Is the US's economy THAT right winged?

[bolehboleh]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

The minimum wage for most states is around 7 dollars. The highest is $9 and the lowest is $5. But on average it's $7.

The minimum wage is $7.25 for the whole country. Some states and/or cities have raised it locally, but no place can be lower than 7.25.

http://www.minimumwage.com/

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by bolehboleh

The minimum wage is $7.25 for the whole country. Some states and/or cities have raised it locally, but no place can be lower than 7.25.

MinimumWage.com | Facts about the Minimum Wage

That must have just recently happened? I had thought I saw somewhere that Georgia was $5. Thanks for the correction.

[jtur88]

The USA has, pretty obviously, the LEAST socialist government in the industrially developed world.

As a general principle of modern economics, the wealth is concentrated in the hands of the rich and the government, with the bottom feeding wage-earning labor having no economic power at all. Socialism is a mechanism that diverts wealth away from the rich and toward the government, with the presumption that the government protects the well-being of the bottom feeders, while the rich is committed only to the well-being of themselves. In a nutshell, that is the raison d'etre of republicanism at all, whose very existence is to foster an equilibrium of social and capital power-sharing. It is why republican forms of government emerged in the first place and overthrew monarchies. It wasn't for national defense, the kingdoms could already do that.

In the industrialized world, the USA government is the least willing to intercede in maintaining a balance of economic power on behalf of the bottom feeders. Ironic that in the USA, who led the charge of global republicanism, still alive and well is the vision of the Founders of power in the hands of a few rich kings (white male landowners), instead of one hereditary one, with the working class still groveling and begging for mercy. The pendelum never swung further left than than the FDR/Huey era, and is now going full speed back to the right. Not surprising that Dr. Carl Weiss is the only American assassin to ever be regarded as a hero.

[derosterreich]

Originally Posted by Phil P

I live in the US, and I don't see my country as being very far to the right - or libritarian/nonsocialist- on the economic spectrum. We have soon to be state run healtcare, big millitary, big EPA, lots of taxes... Are there other countries that have freer economies than the US?

Switzerland