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Didn't see it asked, but how much of the perceived inequality is due to people thinking they are worth more than they really are because they think their worth is based on how much debt they carry?
Starting from student debt, they take on $30k debt so they think they should have a multiple of that debt for a job, so they want $60, 90, 120k jobs. To mortgage debts, that they have 100k mortgage so they must be doing better than the person with a "lower" mortgaged house (aka cheaper house). To car loans where "better" is more expensive. Kids think it's better to learn to "negotiate" as a skill and just buy/hire something/someone that does it than to learn to do it themselves.
It's almost like people think they can measure how skillful they are in life by how much debt they can carry without being buried under it. It's a game of who can dig the deepest hole without dying first and they think they have more skill if they can do it longer.
Didn't see it asked, but how much of the perceived inequality is due to people thinking they are worth more than they really are because they think their worth is based on how much debt they carry?
Starting from student debt, they take on $30k debt so they think they should have a multiple of that debt for a job, so they want $60, 90, 120k jobs. To mortgage debts, that they have 100k mortgage so they must be doing better than the person with a "lower" mortgaged house (aka cheaper house). To car loans where "better" is more expensive. Kids think it's better to learn to "negotiate" as a skill and just buy/hire something/someone that does it than to learn to do it themselves.
It's almost like people think they can measure how skillful they are in life by how much debt they can carry without being buried under it. It's a game of who can dig the deepest hole without dying first and they think they have more skill if they can do it longer.
Or by how much they want. The whole concept of living wage is related to that expectation.
OMG, Ruidoso. That is a very small town in the middle of nowhere. There are also many areas that never had much of an economy to begin with. There is nothing to recover from because there were poor jobs and job prospects before the "great depression." I suspect Ruidoso falls in that category. I have never visited but it is my understand that costs are very low, salaries are very low and the area attracts retirees who want or need to live really cheap. All of that could also influence your perspective.
Now I understand why your opinions are so ridiculous. You just make things up to fit your preconceived notions.
Ruidoso is a mountain resort town. The most expensive town in NM south of Santa Fe. It has a ski resort, several casinos, and is covered with golf courses. Literally half the homes here are vacation homes. No one moves here to "live really cheap".
Never really had a recession, except RE and building was slow for a couple years. Booming now. Million dollar mansions on golf courses are selling like crazy.
I already told you that none of this is relevant (where I live and what's going on here), but you prefer to live in the fantasy of your own mind.
Still waiting for that BLS data you were talking about, BTW.
Or by how much they want. The whole concept of living wage is related to that expectation.
I don't know if it is how much they want exactly. I don't really "want" a lot, I make around $60k which isn't a lot but I have no debt and low housing cost (no mortgage/rent, just tax/utilities). So I have a bit more disposable income than someone making more but spending half of it on debt/housing.
Nope, and no one is saying that...except you.
No, the attitude is that working hard is no longer valued. Which has a lot of factual basis. Know where money is? Having it already, and loaning it to others. Taking a cut of everything, while producing nothing.
Good news, despite your extreme amazement of foreigners.....turns out I've been there. As a general rule Americans are still working harder then he vast majority. Weird huh?
I think you might find out that people can fight battles and win. The problem that I see is that when you fight battles, even winning them comes with a cost. But if enough people have nothing to lose, we see things like the elections in Venezuela. While no one in their right mind wants to see that happen, the inability for many to recognize that large enough inequality will cause things like that is a serious danger. And when you start blaming everyone at the bottom....well...guess what? they might object. And someone can come along, who says what they want to hear, is charismatic, and can destroy everything.
Hard work is valued. It is just more challenging today because we have labor surplus and job cuts. It means that everything is more competitive. That gives you the sense that hard work isn't valued because the same hard work doesn't go as far. It's always been hard work and smart work. Both are important.
Americans are used to do a certain amount and expect results. But unfortunately, it takes more to get a middle class status. If you want to study something easy and get a degree with no marketable skills, you are not goi to have an easy time. You may think you worked hard, but that's your standards. One needs to work hard to get what is going to get what they want. If it is marketable skills you need to generate good income,then get marketable skills.
Many people don't want to change their lifestyle, or expectations, or location. They expect things to revolve around them and their expectations.
The mentality is if you are not doing well, those people who have money suddenly are wrong. They have more money, get dividends, and loan people money. Duh they have always done that. It's more about how you can acquire more. Big data, for instance, will generate a lot of jobs. But they will likely be highly specialized jobs that requrie math, technical, and analytical skills. But as you have seen here, many people argue that higher education is supposed to be primarily liberal arts, not training for careers. Okay, but then they don't recognize that they are not preparing people for these jobs. So cohort after cohort, people graduate with a so called general well rounded education (to satisfy some people's idea of what people should or should not learn) but still are far from being able to do some of these jobs.
The problem here is that people are set on what they want as education for others and refuse to adapt. By doing so they leave money on the table. Then companies have to go to other countries to find talent. Btw, these talents aren't always paid less. But they often had a focused education that targeted careers. But so many in america reject professional training. It's as if they fear that getting careers is a bad thing. They steer people away from what makes money, get people into debt to study something that meets their idea, such as more people in liberal arts education. And of course, then the labor market for liberal arts, if there is even one, becomes extra saturated. If people go over to stem, it would be easier for liberal arts people as competition is less in their field. But many in the liberal arts want more people in their fields. It's as if they want it the hard way. They think in just a straight mode, no strategic thinking. One believes something is good, so get more people to it. I'm sure that makes their life better !? What about supply and demand? Darn it, these are liberal arts people. They are supposed to have critical thinking skills!
I don't know if it is how much they want exactly. I don't really "want" a lot, I make around $60k which isn't a lot but I have no debt and low housing cost (no mortgage/rent, just tax/utilities). So I have a bit more disposable income than someone making more but spending half of it on debt/housing.
It's what they think they are entitled to. And they don't define it by income, as cost of living varies. They define it by items and lifestyles, and then see how much that is. Pay that!
It's not their job for acquire that.they want to be given that.
Now I understand why your opinions are so ridiculous. You just make things up to fit your preconceived notions.
Ruidoso is a mountain resort town. The most expensive town in NM south of Santa Fe. It has a ski resort, several casinos, and is covered with golf courses. Literally half the homes here are vacation homes. No one moves here to "live really cheap".
Never really had a recession, except RE and building was slow for a couple years. Booming now. Million dollar mansions on golf courses are selling like crazy.
I already told you that none of this is relevant (where I live and what's going on here), but you prefer to live in the fantasy of your own mind.
Still waiting for that BLS data you were talking about, BTW.
I am sorry if you feel I insulted your hometown. According to CD it is small with a population of 10k and it is in the middle of nowhere, nearly a 100 miles from the next small city. I will take your word for the casinos, golf courses and ski resort. All of which meet your definition of working to provide services to the wealthy. Maybe there is something else going on in your community but I could find no indication of any other major industry or source of employment. It is the sort of place any young person looking for a job and a career would be happy to leave. If there is more I would like to hear it.
If you want to look at the BLS data it is readily available online. You can assess unemployment and employment statistics for large numbers of job types, different parts of the country, age groups, sex, and other demographics.
The unemployment rate for those with bachelors degree is now under 3% nationwide. That includes people who are unemployed for any reason including drug abuse, poor work performance, living in an area with no suitable jobs or industries (sound familiar) or those who claim to be looking for work but are not actually interested. Can you imagine being an employer looking for employees when unemployment is under 3%? That would leave you looking at the absolute bottom of the available workforce or trying to steal an employee away from another company.
I highly recommend the BLS database. No one makes those things up. The data is up to date and as reliable as possible. In addition there is a wealth of data and you can look at many tables showing employment and unemployment by age, job type, part of the country, race, sex, etc, etc. There are additional statistics covering underemployment and the reasons that people are unemployed. I find that data especially valuable and interesting.
I am sorry about my comments about Ruidoso. I am sure it is a great place to live at least for some people. Unfortunately it is a very small community in a very remote location with very limited job and career opportunities. I don't think it is at all reasonable to look at what is happening in your community and extrapolate to the national employment or economic trends.
The unemployment rate for those with bachelors degree is now under 3% nationwide. That includes people who are unemployed for any reason including drug abuse, poor work performance, living in an area with no suitable jobs or industries (sound familiar) or those who claim to be looking for work but are not actually interested. Can you imagine being an employer looking for employees when unemployment is under 3%? That would leave you looking at the absolute bottom of the available workforce or trying to steal an employee away from another company.
I highly recommend the BLS database. No one makes those things up. The data is up to date and as reliable as possible. In addition there is a wealth of data and you can look at many tables showing employment and unemployment by age, job type, part of the country, race, sex, etc, etc. There are additional statistics covering underemployment and the reasons that people are unemployed. I find that data especially valuable and interesting.
I am sorry about my comments about Ruidoso. I am sure it is a great place to live at least for some people. Unfortunately it is a very small community in a very remote location with very limited job and career opportunities. I don't think it is at all reasonable to look at what is happening in your community and extrapolate to the national employment or economic trends.
I would point out though that many employed people are waiting tables.
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I feel insulted by your propensity to make things up. 
