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8. More people are in prison then any other time in American history! Remember, before the white man came to this land (well, the Minoans were here BEFORE 1492), there were NO SUCH THINGS as prisons. So much for the indians being "uncivilized".
The Minoans were here before 1492? I fell asleep in History class alot, but weren't the Minoans in Greece?
Throughout the 1950s tax policy was increasingly seen as a tool for raising revenue and for changing the incentives in the economy, but also as a tool for stabilizing macroeconomic activity. The economy remained subject to frequent boom and bust cycles and many policymakers readily accepted the new economic policy of raising or lowering taxes and spending to adjust aggregate demand and thereby smooth the business cycle. Even so, however, the maximum tax rate in 1954 remained at 87 percent of taxable income.
State of the unions - Los Angeles Times
Labor unions' importance in the workplace has fallen steadily since 1950, when roughly a third of American workers were unionized. Today, that number is well below 10% in the private sector
You are arguing the same stupid case as some earlier but just as disinformed generations of Americans argued over prospects of declining agricultural jobs. We need farmers, not factory workers!
There are no new manufacturing jobs to be had anywhere in the world. The number of manufacturing jobs in ALL of the world's top twelve manufacturing economices has DECLINED since the mid-1990's, and in eleven of the twelve (all but Taiwan) since 2000. Yet manufacturing output has soared. The US is still by far the world's largest manufacturing economy. We just don't need as many people to do it anymore. That's the way it is, and that's the way it will continue to be. Linus and his security blanket make as much sense as right-wing whiners and their manufacturing jobs mantra. It just isn't going to happen...
We need farmers?
To do what? Grow corn and allow it to rot like they have been doing?
Nope, we need the manufacture things we need and use, not just food.
Without manufacturing jobs we will never get anywhere. China and Japan are abusing us with this.
* We have had 6 manufacturing plant closings and 25,000+ jobs losses in my home town in the last 6 months. It has taken its toll and it shows.
We need to make the things we need instead of allowing these companies to import from Mexico and Japan and screw over our American workers.
All YOU need to do is take a look at the steel manufacturing areas along the Ohio River to see what has happened.
From fast growing wonderful towns to wilted, depressed skeletons of homes and buildings. Look up info from Youngstown Ohio down the river to Wheeling, then onto to Marietta and you will see. Then add in all the glass manufacturers in the same areas. Fenton Glass is one of them who used the employ thousands. Fostoria Glass, Wheeling Glass, New Martinsville Glass and a host of others. All gone!
I can go on and on.
The wrongful trade balances are killing us.
If you cannot see that then you have a ton to learn.
Last edited by Sunny-Days-in-Florida; 02-26-2010 at 10:20 PM..
Well apart from the racism in the 1950s, it would have been the best years to live in the USA economic wise as the gap between the really rich and middle class was lower than today. Today there is far too much cooperate greed than then.
Yet for social issues if you are female, gay or an ethnic minority thesedays are among the best to live in.
Probably 1983-2001. America seemed to have peaked during this time period. It seems to have been nothing but downhill since the election of Bush and 9/11. Makes me wonder if Al Gore would have been President if things would have turned out different. If America has peaked, we have peaked at a much earlier time in our existence than most of the ancient empires.
We need farmers? To do what? Grow corn and allow it to rot like they have been doing?
I'm afraid that the late hour may have led you to misunderstand the post. I was aping the argument made by those in our past who saw only dire outcomes resulting from the massive reduction in the number of US agricultural workers. Some saw farm work as noble and godly, and factory work as debasing and satanic. Some of the same laments are heard today from those who think manufacturing jobs have somehow gone someplace and can be brought back or otherwise reestablished. That's just not the case, and not in the cards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90
* We have had 6 manufacturing plant closings and 25,000+ jobs losses in my home town in the last 6 months. It has taken its toll and it shows.
Yeah, the Rust Belt has been eroding ever since the days of Reagan and even before. That hasn't escaped my attention. Nor has the human cost imposed on those who were most directly affected by it. From a societal standpoint, however, it was difficult to provide relief to those who felt they were simply too old to learn new skills or whose legitimate attachments to their family and cultural roots kept them from any chance of ever relocating. Perhaps more could and should have been done by government and corporate interests. But the laissez-faire types howl still over every penny of that sort of thing. Perhaps the best we can hope for is that a more generalized recovery will do something at least to help refloat all boats.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90
The wrongful trade balances are killing us. If you cannot see that then you have a ton to learn.
No, that's not it. American workers make up the most reliable, hard-working, and best-educated workforce in the world. The markets are telling us that they no longer want or need such workers to be involved in simple manufacturing to anything like the degree that they once were. Technology and economic development say these skills should now be put to other, more pressing purposes. Trying to ignore these signals is a pathway only to failure.
Well apart from the racism in the 1950s, it would have been the best years to live in the USA economic wise as the gap between the really rich and middle class was lower than today. Today there is far too much cooperate greed than then.
The 1950's were a cold, gray, and depressing decade, dominated by evidence and forced contemplation of our own national weaknesses and shortcomings. The election of JFK was meanwhile like turning on a light switch. Those who THINK that they might have enjoyed life in the 1950's would likely have made out better in choosing the optimistic days of the early 1960's instead. They didn't last very long, however.
Some on here have answered with a popular answer - 1950-65 ish, and some have tried to be clever or original, but almost everyone agrees that the time has passed. To me, one of the most important things we had but have lost is a feeling of security - not national security, just not so much insecurity. Once we had the security of jobs and prosperity and industrial might, now slipping through our fingers.
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