Quote:
Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru
Pan, while I get your grievances, I don't get your solutions. Raising wages and tariffs, in addition to banning many imports will do nothing but spike inflation---and quite dramatically at that. This will be devastating on the lower classes, and will only create further disparity of wealth, as the wealthy will still have access to outside markets (both in consumption and investing), but the poor won't.
Your concern about distribution of wealth isn't an issue of purely wages and protectionism and regulating corporate executives; it's an issue of liberalism and socialism. As mentioned here and in other threads, American politics is decidedly not left wing. The Democratic party sometimes leans left of centre, and there are socialized aspects to your economy, such as unions, minimum wages, labour laws, social security, welfare, etc., but your politics has a huge void when it comes to the left. You have no social democratic voice as other countries do---a voice that strives for a more mixed economy brought by further subsidization of problematic areas, extended social security to the most in need, a reinforcing of the progressive tax system, programs to alleviate strife related to immigration/multiculturalism, etc.
America does not have a social democratic voice that I know of, and it certainly doesn't seem to have one in government.
I see a problem, though. In America, socialism of any form is viewed as an evil. This is why America remains a predominantly conservative nation, tempered with centrism.
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The only ban I mentioned was on companies overseas that did not meet US laws on wage/labor/OSHA ETC. Never said ban ALL imports.
I find it funny that people who cry about sweatshops will argue that if we banned those goods inflation would skyrocket. You can't have it both ways.
What we have been learning is that by allowing goods shipped from sweatshops and pretty much slave labor, is that our own standard of living goes down. Wages here go down, quality of life here goes down.... while the rich continue to get richer.
Thjis has nothing to do with liberalism and socialism or any "ism". It has to do with what is right and what promotes the best life for ALL PEOPLE.
The rich will still be extremely wealthy... but how much is enough.
We have been so programmed to believe it is ok for executives to make MILLIONS for the top 1-5-10% to accumulate more and more wealth while the bottom 80% continue to lose at a severe pace. We have been programmed to believe that it would lead to hyperinflation and blah blah blah.
The truth is, it is only going to get worse if we do nothing and continue to go down the road we are on. Companies and the ultra rich may bitch about it at first but they will eventually fall into line and wealth will be distributed more fairly again.
If not, the only thing that will happen is an eventual breakdown in society and civil wars.
When the wealth is distributed as unequally as it is, society can not continue it will fall apart. Why do you think all these high paid executives, Actors, Athletes and so on buy private islands, live in fortified gated communities and hide from the public? Because they are not stupid, they know society at the rate it is going with wealth distribution will crumble and there will be high crime rates, violence and a breakdown in society.
So, we try a plan similar to mine.... it either works or it fails but it is in no way worse than what we have now.