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jesswzmn
what would you say is causing this?
Please dont deny these facts, because I have been reading stories stating them for years now to indicate what is going on in the USA.
So hopefully your answer will be what I am asking...and explanation as to what is the cause of these trends. I would also love to hear from Democrats and Republicans on this.
Answer
This is a very complicated question, involving many factors. You are right, the middle class in the U.S. is slowly shrinking.
Causes include rapidly mounting debt (both personal and governmental deficit spending) that has sustained our standard of living since factories and other productive jobs began to move offshore in the 1970's, increased competition from rapidly industrializing countries such as China and India, tax policies, &c.
The golden decades after WWII were very unique for the United States. Europe had blown itself to pieces during the war, and the U.S. was the only major industrialized country that was left standing. Countries like China and India had not yet begun to industrialize, and the U.S. was the only other game in town. Our factories supplied materials to the whole world: our companies supplied the products that rebuilt much of Europe in the years after the war, and also fed the early industrialization of the 2nd world nations. As we moved into the midst Cold War, Europe continued to rely on the U.S. for most of its defense infrastructure.
By the 1970's, America's post war boom was slowly wearing off. Europe had rebuilt itself, and in the decades ahead, rather than being a source of easy business, countries such as India and China slowly became competitors as their own industries developed. Real wages probably peaked around this time.
Our own industry slowly began to move offshore as our "free trade" policies, which had benefited us in the past, bit us in the rear. Companies found that workers in other newly industrialized countries were willing to do the same work for less than the overpaid American workers.
We tried many things to sustain our standard of living. First, wives went into the workforce. By the 1990's, women with families were entering the workforce not because they wanted to, but because it now took two wage-earners to afford a standard of living that previously took only one wage-earner.
In the 1950's it really was possible for a man to work at a semi-skilled job and support a stay-at-home wife, a car, a house, and several children (not in luxury -- but support them nonetheless). Today if both husband and wife do not have a college degree, they will struggle to do this, even with both of them working full time. In this sense, our standard of living has already dropped significantly.
Beginning in the middle to late 1980's, even the addition of a second member of the family to the workforce was not enough to stop declining living standards, and Americans began to rely for the first time on large amounts of debt. Personal debt has risen continuously and steeply since the 1980's as Americans seek to sustain a standard of living that is no longer sustainable.
Government debt increased rapidly as well. The fact is that the federal government has promised the people far more in Social Security and Medicare than it will ever be able to pay in the future, and already the federal government is borrowing $0.40 for ever dollar it spends.
Americans are on a crash course with a very cold reality. The standard of living that we attained in the years after WWII was not, and is not sustainable. Think about it: why should the United States have a standard of living that is so much higher than the rest of the world? To begin with, it was due to the reasons stated. Now, we simply sustain it with enormous amounts of national debt.
Both Democrats and Republicans have made their share of blunders along the way, but they are fighting forces larger than any one political party.
If you are truly interested in economics and the causes of the current economic predicament, and the rising disparity between wealthy and poor, I strongly recommend that you watch the "Crash Course" (aptly named) by Dr. Chris Martenson. You can watch the 45 minute version or the full 2.5 hour version. It is freely available here: http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse
This is a very complicated question, involving many factors. You are right, the middle class in the U.S. is slowly shrinking.
Causes include rapidly mounting debt (both personal and governmental deficit spending) that has sustained our standard of living since factories and other productive jobs began to move offshore in the 1970's, increased competition from rapidly industrializing countries such as China and India, tax policies, &c.
The golden decades after WWII were very unique for the United States. Europe had blown itself to pieces during the war, and the U.S. was the only major industrialized country that was left standing. Countries like China and India had not yet begun to industrialize, and the U.S. was the only other game in town. Our factories supplied materials to the whole world: our companies supplied the products that rebuilt much of Europe in the years after the war, and also fed the early industrialization of the 2nd world nations. As we moved into the midst Cold War, Europe continued to rely on the U.S. for most of its defense infrastructure.
By the 1970's, America's post war boom was slowly wearing off. Europe had rebuilt itself, and in the decades ahead, rather than being a source of easy business, countries such as India and China slowly became competitors as their own industries developed. Real wages probably peaked around this time.
Our own industry slowly began to move offshore as our "free trade" policies, which had benefited us in the past, bit us in the rear. Companies found that workers in other newly industrialized countries were willing to do the same work for less than the overpaid American workers.
We tried many things to sustain our standard of living. First, wives went into the workforce. By the 1990's, women with families were entering the workforce not because they wanted to, but because it now took two wage-earners to afford a standard of living that previously took only one wage-earner.
In the 1950's it really was possible for a man to work at a semi-skilled job and support a stay-at-home wife, a car, a house, and several children (not in luxury -- but support them nonetheless). Today if both husband and wife do not have a college degree, they will struggle to do this, even with both of them working full time. In this sense, our standard of living has already dropped significantly.
Beginning in the middle to late 1980's, even the addition of a second member of the family to the workforce was not enough to stop declining living standards, and Americans began to rely for the first time on large amounts of debt. Personal debt has risen continuously and steeply since the 1980's as Americans seek to sustain a standard of living that is no longer sustainable.
Government debt increased rapidly as well. The fact is that the federal government has promised the people far more in Social Security and Medicare than it will ever be able to pay in the future, and already the federal government is borrowing $0.40 for ever dollar it spends.
Americans are on a crash course with a very cold reality. The standard of living that we attained in the years after WWII was not, and is not sustainable. Think about it: why should the United States have a standard of living that is so much higher than the rest of the world? To begin with, it was due to the reasons stated. Now, we simply sustain it with enormous amounts of national debt.
Both Democrats and Republicans have made their share of blunders along the way, but they are fighting forces larger than any one political party.
If you are truly interested in economics and the causes of the current economic predicament, and the rising disparity between wealthy and poor, I strongly recommend that you watch the "Crash Course" (aptly named) by Dr. Chris Martenson. You can watch the 45 minute version or the full 2.5 hour version. It is freely available here: http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse
This question is for the deeply religious person: How does religion bestow meaning upon human existence ?
maasoumy
I am agnostic and do not believe in any form of religion. But it does not stop me from asking questions on religion. I am aware that many people find atheism repelling because they feel it strips life from any kind of meaning. They imply that religion gives life a profound meaning. But how? How does religion do it? What's the point of human existence here? Why does it make sense to come to the world, do your best to follow the word of God, then wait in the purgatory and then be destined eternally to either heaven or hell? Do you feel that this project is meaningful??
Answer
I can't speak for everyone else, but i'd like to think there's more reason to be born into an unfair, merciless, all by the sake of chance kind of lifestyle, where you may have to go through a hell here; than to go by the reasoning that you live, whatever befalls you is what you HAVE to deal with...and then die for nothing.
The idea that your struggles in life have a purpose of 'closure' at the end gives more hope and REASON to endure the struggle than to live life knowing there is no logical guarantee when life hands you the sh$*t card, that the whole "just live life to the fullest and enjoy it" idea only applies to the folks who have the OPPORTUNITY to do as such, when there are millions out there who DO NOT have such a luxury (yea go talk to the women in India to just 'live life and enjoy it' when they're being raped and spit on with fear of abuse each day).
Religion tells people that enduring the pain and trangressions life can offer will not end with pointless torture for nothing; that there's a light at the end of the tunnel for your efforts. It tells people that those who have been injusticed, or witnessed evil have its way, will eventually meet their justice for their ruthless and evil ways. Rather than to see people do horrible things, and watch as the justice system let's them go free based on 'the rights of the person', when many many times those rights were created through corruption, money, and prejudice from the same man made system that people rely on so much for 'justice'.
While I don't necessarily take the Bible verbatim, as it is only a guide that unfortunately has been interpreted negatively these days, I still thing there is more meaning to this madness that is life than to think it just 'came to be' and we just have to 'deal with it'. What value is there to a life where the motto 'life isn't fair, deal with it' befalls many who don't have the luxury to truly enjoy what life has to offer because other people, or their own living circumstances hinder them from doing so?
This survival of the fittest cycle that often leaves many suffering for no good reason, and with no answer...just a life full of pain, anguish, and trauma, only to end up dying without any opportunity to enjoy it as many others have had the luxury to....and often take no appreciation for it by abusing the luxuries? What meaning of living is there to such a thing if indeed there was no God? It would give better reasoning to commit suicide, when you cannot tell anyone LOGICALLY, STATISTICALLY AND with accurate THEORY that your life has a 'chance' to suddenly become better or enjoyable if you 'make it that way'. Again, with so many who have suffered, you can't find any valid proof such a thing can exist...you're only answer really is "life's unfair, stop sulking, get over it." That kind of answer doesn't sound very promising for a 'meaningful' existence.
You could say "well those who do have the luxury need to help those who don't, that's the solution of hope for those people." but again, LOGICALLY AND REALISTICALLY speaking your'e referring to world peace, standard compassion...do you honestly believe such a thing is acheivable with the amalgam of personalities and motives of humanity? Scientifically it is NOT possible.
Call them deluded, but with a hope of God, ANYTHING is possible. God's presence has motivated people out of their despair, and in many cases actually became the answer for their enjoyment in life. And for those who didn't acheive enjoyment, at least in their minds they know there is a better home, or a sense of 'closure' after death, so that this journey of life wasn't so much a disappointment.
my 2 cents.
I can't speak for everyone else, but i'd like to think there's more reason to be born into an unfair, merciless, all by the sake of chance kind of lifestyle, where you may have to go through a hell here; than to go by the reasoning that you live, whatever befalls you is what you HAVE to deal with...and then die for nothing.
The idea that your struggles in life have a purpose of 'closure' at the end gives more hope and REASON to endure the struggle than to live life knowing there is no logical guarantee when life hands you the sh$*t card, that the whole "just live life to the fullest and enjoy it" idea only applies to the folks who have the OPPORTUNITY to do as such, when there are millions out there who DO NOT have such a luxury (yea go talk to the women in India to just 'live life and enjoy it' when they're being raped and spit on with fear of abuse each day).
Religion tells people that enduring the pain and trangressions life can offer will not end with pointless torture for nothing; that there's a light at the end of the tunnel for your efforts. It tells people that those who have been injusticed, or witnessed evil have its way, will eventually meet their justice for their ruthless and evil ways. Rather than to see people do horrible things, and watch as the justice system let's them go free based on 'the rights of the person', when many many times those rights were created through corruption, money, and prejudice from the same man made system that people rely on so much for 'justice'.
While I don't necessarily take the Bible verbatim, as it is only a guide that unfortunately has been interpreted negatively these days, I still thing there is more meaning to this madness that is life than to think it just 'came to be' and we just have to 'deal with it'. What value is there to a life where the motto 'life isn't fair, deal with it' befalls many who don't have the luxury to truly enjoy what life has to offer because other people, or their own living circumstances hinder them from doing so?
This survival of the fittest cycle that often leaves many suffering for no good reason, and with no answer...just a life full of pain, anguish, and trauma, only to end up dying without any opportunity to enjoy it as many others have had the luxury to....and often take no appreciation for it by abusing the luxuries? What meaning of living is there to such a thing if indeed there was no God? It would give better reasoning to commit suicide, when you cannot tell anyone LOGICALLY, STATISTICALLY AND with accurate THEORY that your life has a 'chance' to suddenly become better or enjoyable if you 'make it that way'. Again, with so many who have suffered, you can't find any valid proof such a thing can exist...you're only answer really is "life's unfair, stop sulking, get over it." That kind of answer doesn't sound very promising for a 'meaningful' existence.
You could say "well those who do have the luxury need to help those who don't, that's the solution of hope for those people." but again, LOGICALLY AND REALISTICALLY speaking your'e referring to world peace, standard compassion...do you honestly believe such a thing is acheivable with the amalgam of personalities and motives of humanity? Scientifically it is NOT possible.
Call them deluded, but with a hope of God, ANYTHING is possible. God's presence has motivated people out of their despair, and in many cases actually became the answer for their enjoyment in life. And for those who didn't acheive enjoyment, at least in their minds they know there is a better home, or a sense of 'closure' after death, so that this journey of life wasn't so much a disappointment.
my 2 cents.
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Title Post: If the millionaires and billionaires are getting richer, the middle class shrinking & number of poor rising?
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