I really thought that I'd heard it all here on Gather. I have read the rants of the illegal immigrant advocates who think that illegal immigration is good for our country. I have also read the rants of the people who think that outsourcing of U.S. jobs is good for America, and I have also read the rants of people who think that U.S. factories closing and moving to foreign countries is good for America. Even though I have never heard anyone in my daily life say such things, there is always someone here on Gather advocating for such, which leads me to wonder who is paying these advocates to blog on Gather.
However, just when I thought I had read it all, I came across an article titled " The Shrinking Middle Class is a Good Thing " Hmmm??? What ??? Is the Author of that article on Crack ???
The author of that article obviously is trying to convince us that it's our fault as U.S. Citizens that the middle class is shrinking, and it's our fault that our factories are closing and moving to foreign countries. Then the author of that article goes on to say it's our fault that many of us are having to work 2 or 3 part time minimum wage jobs because we didn't try hard enough when we were in school. And then the author goes on with his rants about how the shrinking middle class is a good thing.
I would like to invite the author of that article to my part of the woods so he could see the empty buildings where local buisnesses have closed as a result of local factories closing and moving to foreign countries. The local buisneses were forced to close because people were no longer earning a decent wage and had very little money to spend as a result. And this is good for America ?
This senerio is being repeated across our country on a daily basis, and this is good for America? The middle class that has driven our economy for years is shrinking, and this is good for America ?
I'm left with this question: Is the author of that article a complete moron, or is he one of them many paid advocates on Gather ?
If any of you are interested in reading this author's insane article, just click on my icon and follow my comments.
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Comments: 31
(1) A lot of people are becoming increasingly lazy. All I have to do is look at half the people in my high school. These people don't do schoolwork or homework, don't go to any 4 of the easiest classes they could take in school, don't go to college, and some don't even pass high school. And I go to a pretty good school! And I just know that they're going to be cleaning toilets when they grow up, and I have no sympathy for them.
(2) Outsourcing is eventually going to slow up as populations in places like china demand more competitive wages. This is going to take a while because the amount of people that are trying to get out of poverty worldwide all at the same time (mostly because China and India have opened themselves up to trade and the communist bloc has dissolved). This is not even a new phenomenon. I'm writing a new article if you want to read it.
(3) The worldwide middle class (including the American middle class) will start to grow again once worldwide labor markets tighten up. This happened in the U.S during the turn of the century. What happened is that there were a great many people who needed work, and the rich became very rich because they could give low wages and make large profits, while the poor stayed poor. Later when the labor markets tightened, unions were able to form, letting people demand higher wages and the middle class began to grow. We're currently in a stage of loose worldwide labor markets, but with worldwide economic growth, those will tighten up.
One of the pure "geniuses" on Gather..........................
I doubt he even knows what crack is..............
Companies who go overseas actually get tax breaks to do so. This is insane.
They should be fined and tariffs imposed on their goods that they make overseas.
But noone will do this. It should be considered un-American and downright treasonous to this country for these companies to go offshore. It affects the economic well-being of our citizens and thus is a national security issue.
Am I to take it that you're advocating that American workers give up all the gains they've made over the last 100 years and wait for 6 billion poor people to catch up?
And just where did you see that "the communist bloc has dissolved"? China holds a TRILLION dollars in US debt and doesn't look very 'dissolved' to me.
We wouldn't be giving up all the gains of the last hundred years. Hundreds of millions of Chinese are better off than they were even 15 years ago, while the U.S has lost 2 million manufacturing jobs, some of which is due to increased manufacturing productivity. Some economists say that the middle class is better off because of free trade and outsourcing (which I supose is debateable), while hardly any serious economists would argue the economy as a whole is worse off.
Right now many in the middle class are feeling the squeze because of the increased international labor markets, but then all major economic changes have been painfull for some. Tenant farmers lost out during the 19th century agricultural revolution, but how many peole wish the agricultural revoulution never happened? In the end, which may be several decades from now, everybody will be much better off.
Source: Economic Policy Institute
http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/bp171
"It may have come as a surprise to Wall Street that the nation's manufacturing is declining dangerously, but workers, especially African American workers, have known it for years.
For the record, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported Feb. 27 that orders for durable goods dropped nearly 8 percent last month. That news helped send the world's stock markets into a spin, leading to the one of the largest drops in U.S. stock prices in years. Durable goods are higher-priced products made to last at least three years, such as autos, dishwashers, computers and industrial equipment.
But analysts say the news should not be shocking. Manufacturing in the United States has been in decline for months. Consider these facts:
* The U.S. Labor Department reported in December the nation lost another 89,000 manufacturing jobs in 2006, bringing the total to nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs lost since 1998.
* The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported manufacturing lost another 16,000 jobs in January, bringing the cumulative loss since September to 97,000 jobs. This decline has been heavily concentrated among production workers in durable goods, a category that has lost 83,000 jobs since September. Autos have been hardest hit, losing 49,000 jobs over this period.
* More than 35,000 U.S. manufacturing establishments closed between the first quarters of 2001 and 2006, according to the Commerce Department."
(Source: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/03/02/manufacturing-job-losses-continue-hit-black-workers-hardest/
The 'economy' is not a good indicator of the health of our society. The economy tracks how much money gets made, not who makes it. The wealth is being concentrated in the top 5% of incomes and is in freefall for everyone else. The dollar has lost 30% of it's value in just the last 6 years, phony low inflation figures be damned.
When you eliminate entire classes of jobs from the middle class, (i.e. construction workers, truck drivers, IT workers, etc.) through unfair labor competition, (illegal immigration, NAFTA, H1b visas) and at the same time eliminate 3.5 million American manufacturing jobs, you're really just concentrating more of that wealth at the very top of the food chain while sentencing those who were FORMERLY middle class to a life of increasing poverty and diminishing hope.
Sounds like GREED to me...
Put the American worker out of a job, and sooner or later he won't be able to afford your products.
mate I haven't followed your comments to the artical ,but I will cause I'm a sticky beek. But anyone who thinks the elimination of the middle class is a good thing,should get in line with the rest of the starving sheep, and wait for their brand of world order to arrive. Because the day will come when the super rich will rule these people with an iron fist. But it is our last chance to turn back now,and secure a future for our children first and formost through our own countries economic salvation,wich means keeping industry in our own countries,and keeping illegal labour out. Good artical Tim, I,m off to follow your comments,and sticky beek at what you have been up to.
Darcey D.
I am middle class and know of which I speak....................
Think I'll move my family in with you know who and live the American dream.................
First I'd get him laid so he'd quit being so up tight........
I hate yuppies. Especially those whose parents paid
for everything and who never had to work a blue collar
job in their life.
They bitch about being taxed too much when they pull
down six figures and their portion of the tax is a lot lower
proportionally than those in the lower tax brackets.
They like to say they're 'self-made' when some of them
are lying through their teeth. Their parents, aunt or
grandmother probably gave them a business loan
so they could get their start.
Great post!!!
Last weekend, there were protests by the illegals and their supporters in Oregon. They actually had LEGAL US citizens marching with them as they were chanting-----"Whose streets, our streets".
WTF......Talk about being on crack.
the superlabs in Mexico that some illegals
are undoubtedly smuggling over the border.
Yep, you are probably right!!!
It is so VERY VERY important to get registered with numbersusa, as the powers that be are currently trying to shove amnesty bills through. The elected officials actually have people who keep tabs of faxes/phone calls that come through and how many support/disapprove actions/bills that they are currently trying to pass!!!
Once you are registered with numbersusa, go to "send faxes". The system will automatically fill in all necessary info, and you just need to hit "send fax now". This is a FREE service. It also provides the phone numbers for the elected officials in your area.
PLEASE do this today.....You have no idea how important this is!!!!!
Please visit these sites and help us to save our country:
http://www.americanpatrol.com
http://www.saveourstate.org
Go to Forums>>General Discussion
http://www.numbersusa.com
Register then go to "send faxes". The system will automatically fill in all info so that you just need to click your mouse and numerous faxes will be sent to our elected officials.
http://www.minutemanhq.com
Go to "The Forum">>General Discussion
And to add to that point. We, as human beings, shouldn't think it's okay to allow people from a different country to be treated that way. Even if they are illegal immigrants, should we let compassion go to the wayside?
I say. Take out the companies. Get their mony. Make celebrities work out in the fields whilst everybody else has increased minimum wage, free schooling, and superior housing. Paradise right?