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Footwedge
Posts: 9,265
Oct 26, 2011 10:32pm
Now does that mean that 67% of Americans are anti capitalism? Well, I'm sure the fatman on the AM dial believes that. After all, according to him, "the OWS are nothing more than human debris".
What was kind of surprising though, a full 35% of Republicans agreed with this assessment.
Only an idiot would conclude that days neocaptalism...i.e. butt buddies in Washington with Wall Street...is an arbitrated, fair system.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66877.html
What was kind of surprising though, a full 35% of Republicans agreed with this assessment.
Only an idiot would conclude that days neocaptalism...i.e. butt buddies in Washington with Wall Street...is an arbitrated, fair system.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66877.html
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jhay78
Posts: 1,917
Oct 27, 2011 12:11pm
What's unfair is "crony capitalism", where government and leaders of industry team up to pad each other's pockets. Where the government picks winners and losers and keeps bad/ineffective entities from failing via bailouts.
What's idiotic is the suggestions some make to correct this wealth gap. Punishing the wealthy via the tax code, and redistributing wealth via that same tax code is not the way to go.
What's idiotic is the suggestions some make to correct this wealth gap. Punishing the wealthy via the tax code, and redistributing wealth via that same tax code is not the way to go.
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fish82
Posts: 4,111
Oct 27, 2011 12:15pm
So mad.
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queencitybuckeye
Posts: 7,117
Oct 27, 2011 12:19pm
I'd be curious what percentage of the American people have studied even the most basic Economics. The opinions of those who have not don't hold a lot of credibility.
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Writerbuckeye
Posts: 4,745
Oct 27, 2011 12:28pm
Why would that poll result surprise anyone? We've become a culture addicted to victimhood.
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gut
Posts: 15,058
Oct 27, 2011 12:31pm
The problem as I see it is the line worker has no competitive advantage globally and capitalism is indeed working as predicted to redistribute wealth, it's just not the manner of redistribution people want to see. But how do you offset or help that (at the expense of the top) without hurting your overall economy? I fail to see how protectionism and socialism will create the needed structural and fundamental changes for redress.jhay78;946789 wrote: What's idiotic is the suggestions some make to correct this wealth gap. Punishing the wealthy via the tax code, and redistributing wealth via that same tax code is not the way to go.
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gut
Posts: 15,058
Oct 27, 2011 12:32pm
Partly attributable to defining a roof over your head, food on the table, a car, cable tv, cell phone, internet...as the poverty level.Writerbuckeye;946805 wrote:Why would that poll result surprise anyone? We've become a culture addicted to victimhood.
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Con_Alma
Posts: 12,198
Oct 27, 2011 12:38pm
Is this really surprising?
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Con_Alma
Posts: 12,198
Oct 27, 2011 12:38pm
Exactly.gut;946815 wrote:Partly attributable to defining a roof over your head, food on the table, a car, cable tv, cell phone, internet...as the poverty level.
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DeyDurkie5
Posts: 11,324
Oct 27, 2011 12:41pm
what % of the people polled were black?
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I Wear Pants
Posts: 16,223
Oct 27, 2011 12:48pm
Neocapitalism, crony capitalism, whatever you want to call it is a massive problem. Which is why I think corporate lobbying should be looked at and all the ridiculous PACs, SuperPACs, 501(c)(4)s (had to search for the name of that one as I didn't remember it) shouldn't exist. There isn't a reason for people to be able to anonymously give unlimited amounts of money to a campaign.
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Cleveland Buck
Posts: 5,126
Oct 27, 2011 12:53pm
The wealth gap is a huge problem. People are just uneducated about it. They think we need government involvement and central planning to fix it when that is what caused it.
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gut
Posts: 15,058
Oct 27, 2011 1:01pm
How exactly is the govt responsible for the wealth gap? Where does the govt take from poor and give to the rich? The growing wealth gap is a direct result of globalization. That's why the last 10 years have seen a ridiculously low percentage of productivity gains go to the worker because of supply/demand of the global labor pool.
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I Wear Pants
Posts: 16,223
Oct 27, 2011 1:02pm
Well it was partly government involvement in the wrong ways/places and partly lack of government involvement where we did need it that gave us the environment for what we have today to form.Cleveland Buck;946844 wrote:The wealth gap is a huge problem. People are just uneducated about it. They think we need government involvement and central planning to fix it when that is what caused it.
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gut
Posts: 15,058
Oct 27, 2011 1:20pm
I'll agree with the destruction of wealth (or failure to allow the creation). I'm not sure that explains the wealth GAP, though. Govt policy doesn't dictate, nor should it, what price a company sets and how much they pay their workers. Actually, they do set a floor for wages. But unless you are arguing for a ceiling on wages/earnings I don't see how you blame the govt for the wealth gap, unless you're pro-protectionism.I Wear Pants;946855 wrote:Well it was partly government involvement in the wrong ways/places and partly lack of government involvement where we did need it that gave us the environment for what we have today to form.
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Cleveland Buck
Posts: 5,126
Oct 27, 2011 1:25pm
The wealth gap is a direct result of the central planning of the Federal Reserve and their debasement of the dollar. All of the problems branch out from there. Nothing more or less.
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Footwedge
Posts: 9,265
Oct 27, 2011 9:10pm
Probably very few. But apparently they are smart enough to read the reports printed all over the internet.queencitybuckeye;946795 wrote:I'd be curious what percentage of the American people have studied even the most basic Economics. The opinions of those who have not don't hold a lot of credibility.
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Footwedge
Posts: 9,265
Oct 27, 2011 9:14pm
Obviously racism livesDeyDurkie5;946830 wrote:what % of the people polled were black?
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HitsRus
Posts: 9,206
Oct 28, 2011 12:37am
You can call it crony capitalism etc etc....but the term "wealth gap" seems to me to be a political term that exacerbates the entitlement mentality. It is just another excuse to blame someone else for one's economic plight.
Of course, 67% are going to think it's unfair that someone makes a lot more than they do. It's a loaded question. Moreover, to use the term defines the arguement in such a way as to be predjudicial.....as if all wealth is unfair or unfairly created.
Certainly, there should be concern about government and industry teaming up to pad each other's pockets...PAC's ...etc. Discussion should be on those terms not on buzzwords that imply a class struggle.
I think you have to be careful on how you frame the debate. I am not going to debate a "wealth gap"...that term is unfairly predjudicial.
Of course, 67% are going to think it's unfair that someone makes a lot more than they do. It's a loaded question. Moreover, to use the term defines the arguement in such a way as to be predjudicial.....as if all wealth is unfair or unfairly created.
Certainly, there should be concern about government and industry teaming up to pad each other's pockets...PAC's ...etc. Discussion should be on those terms not on buzzwords that imply a class struggle.
One cannot underestimate the constant drum beat of politicians and the media to create an entitlement mentality. For 20 years, many politicians have put forth healthcare as something every American has a right to. As a healthcare professional, I see on a daily basis, people who are unwilling to spend even the smallest amounts on their own health. Even people who have good insurance, will not pay for anything that insurance doesn't cover, even if it is detrimental to their health. Some people don't even think that should have to pay their co-payments. This has become a problem because we have let some [people frame the arguement of healthcare reform and health care as a "right".Partly attributable to defining a roof over your head, food on the table, a car, cable tv, cell phone, internet...as the poverty level
I think you have to be careful on how you frame the debate. I am not going to debate a "wealth gap"...that term is unfairly predjudicial.
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I Wear Pants
Posts: 16,223
Oct 28, 2011 1:14am
Health care is a tricky one for me. Because I very much believe what Hits just said and at the same time think there needs to be at least some base level of care available to our citizens. Don't know exactly what that should mean though. What we had pre-Obamacare and Obamacare aren't the answers though.
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believer
Posts: 8,153
Oct 28, 2011 4:21am
thisHitsRus;947878 wrote:I am not going to debate a "wealth gap"...that term is unfairly predjudicial.
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queencitybuckeye
Posts: 7,117
Oct 28, 2011 6:14am
They may be but I'd bet most don't. More likely they operate under a model of "I have less, they have more, therefore it's unfair".Footwedge;947406 wrote:Probably very few. But apparently they are smart enough to read the reports printed all over the internet.
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gut
Posts: 15,058
Oct 28, 2011 9:54am
The intertz is also filled with plenty of inaccurate and misinformation. Mainly it allows like-minded idiots to form a consensus for their misguided beliefs.queencitybuckeye;947936 wrote:They may be but I'd bet most don't. More likely they operate under a model of "I have less, they have more, therefore it's unfair".
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jhay78
Posts: 1,917
Oct 28, 2011 12:21pm
Reps- very well said.HitsRus;947878 wrote:You can call it crony capitalism etc etc....but the term "wealth gap" seems to me to be a political term that exacerbates the entitlement mentality. It is just another excuse to blame someone else for one's economic plight.
Of course, 67% are going to think it's unfair that someone makes a lot more than they do. It's a loaded question. Moreover, to use the term defines the arguement in such a way as to be predjudicial.....as if all wealth is unfair or unfairly created.
Certainly, there should be concern about government and industry teaming up to pad each other's pockets...PAC's ...etc. Discussion should be on those terms not on buzzwords that imply a class struggle.
One cannot underestimate the constant drum beat of politicians and the media to create an entitlement mentality. For 20 years, many politicians have put forth healthcare as something every American has a right to. As a healthcare professional, I see on a daily basis, people who are unwilling to spend even the smallest amounts on their own health. Even people who have good insurance, will not pay for anything that insurance doesn't cover, even if it is detrimental to their health. Some people don't even think that should have to pay their co-payments. This has become a problem because we have let some [people frame the arguement of healthcare reform and health care as a "right".
I think you have to be careful on how you frame the debate. I am not going to debate a "wealth gap"...that term is unfairly predjudicial.
I hear this all the time with politicians calling for the rich to "give back" a little more via taxes, as if their wealth originally came solely as the result of government benevolence in the first place.
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dwccrew
Posts: 7,817
Oct 29, 2011 6:50am
67%DeyDurkie5;946830 wrote:what % of the people polled were black?