Comment Re:The US isn't all first world. (Score 1) 337
Didn't adapt to it? Our college graduation rates have been going higher and higher:
http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/education/phct41/table2.csv
(or see http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/education/phct41.html for cleaner view)
Yet median wage has been *stagnant* for the past 30+ years (columns 3 and 6 are pertinent: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/histinc/p53ar.html).
Furthermore, I would not call a machinist "unskilled labor". There were many many skilled blue collar workers in the manufacturing sector - the sector that has suffered the most under the recent revisions in the world order.
Now I'd agree with that the middle class is partly to blame, in that the middle class is the majority of this country, still, and has shown a pathetic lack of class consciousness. But much of the blame has to be shouldered by the rich - we are seeing income disparity like its 1920. Indeed, your thesis collapses when you look at the first column of the income table; *mean* income has steadily grown, because GDP has grown. Unfortunately, only the tail end of the distribution (i.e., the rich) has benefited, hence the stagnant median.
The fix is quite easy - tax the wealthy more, and use the money to build infrastucture and manufacturing. That is a proven recipe for economic success, and the one country that is following it religiously - China - is fast on its way to eating our lunch.
Health care for all is a good step in alleviating our problems, and certainly keeping those "dirty poor masses" free of third world diseases that are cheap to treat is a good idea.
http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/education/phct41/table2.csv
(or see http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/education/phct41.html for cleaner view)
Yet median wage has been *stagnant* for the past 30+ years (columns 3 and 6 are pertinent: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/histinc/p53ar.html).
Furthermore, I would not call a machinist "unskilled labor". There were many many skilled blue collar workers in the manufacturing sector - the sector that has suffered the most under the recent revisions in the world order.
Now I'd agree with that the middle class is partly to blame, in that the middle class is the majority of this country, still, and has shown a pathetic lack of class consciousness. But much of the blame has to be shouldered by the rich - we are seeing income disparity like its 1920. Indeed, your thesis collapses when you look at the first column of the income table; *mean* income has steadily grown, because GDP has grown. Unfortunately, only the tail end of the distribution (i.e., the rich) has benefited, hence the stagnant median.
The fix is quite easy - tax the wealthy more, and use the money to build infrastucture and manufacturing. That is a proven recipe for economic success, and the one country that is following it religiously - China - is fast on its way to eating our lunch.
Health care for all is a good step in alleviating our problems, and certainly keeping those "dirty poor masses" free of third world diseases that are cheap to treat is a good idea.
But I just don't understand your antipathy to the middle class working people -- do you really think they are "lazy people" who don't have the will to go and get educated? Seriously? Do you know how hard it is for the American working class to, on top of working an underpaying job, go get additional education? I am constantly shocked at how this nation - the nation with the greatest scientific system in the world - has a national political discourse that is completely devoid of basic empirical facts. Like, you know how long it took me to get those census numbers? 30 seconds. You're a slashdot reader with advanced interweb skillz. Go use teh google.
