Socialism - Should we be worried

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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by DogBreath » Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:23 am

glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:06 am

If the rising tide had floated all boats, there might not be the dissension we see or the need for this thread. But instead we have super winners and losers.
I guess it depends on your opinion of what that means. Even truly poor people in the US have cell phones, flat screen TVs and air conditioning, not to mention plenty of food, rent assistance, etc. Ya, they don't have yachts and mansions like Bezos and Zuck, but those are hardly necessities.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by Xan » Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:42 am

glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:06 am
Maddy wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 7:55 am
I think the writing is on the wall that the wealthy (including the traditional middle-class) are going to increasingly vilified and made to do penance for whatever inequality happens to be the focus of concern.
I definitely agree it's not justified or helpful to villianize the wealthy. But I wonder how large a percentage of the traditional middle-class are now "wealthy"? The issue I see is the disappearance of the middle class and the widening polarization between haves and have nots. For every person that used to be middle class that is now wealthy, I would bet there are two that went the other way.

That's the kind of thing that we don't have to bet on: we can just go look at data.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/upward-mob ... _permalink
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by vnatale » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:01 am

glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:06 am

Maddy wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 7:55 am

I think the writing is on the wall that the wealthy (including the traditional middle-class) are going to increasingly vilified and made to do penance for whatever inequality happens to be the focus of concern.



I definitely agree it's not justified or helpful to villianize the wealthy. But I wonder how large a percentage of the traditional middle-class are now "wealthy"? The issue I see is the disappearance of the middle class and the widening polarization between haves and have nots. For every person that used to be middle class that is now wealthy, I would bet there are two that went the other way.

If the rising tide had floated all boats, there might not be the dissension we see or the need for this thread. But instead we have super winners and losers.

The group I empathize with is young people trying to get a foothold in today's world. To my eye it is considerably harder than it was when I was getting started in the 80s. Unless a young person is fortunate enough to be in line to inherit a bunch of wealth, they are in for a much steeper climb than I had*. My starting salary out of college with an MBA was $38k/year and my first house was purchased for $95k so about 2.5x. Today it would be closer to 8x, maybe more.

So how do we solve that problem? And if we don't, how can you blame the younger generation and other members of the socio-economic underclass for protesting when there are wealthy elite flaunting extreme wealth everywhere you look? Or is this even a problem?

*BTW- even if a younger person was in line for an inheritance, with people living longer and a health care system that is superbly capable of draining a life savings, I'm not so sure that inheritance is something to bank on. And getting an inheritance when you're 60 is too late to help you raise a family or ease most of life's burdens.


I was with a friend last weekend who told me he was hiring starting engineers (just out of college, no experience) at $70,000. I just checked and it seemed like the average price of a house in my county is about $280,000. So four times. But wouldn't that be less since first-time home buyers are usually buying at the lower end of the housing market?

On April 30, 1982 I paid $31,000 for my low-end house (which I am still in). That year my W-2 wages were $25,634. But I've always been Super Frugal.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by vnatale » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:02 am

DogBreath wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:23 am

glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:06 am


If the rising tide had floated all boats, there might not be the dissension we see or the need for this thread. But instead we have super winners and losers.


I guess it depends on your opinion of what that means. Even truly poor people in the US have cell phones, flat screen TVs and air conditioning, not to mention plenty of food, rent assistance, etc. Ya, they don't have yachts and mansions like Bezos and Zuck, but those are hardly necessities.


Definitely agree with all you have to say here.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by Maddy » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:02 am

DogBreath wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:23 am

I guess it depends on your opinion of what that means. Even truly poor people in the US have cell phones, flat screen TVs and air conditioning, not to mention plenty of food, rent assistance, etc. Ya, they don't have yachts and mansions like Bezos and Zuck, but those are hardly necessities.
I agree. Undoubtedly there is a widening gap between the uber-wealthy and everyone else, but the overall standard of living of today's young people nevertheless meets and exceeds what it was in the past. The difference, I think, is in the expectations of today's young people who, consistent with their culture and politics, want to live in some of the most expensive areas of the country and to maintain a lifestyle commensurate with an idealized, TV version of reality. How many of the young people who feel cheated out of their future would consider moving to small town in the midwest and buying a nice little starter house for $140,000? But that's exactly how many of us did it. I might add that my first mortgage loan had a rate of 12-3/4%.

When I think of what my family had when I was young ('50s and '60s) and what I had when I was first entering adulthood (early '80s), I'm just astounded at what today's young adults regard as "necessities." In many ways they have traded off their own futures (most notably their ability to buy a house) by opting for immediate gratification over long-term wealth. One cell phone/cable TV plan goes a long way toward a monthly mortgage payment.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by vnatale » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:07 am

Maddy wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:02 am

DogBreath wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:23 am


I guess it depends on your opinion of what that means. Even truly poor people in the US have cell phones, flat screen TVs and air conditioning, not to mention plenty of food, rent assistance, etc. Ya, they don't have yachts and mansions like Bezos and Zuck, but those are hardly necessities.


I agree. Undoubtedly there is a widening gap between the uber-wealthy and everyone else, but the overall standard of living of today's young people nevertheless meets and exceeds what it was in the past. The difference, I think, is in the expectations of today's young people who, consistent with their culture and politics, want to live in some of the most expensive areas of the country and to maintain a lifestyle consistent with what they think they should have but have not yet earned. How many of the young people who feel cheated out of their future would consider moving to small town in the midwest and buying a nice little starter house for $140,000? But that's exactly how many of us did it. I might add that my first mortgage loan had a rate of 12-3/4%.

When I think of what my family had when I was young ('50s and '60s) and what I had when I was first entering adulthood (early '80s), I'm just astounded at what today's young adults regard as "necessities." In many ways they have traded off their own futures (most notably their ability to buy a house) by opting for immediate gratification over long-term wealth. One cell phone/cable TV plan goes a long way toward a monthly mortgage payment.


Also agree with all of this.

Isn't part of the reason why college costs have gone up at double the rate of inflation is because colleges have competed with one another to offer students the most grandiose student life possible?

Contrast how they now live compared to my freshman year of college.

Of course no internet or cell phones or computers.

In my three floor dormitory we had not one TV anywhere and one pay telephone on each floor.

Putting a current college student in that setup would be considered close to cruel and unusual punishment?
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by glennds » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:18 am

Xan wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:42 am
glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:06 am
Maddy wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 7:55 am
I think the writing is on the wall that the wealthy (including the traditional middle-class) are going to increasingly vilified and made to do penance for whatever inequality happens to be the focus of concern.
I definitely agree it's not justified or helpful to villianize the wealthy. But I wonder how large a percentage of the traditional middle-class are now "wealthy"? The issue I see is the disappearance of the middle class and the widening polarization between haves and have nots. For every person that used to be middle class that is now wealthy, I would bet there are two that went the other way.

That's the kind of thing that we don't have to bet on: we can just go look at data.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/upward-mob ... _permalink
I wasn't able to read the whole article because of the paywall, but I saw enough to see it compares inflation adjusted income of people compared to their parents and concludes the majority have income higher than their parents.
My point is more complicated than that. Asset price inflation has way outstripped CPI. So if you go back to the ratio of income to residential housing, I still say the homebuying power of your parents was considerably higher. I wouldn't be surprised if their lifestyle was too. I'm just talking about basic housing, not ski cabins or yachts.
I also tend to believe the cost of higher education and health care are much more than they were as a % of income for prior generations.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by glennds » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:25 am

DogBreath wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:23 am
glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:06 am

If the rising tide had floated all boats, there might not be the dissension we see or the need for this thread. But instead we have super winners and losers.
I guess it depends on your opinion of what that means. Even truly poor people in the US have cell phones, flat screen TVs and air conditioning, not to mention plenty of food, rent assistance, etc. Ya, they don't have yachts and mansions like Bezos and Zuck, but those are hardly necessities.
My rising tide comment was basically a way of saying the prosperity of the past 30 or so years has been more selective than prosperity periods of the past.

What are your thoughts on wealth disparity and income disparity? Real issue or an exaggerated, maybe fake soundbite?
Am I interpreting your comment correctly that the low end of the contiuum really don't have it that bad all things considered, and therefore shouldn't complain?
Last edited by glennds on Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by glennds » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:34 am

vnatale wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:01 am


I was with a friend last weekend who told me he was hiring starting engineers (just out of college, no experience) at $70,000. I just checked and it seemed like the average price of a house in my county is about $280,000. So four times. But wouldn't that be less since first-time home buyers are usually buying at the lower end of the housing market?

You live in a low priced county, well below average. The 2022 average nationwide was $348,000. The high end of that being Hawaii and the low end being West Virginia. The median in place like Austin TX for example is $610,000. The median in Phoenix is about $450,000.

This is an interesting discussion. I may be out of the mainstream here in even thinking there's a disparity problem, not that I'm advocating "socialism" as a fix because I'm not. But if there's no problem, then there's no need for any fix.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by Xan » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:37 am

glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:25 am
DogBreath wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:23 am
glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:06 am

If the rising tide had floated all boats, there might not be the dissension we see or the need for this thread. But instead we have super winners and losers.
I guess it depends on your opinion of what that means. Even truly poor people in the US have cell phones, flat screen TVs and air conditioning, not to mention plenty of food, rent assistance, etc. Ya, they don't have yachts and mansions like Bezos and Zuck, but those are hardly necessities.
What are your thoughts on wealth disparity and income disparity? Real or an exaggerated soundbite?
Am I interpreting your comment correctly that the low end of the contiuum really don't have it that bad all things considered, and therefore shouldn't complain?

Would you rather the poor be poorer, so long as the rich are worse off?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdR7WW3XR9c
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by glennds » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:44 am

Xan wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:37 am



Would you rather the poor be poorer, so long as the rich are worse off?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdR7WW3XR9c
No. But I'd love to hear your thoughts on the (sincere) question to Pug:
What are your thoughts on wealth disparity and income disparity? Real issue or an exaggerated, maybe fake soundbite?
Am I interpreting your comment correctly that the low end of the contiuum really don't have it that bad all things considered, and therefore shouldn't complain?
Last edited by glennds on Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:52 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by Xan » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:45 am

glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:44 am
Xan wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:37 am



Would you rather the poor be poorer, so long as the rich are worse off?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdR7WW3XR9c
No. But I'd love to hear your thoughts on the (sincere) question to Pug:
What are your thoughts on wealth disparity and income disparity? Real issue or an exaggerated, maybe fake soundbite?
Am I interpreting your comment correctly that the low end of the contiuum really don't have it that bad all things considered, and therefore shouldn't complain?

As Lady Thatcher said in the video, that's what complaining about disparity is: it's wishing the poor were poorer so long as the rich are worse off.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by vnatale » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:59 am

glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:34 am

vnatale wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:01 am



I was with a friend last weekend who told me he was hiring starting engineers (just out of college, no experience) at $70,000. I just checked and it seemed like the average price of a house in my county is about $280,000. So four times. But wouldn't that be less since first-time home buyers are usually buying at the lower end of the housing market?




You live in a low priced county, well below average. The 2022 average nationwide was $348,000. The high end of that being Hawaii and the low end being West Virginia. The median in place like Austin TX for example is $610,000. The median in Phoenix is about $450,000.

This is an interesting discussion. I may be out of the mainstream here in even thinking there's a disparity problem, not that I'm advocating "socialism" as a fix because I'm not. But if there's no problem, then there's no need for any fix.


But the same goes for the median income? [In 2020, Franklin County, MA had a population of 70.5k people with a median age of 47 and a median household income of $61,198.]

Therefore isn't the issue you have been discussing ratio of [House / Income]?
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by glennds » Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:07 pm

Xan wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:45 am
glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:44 am
Xan wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:37 am



Would you rather the poor be poorer, so long as the rich are worse off?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdR7WW3XR9c
No. But I'd love to hear your thoughts on the (sincere) question to Pug:
What are your thoughts on wealth disparity and income disparity? Real issue or an exaggerated, maybe fake soundbite?
Am I interpreting your comment correctly that the low end of the contiuum really don't have it that bad all things considered, and therefore shouldn't complain?

As Lady Thatcher said in the video, that's what complaining about disparity is: it's wishing the poor were poorer so long as the rich are worse off.
I think it's mildly absurd to say reducing disparity automatically or necessarily means the rich are worse off. I'm not convinced it's that binary. Just look at period in our history when we had a larger middle class that could survive a decent lifestyle with one income earner and one stay at home parent.

I actually don't wish to see the rich any worse off. And if the rich were better off, I'd have no objection to that either.
Nor do I wish to help anyone who refuses to help themselves.
However, I do believe a lesson from history that at some point disparity can destablize a society and a destablilized society is not in anyone's interest. The movement leading to destabilization might be absolutely baseless, but if it happens the consequences still suck. I'd like to think Lady Thatcher recognized the distinction but it would not have been in her political best interest to concede so at that moment the video captures. Her record was a mixed bag anyway depending on whom you ask, especially in the UK.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by glennds » Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:10 pm

vnatale wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:59 am


But the same goes for the median income? [In 2020, Franklin County, MA had a population of 70.5k people with a median age of 47 and a median household income of $61,198.]

Therefore isn't the issue you have been discussing ratio of [House / Income]?
Where you live might be a good place for a young person to get a start. If job and career opportunities are good there and housing is affordable in relation to wages, then it supports what a point I think Maddy makes above.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by I Shrugged » Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:51 pm

It's good to know there is still a county where you can buy an average house under 300K. Actually I'm sure there are a lot of them, but most of the "good job" places are way above that. It's rough.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by vnatale » Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:09 pm

glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:10 pm

vnatale wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:59 am



But the same goes for the median income? [In 2020, Franklin County, MA had a population of 70.5k people with a median age of 47 and a median household income of $61,198.]

Therefore isn't the issue you have been discussing ratio of [House / Income]?


Where you live might be a good place for a young person to get a start. If job and career opportunities are good there and housing is affordable in relation to wages, then it supports what a point I think Maddy makes above.


However, even this area has seen the same wild price increases in house values.

As recently as January 2022 Zillow had my house valued at $131,500. Just 7 months later in August 2022 it hit an all-time high of $209,600. About a 60% increase, which is what seemed to have happened everywhere else in this county. Therefore, the only salvation for many low earners in this county is for the prime rate to continue to climb which will correspondingly drive down the prices of houses.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by Maddy » Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:13 pm

In a recent article bemoaning the plight of first-time homebuyers, you had to look at the underlying data to see that their affordability analysis was based on a hypothetical $400,000 home. That was a dead giveway for me. I've worked my ass off all my life and have owned two successive homes that I've knocked myself out to improve over time. Neither one of them was ever valued at $400,000. Cry me a river.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by jalanlong » Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:17 pm

Timely news for this thread:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/10-w ... 09051.html

In his budget, President Biden is renewing his long-standing calls for more taxes on Corporate America. Biden wants to raise the corporate income tax rate to 28% from its current level of 21%.

The president also renewed his call to quadruple the recently implemented excise tax on stock buybacks

Biden is also proposing new taxes on Americans making over $400,000 a year. The president rolled out his most controversial proposal during this year’s State of the Union with a potential new tax that would target wealth, not just income.
Last edited by jalanlong on Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by Xan » Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:19 pm

jalanlong wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:17 pm
Timely news for this thread:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/10-w ... 09051.html

I have yet to see a convincing argument that the corporate tax rate should be anything other than zero.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by glennds » Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:41 pm

jalanlong wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:17 pm
Timely news for this thread:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/10-w ... 09051.html

In his budget, President Biden is renewing his long-standing calls for more taxes on Corporate America. Biden wants to raise the corporate income tax rate to 28% from its current level of 21%.

The president also renewed his call to quadruple the recently implemented excise tax on stock buybacks

Biden is also proposing new taxes on Americans making over $400,000 a year. The president rolled out his most controversial proposal during this year’s State of the Union with a potential new tax that would target wealth, not just income.
You left out the (IMO) worst part. Increasing the capital gains investment tax from 20% to 39.6%. Last time it was that high was the mid-70s.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by glennds » Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:07 pm

vnatale wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:09 pm
glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 12:10 pm
vnatale wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:59 am


But the same goes for the median income? [In 2020, Franklin County, MA had a population of 70.5k people with a median age of 47 and a median household income of $61,198.]

Therefore isn't the issue you have been discussing ratio of [House / Income]?
Where you live might be a good place for a young person to get a start. If job and career opportunities are good there and housing is affordable in relation to wages, then it supports what a point I think Maddy makes above.
However, even this area has seen the same wild price increases in house values.

As recently as January 2022 Zillow had my house valued at $131,500. Just 7 months later in August 2022 it hit an all-time high of $209,600. About a 60% increase, which is what seemed to have happened everywhere else in this county. Therefore, the only salvation for many low earners in this county is for the prime rate to continue to climb which will correspondingly drive down the prices of houses.
Think about that. It took 40 years to appreciate $100,500. And then another $78,100 of appreciation in seven months. Talk about a hockey stick!

By the way, have you done a return calculation? I think the August 2022 number might be an aberration, so going by the January number of $131,500 and a 1982 acquisition price of $31,000, it would be about a 3.7% return minus aggregate interest (unless you paid all cash), property taxes, major repairs, renovations, and when you sell it, selling costs.
So housing may be more affordable in your county, but as a path to wealth creation it may not be that lucrative. This is the paradox where housing is more expensive in a place like say, Austin, but in the rear view mirror, places like Austin, Phoenix, Nashville have been seen much more appreciation than "affordable" locations out in the country.

BTW, not trying to criticize your house purchase or make you feel bad about the return Vinny. I'm in same boat or worse in more than one instance.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by DogBreath » Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:51 pm

glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:25 am
DogBreath wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:23 am
glennds wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:06 am

If the rising tide had floated all boats, there might not be the dissension we see or the need for this thread. But instead we have super winners and losers.
I guess it depends on your opinion of what that means. Even truly poor people in the US have cell phones, flat screen TVs and air conditioning, not to mention plenty of food, rent assistance, etc. Ya, they don't have yachts and mansions like Bezos and Zuck, but those are hardly necessities.
My rising tide comment was basically a way of saying the prosperity of the past 30 or so years has been more selective than prosperity periods of the past.

What are your thoughts on wealth disparity and income disparity? Real issue or an exaggerated, maybe fake soundbite?
Am I interpreting your comment correctly that the low end of the contiuum really don't have it that bad all things considered, and therefore shouldn't complain?
Of course it's fake news (Maddy's cry me a river comments were spot on). First off, define wealthy. So what difference does it make if people have basic needs met plus luxuries unfathomable a few decades ago?

What is income inequality? More fake news. Should a McD burger flipper make the same as a doctor, lawyer or engineer? Those professions required years of expensive schooling and lost wages during said schooling, not to mention hard work. You know who is underpaid? People who work dangerous jobs. Not idiots who got liberal arts degrees in fake subjects like international gender studies. Zero sympathy.
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Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by jalanlong » Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:01 pm

DogBreath wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:51 pm

What is income inequality? More fake news. Should a McD burger flipper make the same as a doctor, lawyer or engineer? Those professions required years of expensive schooling and lost wages during said schooling, not to mention hard work. You know who is underpaid? People who work dangerous jobs. Not idiots who got liberal arts degrees in fake subjects like international gender studies. Zero sympathy.
My general feeling is that there are just a LOT of people in this country that do not have any discernable job skills. When I started at my current company 20 years ago, there were a lot of "paper pusher" type of jobs. Lots of jobs for filing, sorting, directing calls etc. Slowly over time those jobs have gone away. Papers are imaged and not filed. Phones are answered by computer trees. There are very few jobs left in my company for "do-ers" and not "think-ers". That left a lot of employees out of their depth and they were let go. Where have those people gone to work now? I feel like they are a lot of the ones complaining that there are no "good" jobs out there for them. They don't want to work in the service industry because once upon a time they were well paid office workers. But honestly they do not really have any skills that would lend themselves to today's office place.

I hate to complain about young people but the ones I see in my office do not like to start at the bottom and if they do, they expect to be at a higher level within 6 months at the most. They tend to think much more highly of their skills than the rest of us and they do not often have the temperament or critical thinking skills to move upwards. Which leaves them frustrated and also complaining about the lack of quality jobs for them.
DogBreath
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Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2022 1:52 pm

Re: Socialism - Should we be worried

Post by DogBreath » Thu Mar 09, 2023 7:37 pm

jalanlong wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:01 pm
critical thinking
Bingo. Thank today's colleges that are no longer requiring thought, but instead rely on indoctrination of a single point of view and worry about microaggressions and safe spaces.
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