9 Reasons the American Middle Class is Dying (Peter Van Buren) from Salon
"One percent of Americans now own more than a third of the country's wealth. Raising the minimum wage isn't enough."
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The system is way too far out of whack to function any more. The argument is probably irrelevant anyway in the sense that global heating and worldwide resource depletion will wreak havoc on the world economy in the near future. Events are moving rapidly. All weather events are already at or becoming extreme. The price of commodities (natural resources) is much higher than would be normal in the teeth of what is essentially a mild depression. The Russians and Chinese are scrambling to secure oil, gas and other resources, even at the risk of war. Major cities are seriously discussing how to cope with the horrendous storm surges that are becoming routine. One can cite thousands of examples of the major upheavals that are becoming so common the media barely notices them. Discussing Midwest manufacturing jobs and fast food wages is practically trivial in the context of the cataclysmic environmental events and nascent resource wars that demand immediate and massive solutions.
My, we are optimistic today. I understand your projections -- but don't buy into them with too much gusto. Resignation and worst case scenario-izing make no difference! It has been one of the near fatal weaknesses of progressives and others who care about global warming, sound energy alternatives, and economic inequality that we check out when we get discouraged and overwhelmed. Notice -- conservatives NEVER check out. Energy executives and their lawmaker toadies NEVER check out. On the environment, Jimmy Carter was WAY ahead of the curve with his policies -- but those who cared about this issue back then mostly checked out. Don't check out. Stay engaged.
Carter left a deep impression on me as a boy, and I have always stood by his transformative policies. I know what you say is true, I'll have to consider that there still may be time.
3 comments:
The system is way too far out of whack to function any more. The argument is probably irrelevant anyway in the sense that global heating and worldwide resource depletion will wreak havoc on the world economy in the near future. Events are moving rapidly. All weather events are already at or becoming extreme. The price of commodities (natural resources) is much higher than would be normal in the teeth of what is essentially a mild depression. The Russians and Chinese are scrambling to secure oil, gas and other resources, even at the risk of war. Major cities are seriously discussing how to cope with the horrendous storm surges that are becoming routine. One can cite thousands of examples of the major upheavals that are becoming so common the media barely notices them. Discussing Midwest manufacturing jobs and fast food wages is practically trivial in the context of the cataclysmic environmental events and nascent resource wars that demand immediate and massive solutions.
My, we are optimistic today. I understand your projections -- but don't buy into them with too much gusto. Resignation and worst case scenario-izing make no difference! It has been one of the near fatal weaknesses of progressives and others who care about global warming, sound energy alternatives, and economic inequality that we check out when we get discouraged and overwhelmed. Notice -- conservatives NEVER check out. Energy executives and their lawmaker toadies NEVER check out. On the environment, Jimmy Carter was WAY ahead of the curve with his policies -- but those who cared about this issue back then mostly checked out. Don't check out. Stay engaged.
Carter left a deep impression on me as a boy, and I have always stood by his transformative policies. I know what you say is true, I'll have to consider that there still may be time.
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