Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What happened to Obama's 'hope and change?' Why did he just continue to widen the gap?
The only practical way to stabilize or lower income inequality would be by redistribution of income via the tax system. That was not in the realm of possibility in an Obama administration with a hostile legislature.
And it would appear the incoming administration will make the inequality grow faster. Cuts to upper income and business taxes will do that.
There appears to be no rational likelihood of a return of middle class jobs. The trend is in the other direction. Even if Trump succeeds in reducing illegals and H1Bs it is unlikely to have significant impact after the deleterious side effects are felt.
We will eventually have to deal with a guaranteed income or such...perhaps after the Trump administration runs its course.
There appears to be no rational likelihood of a return of middle class jobs. The trend is in the other direction. Even if Trump succeeds in reducing illegals and H1Bs it is unlikely to have significant impact after the deleterious side effects are felt.
We will eventually have to deal with a guaranteed income or such...perhaps after the Trump administration runs its course.
It seems that way. If Trump fails to revive a working/middle class it will force us to accept a new and frightening reality and face how we might rationally deal with it.
The only practical way to stabilize or lower income inequality would be by redistribution of income via the tax system. That was not in the realm of possibility in an Obama administration with a hostile legislature.
And it would appear the incoming administration will make the inequality grow faster. Cuts to upper income and business taxes will do that.
There appears to be no rational likelihood of a return of middle class jobs. The trend is in the other direction. Even if Trump succeeds in reducing illegals and H1Bs it is unlikely to have significant impact after the deleterious side effects are felt.
We will eventually have to deal with a guaranteed income or such...perhaps after the Trump administration runs its course.
This is incorrect. One's income is one's own business and is not a legitimate concern of government. Income equality is not a goal and should not be pursued as a function of any government policy. If one is unsatisfied with their own personal income, and that is the ONLY income one should be concerned about, then one should make themselves sufficiently valuable that others want to give them the money they are seeking. But it comes from value and character, not mandates.
Redistribution of income or wealth is immoral theft and should be rejected by anyone who supports Reason and Freedom.
Don't like your income? Get more valuable. Be worth more. That is the only moral solution.
Only because the tiny house movement has a hip, environmental vanguard. It the tiny house movement were driven by poor people seeking cheap housing, local ordinances would double down on larger lot sizes.
In some localities, you're probably right.
But there are low-income localities where zoning treats mobile homes the same as stick-built homes, you can put one in right next to a stick-built home. In some localities, you can live indefinitely in a travel trailer on your own lot.
I think the big opportunity tiny home advocates are missing out on is older mobile home parks, the ones that have single-wides. Buy one, replace those old single-wides with a tiny home on wheels or park models. Zoning and infrastructure already there, no zoning fights necessary.
This is incorrect. One's income is one's own business and is not a legitimate concern of government. Income equality is not a goal and should not be pursued as a function of any government policy. If one is unsatisfied with their own personal income, and that is the ONLY income one should be concerned about, then one should make themselves sufficiently valuable that others want to give them the money they are seeking. But it comes from value and character, not mandates.
Redistribution of income or wealth is immoral theft and should be rejected by anyone who supports Reason and Freedom.
Don't like your income? Get more valuable. Be worth more. That is the only moral solution.
The availability of work is of course a matter of societal impact and concern. If the existing trends continue it is quite likely there will be no where near sufficient work to provide useful jobs to the entire working population. In fact it may well turn out that useful work is available only to a minority.
At that point the society needs to determine what mechanism will be used to compensate. No we are noot going to starve a large portion of the population.
The government is the likely mechanism to implement such a structure. And it will end up redistributing income...it is inevitable and actually already common. Just not on as big a scale as will be required in the future.
Libertarians may well disagree...but they will not get a vote. And they propose no workable alternative solution.
But there are low-income localities where zoning treats mobile homes the same as stick-built homes, you can put one in right next to a stick-built home. In some localities, you can live indefinitely in a travel trailer on your own lot.
I think the big opportunity tiny home advocates are missing out on is older mobile home parks, the ones that have single-wides. Buy one, replace those old single-wides with a tiny home on wheels or park models. Zoning and infrastructure already there, no zoning fights necessary.
I would think you can expect very strong resistance to tiny houses in most locations. The resistance will not be to the house but to the lot size. The issue is population density and the cost of municipal services. Builder here would like nothing more than building at 20 or 25 to the acre. But the government is leery of such densities. The simple things like schools and services and parking and such all become issues.
Around my neighborhood it is quite legal to build a tiny house...but it has to be on a half acre. There are actually a couple of examples of very small residences though perhaps twice the size of a tiny house.
The availability of work is of course a matter of societal impact and concern. If the existing trends continue it is quite likely there will be no where near sufficient work to provide useful jobs to the entire working population. In fact it may well turn out that useful work is available only to a minority.
At that point the society needs to determine what mechanism will be used to compensate. No we are noot going to starve a large portion of the population.
The government is the likely mechanism to implement such a structure. And it will end up redistributing income...it is inevitable and actually already common. Just not on as big a scale as will be required in the future.
Libertarians may well disagree...but they will not get a vote. And they propose no workable alternative solution.
Pipe dreams. You are living in fantasyland. We will not have guaranteed income, now or ever. In fact, we will be moving back toward free market solutions, and yes, you will have to be more valuable and work harder in order to survive. You will not get to suck off others, you will not get to be a vampire, so keep those skills sharp, whatever they may be.
And work is ALWAYS available, for people who open their eyes to what others need and make themselves ready to provide it. Freedom. Reason. Logic. Capitalism.
Pipe dreams. You are living in fantasyland. We will not have guaranteed income, now or ever. In fact, we will be moving back toward free market solutions, and yes, you will have to be more valuable and work harder in order to survive. You will not get to suck off others, you will not get to be a vampire, so keep those skills sharp, whatever they may be.
And work is ALWAYS available, for people who open their eyes to what others need and make themselves ready to provide it. Freedom. Reason. Logic. Capitalism.
Nonsense. The trends are crystal clear. The one nice thing about off shoring is that a lot of the oncoming loss of employment will hit China and the far East instead of the US.
We are going to see a million or more truck drivers lose their jobs in the next 15 years. Virtually no way around it. While cars will require turning over the fleet trucks will be retrofitted so it will go quite fast. The economics are overpowering.
And that will continue in less obvious ways in industry after industry. You and I may be in one of the few safe professions...the selling of houses still appears to require the human touch. But that may be about it...only the jobs requiring that will be left.
50 years ago we used model makers for prototype parts. Now many are simply printed without a skilled tradesman in the act. And the NC tools have also gotten to the point where the skilled guys are no more. The engineer and designers enter the design into a screen and parts pop out of a machine. Used to layout Printed Wiring Boards by hand...now you input the logic devices and hookup and the results pop out.
Electric cars are beginning to truly come online. Solar power has started to be cost competitive. Fusion power research is actually making serious progress.
The OP is wrong about the time frame of technology saving us. I'm not concerned about oil in anything other then the short term.
I think fusion power will be the ultimate answer to our energy needs. Your statement regarding making serious progress is very interesting to me. I haven't studied it in quite awhile so I'm not familiar with the state of fusion research. Looks like I've got some reading to do this weekend.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
