Why I Cry For America

[JRScott]

Manufacturing incomes rose (with the help of greedy unions) beyond the value the employee could provide the process. These jobs became expendable and were moved to non-union shops outside the USA. Manufacturing positions were over-paid too often. Look at the American auto worker who was earning over $60.00 per hour tightening bolts with a wrench.

Most service sector jobs are in fields like medicine, finance and computing which pay well.

The cost of services is reflected in the supply/demand curve and self-adjusting. This economy will rebound if Washington gets the hell out of the way.

Not all manufacturing jobs in the USA are Union, particularly in the Southeast. I've seen the textile and furniture industries leave. Most of those made 15 dollars or less an hour, hardly Union wages but today those same folks are now working for 7-8 dollars an hour at Wal Mart, Hardees, etc.

Most service jobs are in gas stations, retail stores and service industries like hotels....not sure where you get your numbers.

I do agree that if Washington would get out of the way and stop spending money they don't have we would be doing better.

[JRScott]

Scott Brown was swept into office by an electorate demanding change. That change is for less government interference, less taxation and strong national defense. All three of these are conservative principles that the hijacked by the progressives Democrat party used to support. The conservative platform is much more in tune with the current Republican party though too many of the republican officeholders are RINO's and must be dismissed.

Not all politicians are the same. The "evil cycle" is ending. By November, Obama will be fully neutered and his far-left socialist agenda cast aside.

The electorate voted Obama into office because he was black and the liberal mainstream media refused to examine his platform and history. The 2008 vote had nothing to do with ridding the country of republicans. In fact, had the republicans offered up a real conservative rather than RINO McCain the race would have been very close and may have gone the other way.

No the cycle is not ending. You see the evil cycle is for 150 years we have gone R or D. When one makes the electorate mad they send the other in. Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

If you want to see real change then we need to elect about 100 3rd party candidates to the House of Representatives, that would send a real message of change, sadly the 3rd parties due to the cost involved do not often involve themselves fully except in presidential elections.

[JRScott]

Republicans were swept out of the White House, Senate and House by an electorate demanding change. What did we get? Crap!

Why is it that not one current elected Republican will stand up to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck? Those nut cases are NOT the true Republican party, but they sure do seem to speak for it.

You do realize that Glenn Beck is not a Republican, he's a registered Libertarian if memory serves. Though Rush and Sean are both Republicans.

[OhioFiler]

Not all manufacturing jobs in the USA are Union, particularly in the Southeast. I've seen the textile and furniture industries leave. Most of those made 15 dollars or less an hour, hardly Union wages but today those same folks are now working for 7-8 dollars an hour at Wal Mart, Hardees, etc.

Most service jobs are in gas stations, retail stores and service industries like hotels....not sure where you get your numbers.

I do agree that if Washington would get out of the way and stop spending money they don't have we would be doing better.

Living standards in this country have grown exponentially in the last several decades while the economy was migrating from manufacturing to service. The service jobs you cite have always existed and always will exist. North Carolina has survived the demise of the garment manufacturing industry. Ohio survived the loss of steel manufacturing and tire-building. Michigan will survive the loss of auto making jobs.

If the clowns in DC were smart they'd spend money on energy exploration and nuclear power plant construction. Instead, we get funding for windmills and give citizens tax rebates for installing energy efficient windows. THOSE would be high paying manufacturing and construction jobs.

[backtoschool]

Living standards in this country have grown exponentially in the last several decades while the economy was migrating from manufacturing to service. The service jobs you cite have always existed and always will exist. North Carolina has survived the demise of the garment manufacturing industry. Ohio survived the loss of steel manufacturing and tire-building. Michigan will survive the loss of auto making jobs.

If the clowns in DC were smart they'd spend money on energy exploration and nuclear power plant construction. Instead, we get funding for windmills and give citizens tax rebates for installing energy efficient windows. THOSE would be high paying manufacturing and construction jobs.

Living standards grew in this country in the last 30 years because the cost of consumer goods came down due to cheap imports (china) and credit became easier for the middle class to get. Most of the middle classes' real wages have actually been going down for the last 30 years. The middle class has been living off of credit cards and home equity as their real wages actually decreased.

As to Michigan surviving the loss of auto jobs, well that will be a long time coming. While Michigan is developing the hybrid economy that is should have developed 30 years ago, there will still be a lot of personal pain, and loss of political influence as people move out of Michigan to find jobs, (which will result in less government money and public works projects). There will also be a waning standard of living for those that used to be tied in any way, even peripherally, to the auto industry. Most blue collar auto workers will never see anywhere near the salaries and benefits that they had in the auto industry, and even the white collar auto workers can expect salary cuts in the 20-30% range and a loss of benefits as they move to other industries.

I agree with you however that in the long term, our economy will rebound to a certain extent. I just think that we are losing our middle class in the process of this economic readjustment. Was some of this adjustment necessary? Yes. Our economic prosperity was a bubble and an illusion and we need to "find the bottom" and rebuild from there.

[OhioFiler]

Living standards grew in this country in the last 30 years because the cost of consumer goods came down due to cheap imports (china) and credit became easier for the middle class to get. Most of the middle classes' real wages have actually been going down for the last 30 years. The middle class has been living off of credit cards and home equity as their real wages actually decreased.

As to Michigan surviving the loss of auto jobs, well that will be a long time coming. While Michigan is developing the hybrid economy that is should have developed 30 years ago, there will still be a lot of personal pain, and loss of political influence as people move out of Michigan to find jobs, (which will result in less government money and public works projects). There will also be a waning standard of living for those that used to be tied in any way, even peripherally, to the auto industry. Most blue collar auto workers will never see anywhere near the salaries and benefits that they had in the auto industry, and even the white collar auto workers can expect salary cuts in the 20-30% range and a loss of benefits as they move to other industries.

I agree with you however that in the long term, our economy will rebound to a certain extent. I just think that we are losing our middle class in the process of this economic readjustment. Was some of this adjustment necessary? Yes. Our economic prosperity was a bubble and an illusion and we need to "find the bottom" and rebuild from there.

By definition we will always have a middle class. It may not include a boat, 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath McMansion and 2 Mercedes in the driveway but it will still be the middle class.

[backtoschool]

By definition we will always have a middle class. It may not include a boat, 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath McMansion and 2 Mercedes in the driveway but it will still be the middle class.

Yes, I agree we will always have some sort of middle class, but that middle class will be much smaller than it was 30 years ago, as more families slip into poverty. Also, there will be a decrease in the standard of living for the middle class for the first time since the 1930's.

But, I agree with you that those who adapt to the changes will still have a lifestyle that could be described as "middle class".

[OhioFiler]

Yes, I agree we will always have some sort of middle class, but that middle class will be much smaller than it was 30 years ago, as more families slip into poverty. Also, there will be a decrease in the standard of living for the middle class for the first time since the 1930's.

But, I agree with you that those who adapt to the changes will still have a lifestyle that could be described as "middle class".

At some point the income level used to define poverty will also be lowered. We will have to see a significant decrease in pricing for basic necessities as the market will dictate such as more and more people refuse to buy their groceries at stores like Whole Foods.

I agree, the lifestyles many of today's middle class members lead will be altered drastically but they will remain middle class.

[backtoschool]

At some point the income level used to define poverty will also be lowered. We will have to see a significant decrease in pricing for basic necessities as the market will dictate such as more and more people refuse to buy their groceries at stores like Whole Foods.

I agree, the lifestyles many of today's middle class members lead will be altered drastically but they will remain middle class.

So far we have not seen the deflationary pressures that were the hallmark of the Great Depression. Prices have not been coming down, and with all of the money that we are printing, I think hyper inflation is a more likely scenario than deflation.

[OhioFiler]

So far we have not seen the deflationary pressures that were the hallmark of the Great Depression. Prices have not been coming down, and with all of the money that we are printing, I think hyper inflation is a more likely scenario than deflation.

Buy gold!

[JRScott]

So far we have not seen the deflationary pressures that were the hallmark of the Great Depression. Prices have not been coming down, and with all of the money that we are printing, I think hyper inflation is a more likely scenario than deflation.

We will not see deflationary pressure, in fact we'll see the opposite in the coming 2-5 year span, prices will raise and possibly dramatically. Even bumping interest rates back up to 1970 levels will not avert that.

[JRScott]

Buy gold!

You can't eat gold.

I know there is some that have espoused investing in gold, Glenn Beck among them but it is foolishness really. No economy that has collapsed in the last century has ever gone back to the gold standard.

You'd be much better off working up a food storage, etc than to save gold. (Not to mention if Obama brings back the old FDR policy you'll have to turn your gold into the government....how do you think we got all the gold in Fort Knox and Federal Reserve)

[JRScott]

Living standards in this country have grown exponentially in the last several decades while the economy was migrating from manufacturing to service. The service jobs you cite have always existed and always will exist. North Carolina has survived the demise of the garment manufacturing industry. Ohio survived the loss of steel manufacturing and tire-building. Michigan will survive the loss of auto making jobs.

If the clowns in DC were smart they'd spend money on energy exploration and nuclear power plant construction. Instead, we get funding for windmills and give citizens tax rebates for installing energy efficient windows. THOSE would be high paying manufacturing and construction jobs.

North Carolina has not thrived with the trade treaties imposed by the Federal Government having lost both its textile and furniture businesses. It also routinely gets less money from the Federal Government than it deserves based on population.

[sofarsogood2]

I'm all for giving people a hand up- AFTER we fix our own problems and take care of our own citizens.

Why is it that Americans will offer free health care to citizens of Haiti (they are being flown in, on our tax dollar, to So. Fl. Hospitals, also on our tax dollar, daily) but giving that same right to an American citizen is considered some kind of welfare? By the way, Iraq has a single payer system-guess who's footing that bill?

Why are we so wrapped up in denying our neighbor assistance from the government, like a principle deduction, unless we get the same (even when our circumstances are entirely different)?

Why do we want Americans to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps", but we can offer free nation building to citizens of other countries?

Why do we think it's ok to bend over backwards for citizens of other countries, but gleefully give our backside to our own countrymen?

Why can a telethon for Haiti raise so much American money, but if you held an American Relief Telethon for our poor, the major networks wouldn't be interested, and neither would many Americans.

Why?!

That is what scares me most. The complete apathy in some circles to what Americans are suffering. The "keep government out, no taxes for social programs, survival of the fittest (richest) attitude that is prevalent. Celebrated in particular by one party, approved on the down low by the other party. We are a nation divided by dollars.

I had hoped Obama was even half of what he claimed to be during the campaign. But, much to my despair, he is more of the same. As did many voters in MA., I will probably sit out the midterms unless there is some really awesome progressive candidate (I'm a registered Independent). What's the point- one corrupt, corporate owned politician is the same as the next.

We will survive this, but what may come first is going to be ugly. We are unable to pull together as a nation of the people and for the people- our jealousy and self interest will be our undoing.

[OhioFiler]

I'm all for giving people a hand up- AFTER we fix our own problems and take care of our own citizens.

Why is it that Americans will offer free health care to citizens of Haiti (they are being flown in, on our tax dollar, to So. Fl. Hospitals, also on our tax dollar, daily) but giving that same right to an American citizen is considered some kind of welfare? By the way, Iraq has a single payer system-guess who's footing that bill?

Why are we so wrapped up in denying our neighbor assistance from the government, like a principle deduction, unless we get the same (even when our circumstances are entirely different)?

Why do we want Americans to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps", but we can offer free nation building to citizens of other countries?

Why do we think it's ok to bend over backwards for citizens of other countries, but gleefully give our backside to our own countrymen?

Why can a telethon for Haiti raise so much American money, but if you held an American Relief Telethon for our poor, the major networks wouldn't be interested, and neither would many Americans.

Why?!

That is what scares me most. The complete apathy in some circles to what Americans are suffering. The "keep government out, no taxes for social programs, survival of the fittest (richest) attitude that is prevalent. Celebrated in particular by one party, approved on the down low by the other party. We are a nation divided by dollars.

I had hoped Obama was even half of what he claimed to be during the campaign. But, much to my despair, he is more of the same. As did many voters in MA., I will probably sit out the midterms unless there is some really awesome progressive candidate (I'm a registered Independent). What's the point- one corrupt, corporate owned politician is the same as the next.

We will survive this, but what may come first is going to be ugly. We are unable to pull together as a nation of the people and for the people- our jealousy and self interest will be our undoing.

Obama's actions are exactly as was expected by those who bothered to research his past. The truth was there. He has never accomplished anything except be elected and often that was via dirty Chicago style politics (ask Jack Ryan).

It's a complete contradiction to claim "registered Independent" and then long for an "awesome progressive candidate". If you are a true independent you would probably clamor for an awesome independent candidate.

America is helping Haiti because Haiti is in dire need of help. When Americans are in similar straits our government and our citizens jump in (i.e. hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes). America is and will always be a most generous country, unlike ANY other country in the world.

Our country was founded on principles of freedom. To claim we are turning our backside to fellow citizens on the items you list is a whacked out far-left claim for socialism disguised as charity. If you believe your neighbor should have a principle reduction on his mortgage, by all means, go reduce his mortgage through your own charity. Don't expect me to pick up the tab for his irresponsible decision to buy a house he couldn't afford.