary and obvious mix of war criminals, thieves, petty criminals, cowards, and opportunists.
How on earth does one arrive at the opinion that they're merely bumblers?
Average income isn't a good measure with something as top-heavy as wealth, median income is better. The author may be playing fast and loose with his terminology here, though the point is well-taken.
There have been other studies which link most of the growth since the early 70's to the 50-55+ age group. The implication is that the X/Y generation have been hosed by the Boomers -- who are enjoying those increased yields from their dividends, courtesy of sweatshop labor abroad.
The US's turn is over...it has been decided. Many stock articles and economic articles are currently quoting high level business executives as talking about "the decoupling' as if it's intentional. I read an article yesterday (can't find it now) where the statement was made that...The decoupling is almost complete...This was talking about how the recession in the US will probably not affect the worldwide markets/ economies too much...I say again...our turn is over...We have been blindly lead and are now about to be cut loose...
"It is better to choose to stop consuming now than to be forced into it by the monsters economic policies."
Watch The DVD , "The Power of Community ; How Cuba Coped With Peak Oil " and you'll get a very true and concise testimony of how Cubans survived the loss of their sugar-daddy Soviet Union . The narrative's specific message to Americans is a paraphrase of the above quotation : reduce consumerism willingly on your terms and timetable before you are forced to like we were.
When the average American adult has lost 15 pounds of bodyweight as the Cubans did due to starvation then maybe some sympathy will be invoked on their collective plights.
Until then and until consumerism is drasticly cut , all whinings will fall on deaf ears throughout the world.
Much of Europe citizenry is saying " if you can't control your tyrant and the wealth-disparity that your government has created , then you deserve both
luckylefty - DD *IS* right. There are only two credible parties in the US for better or worse (worse!!). If you abandon the one that is somewhat more likely to do what you want, then you abandon all hope because DK and RPaul and the Greens and Nader are all combined not enough to win an election. Full stop. Your choices are bad, badder, leave, whine (as we are now) or get violent. That is it. DD is stating over and over that if you abandon the crappy lifeboat that the Democrats seem to be, all you are left with is the sharks.
DD wrote - "Most of the posts I have ever written on CD to advocate for Democrats in government have attracted one or more of those "psychotic" responses. And yet I keep trying.
Why? Because there is no other credible political force in this country—-except Republicans. Democrats are all you have to accomplish any political goal for real people."
"Good jobs at good wages" Mr. Hebert declares are what is needed.
Close. But the jobs are what they are. The 'common' woman or man has not a 'good' job, they have, well, a common job. For nothing wages. If this country's minimum wage was $15.00 an hour people could pay their taxes and still take home enough money to pay modest rent, buy food, and maybe real new clothes and real new shoes for their kids. all good for the economy too.
good wages for all jobs. not just 'good jobs at good wages' sounds noble, would be nice. but good wages for all jobs sounds pretty cool.
The problem ultimately is that the society is indoctrinated with the "small government" swill. Even many "liberals" in this country expect the free-market to coordinate society better then the way government can. Until this indoctrination is overcome, we will fall behind the government-coordinated societies of Western Europe and we will continue our descent toward Third World society--with horrific distributions of wealth, high rates of aids, fast-growing populations, massive segregation and racism, and ultimately, racial conflict.
Ok folks sorry about the typo on the link. It's www.apolloalliance.org AdeleTheCzech refered to it as the Apollo Project. It is on the rite track.
>Why? Because there is no other credible political force in this country—-except Republicans. Democrats are all you have to accomplish any political goal for real people.<
Which is exactly the problem. The Democrats know that that our limited electoral system leaves voters with only two "electable" options, so they can take progressives for granted, just as the Republicans can take the religious right for granted. What are you going to do if the Democrats let you down again, Daniel David? Vote for a Republican? The only way out of this mess is to reform the system with proportional representation, which would break the two-party duopoly and allow third parties a real shot at actually getting into office. But who is in a position to change the laws to allow this to happen? Uh, that's right, the Republicans and Democrats! I'm sure they'll fall over themselves passing laws that will dilute their own hold on power. I also just sent $30,000 to a guy in Nigeria who said he'll split $30 million with me. I hope my share gets here soon, because I've already earmarked some of that money for a donation to the Democratic party.
Let's start with building enough wind power to run 90% of the country's electricity needs. Hire more people to build enough pumped hydroelectric plants to store up 3 days of power. Build the safer and more efficient high-voltage direct current lines to transport electricity from the wind fields (off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and in the Midwest) to the cities. Wind power is cheaper than oil right now, and we have all the wind we need forever.
Then let's cut every building's heating needs 50%, starting with preheating water with solar heat, then moving on to better windows and insulation.
Most people have no idea what advances can be made in transportation. I recommend an automated above-ground system. Someday, our 40,000 auto fatalities per year will be near zero, our cars will be electric, our smog will be gone, we can fit 100 times the traffic in the air space over our freeways, and people will be doing something with their precious time other than stressful driving. We can start with the airport to rent-a-car transit business. Tired of waiting for a shuttle bus?
So why is hard work any worse than paying some middle eastern dictator for oil?
Gotta love that analogy, wilmoor!
The computers somehow survived the year 2000 "date" problem, so we humans celebrated by gleefully electing the wrong government in the most powerful nation on earth that same year. It's an excellent point.
Remember Y2K? Remember how afraid we all were about what was coming? Remember all the preparing for the worst that we did (anyway those who could afford to did).
And in 2000 the worst did happen, but only a few were paying attention and saw it happen.
And for the many, all that had been stockpiled they gave away, or sold in garage sales. They celebrated because they thought they'd missed the big one, while behind smoke and mirrors, their demise, carefully planned for a long, long time, had been put into place.
Yet still they eat, drink, and are merry, not understanding the nightmare of Y2K was very real; their country has been raped, its wealth pillaged, their demise imminent.
Tennegon, get yourself into position to help hash out the details of the expanded North American rail infrastructure. We're clearing the big fat egos out and making room for common sense to prevail. We're permanently halting expansion of freeways and airports. We're keeping private "capital" out of the rail program. We're placing first on the table the financials of rail systems in other places and times - then we're going to beat their value.
We're training those large numbers of people you mentioned in the science of "whatever it takes" to produce a rail transit system (people/freight, local/national) with twenty times the value of the current freeway/aircraft systems, in terms of everything - design, construction, maintenance, energy, environmental costs. There will be no "intellectual property". It will be so cost effective that fares will average a penny (national) or nickel (local) per mile per 100 lbs, paid by the passenger, with no subsidies necessary. It will carry 50% of existing traffic, with existing freeway/airport handling the rest. There will be no transport volume growth over the next 100 years. As the population grows, waste will be purged, and traffic volume per capita will drop.
As for those big fat egos we cleared out, let them compete with each other in refining the efficiencies of the transport system. Let them make improvements that benefit the people. But if they try to seize control of anything we'll "ease" them back down into their little cubicles with the butt end of a railroad tie. We're giving the dividends of the industrial revolution BACK TO THE PEOPLE. Rest in peace, "laissez-faire" capitalism. We're burying you next to your daddy Milton Friedman.
Most of the posts I have ever written on CD to advocate for Democrats in government have attracted one or more of those "psychotic" responses. And yet I keep trying.
Why? Because there is no other credible political force in this country—-except Republicans. Democrats are all you have to accomplish any political goal for real people. How's this for a psycotic rant, The democrats will not save us. They proved that in the last election, you know,they were gonna change things. The only thing that changed was now they have THEIR hands in the cookie jar. They STABED US IN THE BACK, AND LAUGHED AS WE FELL! I have seen some brave stances by a FEW, could count em on 1 hand,democrats, but with the exception of Kucinich, I don/t trust any of them. There is ONE PARTY. The Party of MONEY. And we're not invited. Get it! Think what you will, this IS America! Thanks Texrey
luckylefty,
I can't resist quoting one of your lines above, out of the context you intended:
"You have no friends here,... and you are fighting lethal psychotic monsters. Come to grips with that,"
Most of the posts I have ever written on CD to advocate for Democrats in government have attracted one or more of those "psychotic" responses. And yet I keep trying.
Why? Because there is no other credible political force in this country----except Republicans. Democrats are all you have to accomplish any political goal for real people.
Quotes from Thomas Jefferson....
Every generation needs a new revolution."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
"A little rebellion now and then... is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."
"the way to put money into the hands of working people is to make sure they have access to good jobs at good wages."
Put another way, if American manufacturers have goods made outside of America, then sell the goods outside of America!
Bob Herbert's and Paul Krugman's columns are often pretty good these days, and when it comes to economic equality and healhcare I believe they are on our side in the larger scheme of things. It is good for progressives that part of the MSM can get away with saying pretty progressive things that verge on the truth, e.g.
"Big business and the federal government have worked hand in hand to squeeze the daylights out of working people, stripping them (in an era of downsizing and globalization) of much of their bargaining power while ferociously pursuing fiscal policies that radically favored the privileged few"
Luckylefty and others: I wish you would argue substantively on some point of their article instead of invariably lumping them into the murderous superclass of capitalists and leaving it at that.
Do we even have a workforce able to attack a massive infrastructure rebuilding effort? The "Me" generation, AKA, boomers, aren't strapping on the tool belt, and their kids, AKA the Me-Me-Me generation, have never swung a hammer and believe such a thing is "beneath" them.
Chances are, a national infrastructure project would mirror NO post Katrina, with a handful of Halliburtons and Bectels "winning" the no-bid contracts and then receiving "waivers" on min. wage requirements, insurance, safety regs, etc, which would result in the hiring of the only "applicants" who apply and already do the majority of manual labor in GodMerica - illegal immigrants. On top of that, we'd wind up with half-assed projects laced with corruption, a la the Boston Big Dig or the US Super Embassy in Baghdad.
C'mon, Daniel David! Bob Herbert DOES get it: "Good jobs at good wages ... growing like spring flowers in an endlessly fertile field - is the absolutely essential basis for a thriving American economy and a broad-based rise in standards of living."
Tennegon: Much as I admire Europe's fabulous rail system, I don't think it's the answer for us. Americans (including me) love the independence of a car. What's more, a huge amount of this country's wealth is in housing stock in suburbia, where public transit does NOT work.
There's a better idea out there -- the Apollo Project for renewable energy, which also addresses global warming in a robust way. The number of good jobs in these new and crucial industries will be tremendous, IF WE INSIST ON LAWS that ALL the components be made in the U.S. -- by legal labor! If we don't, we'll lose our last chance to revive American manufacturing and solid union jobs.
Check out www.apolloaliance.org or am I grasping at straws.
None of these people are shocked by the alleged problems that this author described.
None of the so-called problems or bad decisions hurt any one "running the country".
The people running the country are half-way implementing these Manhattan projects anyway, think how many jobs were created when the great hunt for Waldo Bin Laden got underway.
The business of America is business, how many times and variations does that truism have to be said to the citizens of this country? Now the benefits are being reaped there are complaints because the benefits are so uneven, The collective worship of mammon demands some sacrifices and guess who is on the altar, the choice is decided entirely by money, how much or how little one has , left to the altar, right to the mansions. Every thing is for sale, has a price tag on it everything. Welcome to the new Soviet union.
Switching parties wont help, they both feed from the same trough filled by the mansion dwellers and they are not going to share one iota of their wealth with those others in the poorhouse awaaiting their turn at the altar. Wake up and revolt. Those people in Vermont who want to start the second republic of Vermont have the right idea.
The bloodsuckers can only suck so much blood before the body becomes a corpse. No problem ! In a global world there are still plenty of bodies to suck dry. This horror story is far from running it's course. The only way to kill the monster is to limit the flow of blood (money) to it. It is better to choose to stop consuming now than to be forced into it by the monsters economic policies. Stop consuming now, your life may depend on it.
Lucky lefty,
I reread Mr. Herbert's article a couple times after reading your comment. I can't find your quote, "unintended consequences by well meaning people", or any similar statement anywhere in his article. To the contrary, he does say:
"Big business and the federal government have worked hand in hand to squeeze the daylights out of working people, stripping them (in an era of downsizing and globalization) of much of their bargaining power while ferociously pursuing fiscal policies that radically favored the privileged few"
Doesn't sound "well meaning" to me.
I think he gets it.
Bob Herbert is dreaming. The country's credit card is maxed out for probably the next generation because Bush and his cronies have squandered and looted so much money from the treasury. Which means a large extra tax is the only way to finance Herbert's infrastructure project. I wish him luck pushing such a tax through a media environment and a Congress that are both utterly dominated and controlled by the ruling elite.
A country is doomed when its richest people stop investing in its future. Rome fell because its patricians stopped paying taxes. The legions decayed from lack of funding, and the borders collapsed. The barbarian invasions were inevitable after that.
The U.S. will probably not be invaded by hungry barbarians -- but there are many ways for a country to die.
"the way to put money into the hands of working people is to make sure they have access to good jobs at good wages."
So simple you wouldn't think it even needs to be stated. Yet, our system has rewarded - even glorified - the Chainsaw Al Dunlops of the world how made millions sending working people to the unemployment line.
I guess its just a coincidence that the most prosperous periods in our countries history have been when the middle class grew and the percentage mired in poverty fell.
Today, we have an elite built on the misery of the rest who are so detached from reality that they complain about being poor because they make "only" 100,000/year.
Daniel David January 19th, 2008 12:40 pm
If only your belief had any basis in reality.
Mr. Herbert doesn't get it. These are not "unintended consequences by well meaning people", and the Richfilth are deadly serious. They will murder anyone for their swag and they are committed to one truth, "AMERICA BELONGS TO THE RICHFILTH" and they have only one desire, "Everything, Forever, For them and their spawn." They will give you a terminal disease so they can "sell" you the maintenance drug and chain you for the rest of your life. That's who you are dealing with. MUrderers.
They would rather turn this country into smoking rubble rather than "Lose America Again" as they did in the 30's. What do you think all the assasinations and false imprisonments going back to the 60's were all about? Get rid of the meaningful dissidents and fuck the sheeple. These boys are playing for keeps.
You want to take back this country? It's going to cost you blood. Dems will be on the execution squads, just like they are now. You have no friends here except each other and you are fighting lethal psychotic monsters. Come to grips with that, or accept your chains. Most of America has already accepted their chains, in fact, they don't even see the chains that bind them.
Pieces of 8.
Labor must advocate for itself on every front. Seventy years ago, it knew how to do so. Back before we became afraid of the word "socialism". Back when we knew that, if labor is ever going to rule on its own behalf, it must state unconditionally that whatever errors it makes on the road to such a political development are its perfect right to make, and that includes the experience under Stalin.
Capital has persuaded the vast majority of humanity that its own inability to function without colonies, race war, class division, religious hatred, and hence, mass slaughter, is the natural condition of humanity. And so it is, at least for the time being. But the other natural condition of humanity is to struggle against all these things, and against every form of slavery, including the slavery to the commodity protected and protracted by the market cult. That is the reality labor must stand against, and moreover, there will be no peace until this question is resolved on behalf of the laboring majority.
And the longer labor and its intellectual allies drag its feat on this question, the bloodier and more protracted this struggle will be.
If a Republican is elected president (and probably will be) the middle and lower classes will experience 4 more years of George Orwell's "boot in the face". A little over half of them don't seem to care. Obama and Clinton represent the moderate conservative wing of the Republican party and will give you 4 years of the tennis shoe of the face. Edwards and Kucinich might be able to save us all from this but cannot get the Democratic nomination. So strip down to your birthday suit and start practicing bending over and grabbing your ankles. The self-destruction of the United States goes on unabated.
My suggestion, which I've advocated for years, is a Federal investment in a truly national rail system, comparable to those found in other civilized societies, such as the Europeans enjoy.
Two major benefits are obvious. The first is a substantial reduction of greenhouse gases, by allowing the traveling public to utilize transit that is more efficient and environmentally responsible.
But the second is one I hear so little about, and that is economic. Imagine the number of decent, family-wage jobs that could be realized through the construction of rail cars, lines, communication equipment and the like. Add to that the number of individuals needed to upgrade, expand and maintain the network of routes possible in this geographically vast nation of ours.
This is not to mention the growth of secondary commercial ventures, such as hotels, restaurants, and the myriad retail possibilities of tourist destinations accessed by such a system. And how about bicycle rentals, electric tour buses, streetcar and light rail systems at stops along routes?
The possibilities can seem endless, and in this great nation of creative and innovative minds and energies, they should be.
If you want an immediate avenue for putting folks to work, not unlike the CCC of FDR's time, there is no better way to do so than with a national rail system.
Think trains and realize jobs!
Author's last line: "If only we were serious."
We'll be "serious" when we have wall-to-wall Democrats driven (suddenly) by citizens DEMANDING sensible agenda and those Dems (suddenly) realizing there are no Republicans standing in the way. Then, lacking any choice, they enact what citizens sent them there for.
It could dwarf New Deal, and it should. Not because the Dem politicians sieze the initiative---but because the CITIZENS sieze the initiative to first elect, then "manage" their Dem politicians.