Comments on: Why hardly anyone in the U.S. economy feels prosperous anymore http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore Cringely on technology Sun, 26 May 2013 08:07:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Angila Acebo http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-274501 Angila Acebo Thu, 13 Dec 2012 23:43:22 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-274501 Excellent post, it was very informative and gave really good tips.

]]> Excellent post, it was very informative and gave really good tips.

]]> By: Bazz http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-262455 Bazz Mon, 24 Sep 2012 04:46:36 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-262455 Mitt Romney's honest and controversial private thoughts to his followers hitting the air waves now has one point if true that will change USA society in the future for the worse. It is relevant to your position Robert X (what does X mean) on a invention lead recovery of USA financial health. That fact is: 47% of USA population is dependent on USA government charity, in the form of food stamps or unemployment benefits and don't pay tax. --- THAT'S MORE THAN 150 MILLION CITIZENS. If that figure involves retirees also, lets reduce that figure to 23% or more than 70 million abled bodies willing (?) to work that are without work!! Lets not talk about the fraud of unemployment figures or the deception of the whole population of a vibrant healthy economy. It is the consequences of 70 million disenfranchised unlead group of people that makes for a perfect "American Spring" a la "Arab Spring". In my life I've seen riots sparked by spontaneous responses to illegal police acts in USA and the same response occurred in the failed states of the Arab Spring. (I have a theory based on Maslow's hierarchy and Mice plagues as to why the Arab Spring occurred) I myself followed your invention lead recovery years before you thought of it. Bush43 bankrupted one invention with his ban on cloning. The Pentagon bankrupted another with 15 years of bureaucracy. And another went bust with the different laws of patents between USA and Ozzie. So my nest egg is empty to follow Cringely's belated advice like millions of the poor middle class.* My point is that 70 million if employed would make for a more vibrant and expanding USA economy that would accept any new product that you could offer. But if they are not allowed to follow the Maslow trajectory, will make the October Uprising look like a picnic and make the Communist prediction of revolution in USA in the 1930's come true 80 years later, without any external or internal communist intervention.** Oh and from the constitution, the rabble is armed already and don't need NATO donations of weapons. * And I'm getting old to spend time to make my fortune especially when I won't have much time to enjoy its fruits. Nor want to help, by just selling my invention to begging Muslims to save themselves from themselves and who in gratitude kill me for their deluded view of Allah who seems never to save themselves from themselves. ** OR Brave New World's soma to control the population is needed to keep the peace. Nixon's father returned to the US government the $5000 he was granted when he was on his feet again, was why there was no revolution then. How many are like him today? Just ask Wall St.?

]]> Mitt Romney’s honest and controversial private thoughts to his followers hitting the air waves now has one point if true that will change USA society in the future for the worse.

It is relevant to your position Robert X (what does X mean) on a invention lead recovery of USA financial health.

That fact is: 47% of USA population is dependent on USA government charity, in the form of food stamps or unemployment benefits and don’t pay tax. — THAT’S MORE THAN 150 MILLION CITIZENS.

If that figure involves retirees also, lets reduce that figure to 23% or more than 70 million abled bodies willing (?) to work that are without work!! Lets not talk about the fraud of unemployment figures or the deception of the whole population of a vibrant healthy economy. It is the consequences of 70 million disenfranchised unlead group of people that makes for a perfect “American Spring” a la “Arab Spring”. In my life I’ve seen riots sparked by spontaneous responses to illegal police acts in USA and the same response occurred in the failed states of the Arab Spring. (I have a theory based on Maslow’s hierarchy and Mice plagues as to why the Arab Spring occurred)

I myself followed your invention lead recovery years before you thought of it. Bush43 bankrupted one invention with his ban on cloning. The Pentagon bankrupted another with 15 years of bureaucracy. And another went bust with the different laws of patents between USA and Ozzie. So my nest egg is empty to follow Cringely’s belated advice like millions of the poor middle class.*

My point is that 70 million if employed would make for a more vibrant and expanding USA economy that would accept any new product that you could offer. But if they are not allowed to follow the Maslow trajectory, will make the October Uprising look like a picnic and make the Communist prediction of revolution in USA in the 1930′s come true 80 years later, without any external or internal communist intervention.**

Oh and from the constitution, the rabble is armed already and don’t need NATO donations of weapons.

* And I’m getting old to spend time to make my fortune especially when I won’t have much time to enjoy its fruits. Nor want to help, by just selling my invention to begging Muslims to save themselves from themselves and who in gratitude kill me for their deluded view of Allah who seems never to save themselves from themselves.

** OR Brave New World’s soma to control the population is needed to keep the peace.
Nixon’s father returned to the US government the $5000 he was granted when he was on his feet again, was why there was no revolution then. How many are like him today? Just ask Wall St.?

]]> By: Ronc http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-260374 Ronc Wed, 12 Sep 2012 22:00:45 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-260374 Thanks, blad_Rnr, but I wish it were true that they were trying to destroy it by choice. Then we would have something to work with...like give them a reason to choose otherwise. The problem is that they are well meaning and really believe that bureaucrats spending other people's money is better than a free economy.

]]> Thanks, blad_Rnr, but I wish it were true that they were trying to destroy it by choice. Then we would have something to work with…like give them a reason to choose otherwise. The problem is that they are well meaning and really believe that bureaucrats spending other people’s money is better than a free economy.

]]> By: blad_Rnr http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-260357 blad_Rnr Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:51:11 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-260357 Do we live in a monarchy? Did you forget we have a House and a Senate that was under Democratic leadership from 2006 until early 2009? You act like Bush could do whatever he wanted. Wrong. He did what the effing Dems wanted. And to top it off the Dem Senate can't even bring a budget to be voted on in three years. It's criminal. But NOBODY cares! Give me a break and get a clue. The Dems are destroying this country...by choice.

]]> Do we live in a monarchy? Did you forget we have a House and a Senate that was under Democratic leadership from 2006 until early 2009? You act like Bush could do whatever he wanted. Wrong. He did what the effing Dems wanted. And to top it off the Dem Senate can’t even bring a budget to be voted on in three years. It’s criminal. But NOBODY cares! Give me a break and get a clue. The Dems are destroying this country…by choice.

]]> By: HaraldS http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-259706 HaraldS Sat, 08 Sep 2012 19:40:22 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-259706 Three thoughts come to mind: 1. "Public confidence" - we tend to undervalue the fact that beyond a bare minimum set of commodities needed for survival, all value is set by human agreement and consensus - gold, tulips, internet stocks. It is the belief in the future based on a philosophy of common good, greed, fairies, or God - you take your pick - that drives decision making concerning risk in the future, and the dispensation of current assets. Th economy and jobs are all about the exchange of products created by humans. 2. "Evidence" - the easiest way to move beyond opinion is to look at what has worked in the recent past - austerity in the UK driving a double dip recession, lowering of corporate tax rates in Canada with a negligible impact on the GDP, the new deal etc. 3. "The long term view" - long term strategies in the end always win out against short term profiteering. This is why I believe the current financial markets and rewards given to many top level managers are destructive to prosperity and true asset formation.

]]> Three thoughts come to mind:
1. “Public confidence” – we tend to undervalue the fact that beyond a bare minimum set of commodities needed for survival, all value is set by human agreement and consensus – gold, tulips, internet stocks. It is the belief in the future based on a philosophy of common good, greed, fairies, or God – you take your pick – that drives decision making concerning risk in the future, and the dispensation of current assets. Th economy and jobs are all about the exchange of products created by humans.
2. “Evidence” – the easiest way to move beyond opinion is to look at what has worked in the recent past – austerity in the UK driving a double dip recession, lowering of corporate tax rates in Canada with a negligible impact on the GDP, the new deal etc.
3. “The long term view” – long term strategies in the end always win out against short term profiteering. This is why I believe the current financial markets and rewards given to many top level managers are destructive to prosperity and true asset formation.

]]> By: More on Employment Trends | AccidentalCapitalist http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-259549 More on Employment Trends | AccidentalCapitalist Fri, 07 Sep 2012 21:05:51 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-259549 [...] or regions, slicing orthogonally (e.g. by age, by occupation, by education level), etc.  In Why hardly anyone in the U.S. economy feels prosperous anymore, Robert Cringely slices the employment figures over the last decade by wage levels: high, mid, and [...]

]]> [...] or regions, slicing orthogonally (e.g. by age, by occupation, by education level), etc.  In Why hardly anyone in the U.S. economy feels prosperous anymore, Robert Cringely slices the employment figures over the last decade by wage levels: high, mid, and [...]

]]> By: Gnarfle http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-259367 Gnarfle Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:06:37 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-259367 John Taylor Gatto is a retired public school teacher. After spending 30 years in the belly of the beast, he quit. He's spent the last 20 years sharing things he saw or learned through study and conversation. His writing frequently touches on the idea that public school is designed to turn us into a mass consumer society. We are taught rudimentary math in order to make it easier to fleece us with credit agreements. We pursue novelty and entertainment rather than real accomplishment. One of his arguments is that free-market capitalism died at the end of the 19th century. Competition isn't a good thing; it's a bad thing. Much better to drive your competition out of business and control the market than compete on a level playing field. Using school to dumb us down ensures the playing field will be strewn with rocks and garbage with which to pelt us. Organizations do not grow to become too big to fail; they grow to become too big to care. He likes to compare the Amish economy to the rest of society. The Amish have a self-imposed limit on earnings . . . something like half a million dollars a year. Why? So no one controls the market or prevents opportunity for someone else. Sounds like the U.S. propaganda taught as history in our schools, doesn't it?

]]> John Taylor Gatto is a retired public school teacher. After spending 30 years in the belly of the beast, he quit. He’s spent the last 20 years sharing things he saw or learned through study and conversation. His writing frequently touches on the idea that public school is designed to turn us into a mass consumer society. We are taught rudimentary math in order to make it easier to fleece us with credit agreements. We pursue novelty and entertainment rather than real accomplishment.
One of his arguments is that free-market capitalism died at the end of the 19th century. Competition isn’t a good thing; it’s a bad thing. Much better to drive your competition out of business and control the market than compete on a level playing field. Using school to dumb us down ensures the playing field will be strewn with rocks and garbage with which to pelt us.
Organizations do not grow to become too big to fail; they grow to become too big to care.
He likes to compare the Amish economy to the rest of society. The Amish have a self-imposed limit on earnings . . . something like half a million dollars a year. Why? So no one controls the market or prevents opportunity for someone else. Sounds like the U.S. propaganda taught as history in our schools, doesn’t it?

]]> By: Matt http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-259251 Matt Wed, 05 Sep 2012 21:00:34 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-259251 Yeah, always the lazy young people's fault. If only we would just cut the top tax rate even further! Bush proved that work, after Clinton raised it and destroyed the economy!

]]> Yeah, always the lazy young people’s fault. If only we would just cut the top tax rate even further! Bush proved that work, after Clinton raised it and destroyed the economy!

]]> By: A different Russ http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-259114 A different Russ Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:23:06 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-259114 I see. So we should all quit our jobs and become self-employed, so we can create more jobs and hire more people. Who should then quit and become self employed. Can't wait to buy my first car designed and built by one guy. I do think I'll have to give up air travel though.

]]> I see. So we should all quit our jobs and become self-employed, so we can create more jobs and hire more people. Who should then quit and become self employed.

Can’t wait to buy my first car designed and built by one guy. I do think I’ll have to give up air travel though.

]]> By: A different Russ http://www.cringely.com/2012/09/02/why-hardly-anyone-in-the-u-s-economy-feels-prosperous-anymore#comment-259112 A different Russ Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:10:55 +0000 http://www.cringely.com/?p=4756#comment-259112 I was curious about your forced unionization of health care workers claim, after a bit of googling all I could find was a reference to a memo from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare president Dennis Rivera to the transition team of Obama-Biden. That memo outlined a legislative proposal calling for “increasing the capacity of the health care workforce” as part of a larger health care reform initiative. Maybe I'm not paranoid enough, but if we're expanding the number of people with health insurance by tens of millions, then increasing the healthcare workforce seems like a no brainer. I suppose some of those new workers will be union members, oh the horror.

]]> I was curious about your forced unionization of health care workers claim, after a bit of googling all I could find was a reference to a memo from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare president Dennis Rivera to the transition team of Obama-Biden.

That memo outlined a legislative proposal calling for “increasing the capacity of the health care workforce” as part of a larger health care reform initiative.

Maybe I’m not paranoid enough, but if we’re expanding the number of people with health insurance by tens of millions, then increasing the healthcare workforce seems like a no brainer. I suppose some of those new workers will be union members, oh the horror.

]]>