How would you fix the economy ?

[HatchetJack]

Dave, I'm on your side. If the blue collar worker in this country does not
prosper no one does. I do not believe that our employers should run over
us but I think voting for a system that punishes success and rewards failure
is just biting the hand that feeds us. We have to put corporate America in
a better position to have success. Higher taxes and stricter govenment
regulations is certainly not the answer. We have to fix this or we all go down
together. We also can not compete with workers from other countries who
live in bambo huts and are fine with eating a handfull of rice every day. Your
company was wise to try and retool for the future. If they would have shown
that 6 million in profit, would our administration have used their 3 million dollar cut
in a way to benefit this country?

[JCricket]

Agreed, there is no way we can compete with a worker in china who is satisfied eating a handful ofrice everyday. But, is that really the case?
I believe that China's economy is mostly doing well(or at least was until the buble popped).
I think as it grows it will cahnge to an economy more like ours. The days of the unions in china are coming - unless opressed by their government. When people over there get fed up with a handful of rice, what will happen?

The current issue is the desparity in the standard of living between them and us. This has caused companies to outsource as you pointed out. Once again, the company was more interested in profit than its employees.

I also agree taht too much regulation will stifle the growth of a company. But, these laws didn't just come in on the shirtails of the greedy. They were made by neccessity.

When a companies only concern is profit, their only concern will be profit. They will put aside the welfare of their employees, the environment, and everything else in pursuit of the almighty dollar.

So the question, how do you reach a balance? Well, I am not that smart to be able to figure taht one out.

Mark
AKA - Cricket

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by HatchetJack

Dave, I'm on your side. If the blue collar worker in this country does not
prosper no one does. I do not believe that our employers should run over
us but I think voting for a system that punishes success and rewards failure
is just biting the hand that feeds us. We have to put corporate America in
a better position to have success. Higher taxes and stricter govenment
regulations is certainly not the answer. We have to fix this or we all go down
together. We also can not compete with workers from other countries who
live in bambo huts and are fine with eating a handfull of rice every day. Your
company was wise to try and retool for the future. If they would have shown
that 6 million in profit, would our administration have used their 3 million dollar cut
in a way to benefit this country?

Tax cuts, tax cuts, sheesh, our infrastructure is in the toilet to the point that locals tend to call DC Baghdad on the Ptomac. We have let these capitalist geneii destroy our manufacturing base. We are engaged in a war of stupidity, not necessity - Afghanistan is the world's leading heroin producer for God's sake. And all I get from the right is "we must be self reliant". I have news for y'all, the only person in this country that I have absolute reliance upon is my wife. No one else has even given me the sweat off their balls and I have never asked for anything. Do I like paying taxes? Hell no, but I also don't like living in what is rapidly becoming a third world country. Roads dont maintain themselves, neither do bridges (although I have never understood the way we build them,has no one ever heard of pre-stressed concrete?). Power failures are a normal occurance here and the price of electricity is exhorbitant, why? Because we left it all up to private industry who were more interested in raking off the profits than maintaining the plant. People complain about letting the government run things, then show me one good example of where private industry did a good job? I do believe they could even screw up the Lord's Prayer.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Tax cuts, tax cuts, sheesh, our infrastructure is in the toilet to the point that locals tend to call DC Baghdad on the Ptomac. We have let these capitalist geneii destroy our manufacturing base. We are engaged in a war of stupidity, not necessity - Afghanistan is the world's leading heroin producer for God's sake. And all I get from the right is "we must be self reliant". I have news for y'all, the only person in this country that I have absolute reliance upon is my wife. No one else has even given me the sweat off their balls and I have never asked for anything. Do I like paying taxes? Hell no, but I also don't like living in what is rapidly becoming a third world country. Roads dont maintain themselves, neither do bridges (although I have never understood the way we build them,has no one ever heard of pre-stressed concrete?). Power failures are a normal occurance here and the price of electricity is exhorbitant, why? Because we left it all up to private industry who were more interested in raking off the profits than maintaining the plant. People complain about letting the government run things, then show me one good example of where private industry did a good job? I do believe they could even screw up the Lord's Prayer.

yet another excellent post

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by JCricket

Hey folks,
Who knows the stories of the triangle shirt factory fire? How about the ludlow massacre? Maybe Mother MAry Jones?

How many of you have read how Carnegie and Rockefeller gained their wealth?

Unfettered capitalism doesn't work and destroys the workers. Ever play monopoly - it has that name for a reason. Who wins - the guy with the money after everyone else has been destroyed.

HatchetJack,
Your example is well, um, how do I pout this. --NUTS!
Ther may be a grain of truth here and there, but mostly it is a stereotypical assement filled with hate and little facts. It is more of a lament of the woes of those who wish to be all powerful and greedy tahn reality. Mostly, it is filled with leading exagerations and little data. Sorry, but I gotta call you on this one.

Thank you.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by HatchetJack

Dave, I'm on your side. If the blue collar worker in this country does not
prosper no one does. I do not believe that our employers should run over
us but I think voting for a system that punishes success and rewards failure
is just biting the hand that feeds us. We have to put corporate America in
a better position to have success. Higher taxes and stricter govenment
regulations is certainly not the answer. We have to fix this or we all go down
together. We also can not compete with workers from other countries who
live in bambo huts and are fine with eating a handfull of rice every day. Your
company was wise to try and retool for the future. If they would have shown
that 6 million in profit, would our administration have used their 3 million dollar cut
in a way to benefit this country?

I believe you think you are.

In a perfect world, but unfortunately...........................

The people who run my factory screw up nearly everything they touch.
And you don't dare speak up and confront them with it, because they are the massive intellect that the entire universe is built upon. At least that's what Limbaugh has told them. Tell them they're wrong, then go ahead and paint the target on your back. Start looking for another job.

(And I've been around long enough and worked in enough places to know it probably isn't much different anywhere else.)

Our government did try to give billions to the biggest capitalists in the world, in the hopes that these wise and benevolent pillars of society would use it in a way that would benefit us all. And what have they done with it?

Pheasant hunting in Scotland, fat bonuses, corporate junkets to lavish resorts around the world, etc., etc., etc. ad nauseum. Then on top of it all they take whatever is left and SIT on it, raise interest rates dramatically, and start whining that they need Uncle Barrack to give them more.

What kills me is all of you who think voting REPUBLICAN is somehow going to fix this. It was a Republican that started giving them our tax money. Have you forgotten that? It's Republicans that think FEEDING the GREED will somehow satisfy it. That turning a blind eye to what these people do is the answer to our problems. How so? What they fail to see is that GREED is never, ever satisfied. That's why your Bible tells you (Or at least attempts to tell you.) that "the love of money is the root of all EVIL."
(And please spare me the "Greed is not necessarily the love of money." argument that I heard Limbaugh try to use, years ago. That's rediculous.)

Sorry, Hatchet. But I stand by my response to your "fish" analogy; "From what I've seen, Sharks are just ruthless and insatiable eaters." Trying to satisfy their greed is a fools venture.

BTW, If you want to work for a handfull of rice, have at it. If you try to drag me down to that level there is GOING to be a fight.

Have a nice day!

Dave

[piece-itpete]

I guess I'm fortunate to work for a good company. It did take quite a bit of job swapping to get here though.

Pete

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

I guess I'm fortunate to work for a good company. It did take quite a bit of job swapping to get here though.

Pete

Well, good for you. You and TD are very fortunate, apparently.
At some point a body grows tired of "swapping jobs".

Dave

[HatchetJack]

I cant believe some of you still dont see my point. My point was that feeding
the sharks with bailouts is not the answer. America has to be rebuilt from the
bottom with jobs. Giving the money at the bottom might have helped the
economy short term but we have to keep the money circulating. The only
way we can do that is to ease up taxes and government regulations on
companies that employ workers so that we can be more competitive with the
rest of the world. Somehow we also have to plug that hole in the economy
that is China. If we point fingers at employers and accuse them of being
greedy and demand we be paid more, are we not just as greedy as they.
If they make 20 million a year and strive to make 22 million are they any
more guilty than the worker that makes 20 per hour and wants 22?
I have tried to make a simple point but some of you are on witch hunt to
hang me when I am only trying to help. I think both parties are guilty of
putting us in the position we are in and I am not trying to steer anybody red.
I never said big companies should run over the little guys but we are all in this
together and there has to be balance. We need to stop lashing out at one
another and demand more action from our leaders.

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by HatchetJack

I didnt expect the left to agree with me but I'm right and they know it.

Originally Posted by HatchetJack

I cant believe some of you still dont see my point.

I have tried to make a simple point but some of you are on witch hunt to
hang me when I am only trying to help.

Sometimes attitude invites attitude. Claiming to have personal control of the truth can invite responses about the person in control. You also might agree that your avatar is a bit provacative. When you shoot your rifle, you better be ready for a little back kick.

Regards,

D-Ray