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If none of Nike's products are currently made utilizing slave labor or labor having a SOL comparable to slave labor, then I'm glad, but very skeptical. For example, if the people making Nike products are, in fact, being treated well and paid fairly to accommodate a non-slave lifestyle, then why isn't Nike bringing their factories back to American soil?
C'mon If you are so successful in your charitable behavior and frugal use despite the ability to have more then your knowledge should have this down.
Currency exchange! If An American buys a 50 dollar pair of shoes that labor only costs the equivalent of a fair wage in their currency. Like Mexico for instance. I could get 10 pesos for 1 buck at a time. In Mexico I could afford 10 drinks with 1 dollar! That 1 dollar gave me what was worth easily 50 dollars of product here. Now you add in the shipping and you are set. Plus no worries of a plan shutting down complaining about benefits and wanting to unionize and bring your profits down when there are people happy to have a good wage in their country even if they chose to continue the same lifestyle they had prior. Nike is now one of those jobs the locals all desire and almost fight to have. I've talked to miners in those countries who are digging for gold while they wait for a job.
Some people can't stand these hippie liberal college kids or whatever they see out protesting, so they decide to stick up for the people in charge of running our country into the ground out of sheer contempt. Lunacy.
It's sort of like how the people who need it the most will without fail vote against things like accessible health care and social security. They'd rather chuck the whole thing than let the "other side" win. People are so divided and nuts, it's a massive bummer.
eeeh gawd. haven't all the dinosaurs died out yet? i thought all the 60 and 70 somethings were young in the first hippie era. but maybe they hated them then too. oh well, just wait a few more years and we'll have the playing field all to ourselves......at least maybe by then the brainwashed fascists will be a tiny minority. i know, that sounds awful, and I'm being half-jokingly catty. but maybe there's a grain of truth in it. things change, but not until there is a generational passage sometimes.....hopefully the nice ones will survive longer. Like Kirk Douglas! he is one cool dude, seen his myspace lately????? he's 94, and demanding that the rich pay more taxes! He's rich himself of course... so is his son Michael Douglas.
Last edited by 2bpurrfect; 10-11-2011 at 02:33 AM..
you seem to make many assumptions. I'm actually okay probably much better than yourself, but I traveled a hard road prior and I realize too that I just got lucky. Others, not so much. My heart is still with working class people and those who have faced all odds against them though and I refuse to forget what that was like for myself, therefore I haven't lost my fight for the greater good nor have I lost my heart.
As for you, you may be one of the 1% that will never have to worry, but then again, you may be living on the dole as a gov't worker, and therefore never have to worry about your next meal while we worker bees pay your salary. Or you may just believe that your current success is final. Who cares?! One thing is certain though, to have you try to silence voices or that you discourage fighting for one's life is something that I will go head-to-head with you to the end. If you try to silence people, you are part of the problem imo. remember, success is never final.
No, no govt employee here. Only a private sector, productive, tax paying citizen who has created jobs and value, voicing my opinion.
Again I must ask. What is your groups solution to these issues?
It's sort of like how the people who need it the most will without fail vote against things like accessible health care and social security. They'd rather chuck the whole thing than let the "other side" win. People are so divided and nuts, it's a massive bummer.
That's because I think many of them still have delusions that they are going to become millionaire's and these "oppressive class warfare offensives" will seriously be to their detriment. In reality almost all of them will not be super financially successful. That's how our system is set. The vast majority will live comfortably, but middle class, while the few are able to live the "good life". Not everyone (even if they are "productive" or "hard working") can simultaneously be "rich". The way our system is set up, there have to be underclasses of people.
Currency exchange! If An American buys a 50 dollar pair of shoes that labor only costs the equivalent of a fair wage in their currency.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4theluvofgold
Plus no worries of a plan shutting down complaining about benefits and wanting to unionize and bring your profits down when there are people happy to have a good wage in their country even if they chose to continue the same lifestyle they had prior.
What you are saying still leads to one fact. Major corporations are taking advantage of the fact that others in this world are willing to live in squalor, are willing to forgo protection from hazardous manufacturing processes (including exposure to toxic chemicals), and are, in general, willing to have a standard of living WAY below that of Americans almost to the point of slave labor conditions, if not slave labor conditions.
Are you actually going to attempt to argue that the guy making the shoes oversees is enjoying a comparable standard of living to that of an American? hahahahahahaha
Oh, that's right, the shoe maker should just be happy working at "fair" slave wages at the wonderful American factory. Let me get my "white hat" out and my US flag to wave. LOL
Is this to imply that govt employees are not productive, and pay no taxes? Any other talking points you want to nail?
On another note; I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't think that if I worked hard, saved a bunch of money, got a degree, then an advanced degree, held virtually no debt (except for student loans) and then bought a house, it would depreciate like a Kia Spectra, and I'd lose my life savings, and be deprived of the ability to buy a home for my growing family for the next 5 years, into my 40s. My father didn't have to endure this. I hope my kids don't have to.
Anyone who thinks America has not changed for the worse thanks to irresponsible actions by corporate America is not paying attention.
No this does not imply that. It is an answer to a previous poster's question.
I agree with your post. I often wonder if this was the same attitude when those "hippies" were out marching for civil rights, anti-war, safe water, environmental issues, animal rights, food regulations - just to name a few.
I think the world would be a mess if it weren't for us "bleeding heart liberals" as GW put it who protest for basic rights and safety.
Some posters here act like we should just shut up and stay home and not say a word about the injustice going on here. Come on people, demonstrations make change! To those who prefer to talk about how useless it is to raise your voice, do you really want to live in a world of people who never questions authority??? If you do, then move to Haiti. You see, those people were afraid of their government too and look what's happened to them. Question authority while it's still legal. Otherwise, get ready for 3rd world conditions. This is the window to do it in and it very well could be the last if we acquiesce to the corporate power who control our leaders.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1208
Some people can't stand these hippie liberal college kids or whatever they see out protesting, so they decide to stick up for the people in charge of running our country into the ground out of sheer contempt. Lunacy.
It's sort of like how the people who need it the most will without fail vote against things like accessible health care and social security. They'd rather chuck the whole thing than let the "other side" win. People are so divided and nuts, it's a massive bummer.
a life of regret and remorse? Are you kidding me? I would say that to keep blinders on would be the worst fate for anyone. We are humans, we need eachother. when it all comes down to it, nobody wants to see others suffer. I think the best thing that could happen to you would be for you to open your eyes to see that we are all vulnerable. As I said before, success is NEVER final.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccjarider
Actually, I do not think my spirit is broken.
Just the opposite, unlike these protestors who have either: 1)given up on presonal responsibility or 2) have never tried it;
my wife, children and I are doing really well both finanically and spiritually. We have never looked to gov't or others to "take care of us" like these protestors want.
I am sorry you personal story is not as positive. But I urge you to not live a life of regret and remorse and try to spend your energy in postive ways and not so much fighting a fake enemy.
What exactly is the specific solution to this fake problem you protestors seek?
I did read one list of demands from a protester. This kind of thing would be an end as opposed to the means, but it is an idea of what the protestors want. 90% of it is pie-in-the-sky, but almost all of it has been metioned before:
I am surprised. Posts #77 and #78 show someone on the right side of the craziness. How then so negative about the outlook? "Ask for more than you need to get what you want. First rule of negotiating.
Demand one: Restoration of the living wage. This demand can only be met by ending “Freetrade” by re-imposing trade tariffs on all imported goods entering the American market to level the playing field for domestic family farming and domestic manufacturing as most nations that are dumping cheap products onto the American market have radical wage and environmental regulation advantages. Another policy that must be instituted is raise the minimum wage to twenty dollars an hr. (ridiculous)
Ridiculous why? The minimum wage in Germany is essentially that. I would suggest a minimum wage that varies by industry so that, say, fast food servers might have a minimum wage somewhat lower than servers in fine dining establishments but, overall, minimum wages could be higher without bankrupting the company. Do you think McDonalds cannot pay $11.00/hr? 30% of McDonald's revenue goes to pay the CEO and the Executive Branch. I submit that that should be lowered to 5%. They would still live WELL! But the servers and preparers and cleaners could all live a little better. Is that ridiculous???
Demand two: Institute a universal single payer healthcare system. To do this all private insurers must be banned from the healthcare market as their only effect on the health of patients is to take money away from doctors, nurses and hospitals preventing them from doing their jobs and hand that money to wall st. investors. (I agree with this)
They are wrong in this case and so are you for agreeing with them. When the first doctor decided that s/he deserved more money for their services than anyone in the community could pay they should have been told to pack up and go elsewhere. Instead everyone got together and decided to see how they could pool their meager earnings to pay for this now historic doctor's outrageous fee's. The word spread and now mediocre doctors as well as outstanding ones charge more money than can ever be paid by middle class Americans. Insurance companies take a cut for themselves when they can but do not at all feel too sorry for medical providers, they get theirs. If insurers are banned the current system of triple digit office visits and six figure medical prodedures will have to be overhauled.
Demand three: Guaranteed living wage income regardless of employment. (ridiculous)
Again, why ridiculous? I mean.. you could get ridiculous about it, but, on its face. Is it ridiculous to imagine that a server in a Perkins shouldn't be able to have an apartment, vehicle, clothes, food.... etc. Live independently from their labors at Perkins? I know people who do already. People shouldn't have to sleep in shifts and work 16/hr/dy and still be very, very poor.
Demand four: Free college education. (pie-in-the-sky, yet it happens in countries all over the first-world)
So why is it pie in the sky? It is a very reasonable demand, IMO. Harvard, Cornell or Brown don't have to be free but some form of higher education should be accessible for free.
Demand five: Begin a fast track process to bring the fossil fuel economy to an end while at the same bringing the alternative energy economy up to energy demand. (you can't simply end fossil fuels, but alternative energy should be the goal)
71% of oil is used for transportation. There is absolutely zero reason to use oil as a fuel for vehicles. Internal combustion engines are 10% to 20% efficient. Electric motors can be 95%+ efficient. If 71% of the demand for oil were removed that would effectively end the oil economy. Doable.
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