In this Incredibly Prosperous Economy, If Overall Conditions were really that Good, Half the Population Would Not Be Struggling…The massive wealth being created are reflected in statistics which mask the real problems. So let’s take a look at the real economy. In the latest jobs report that came out Friday, manufacturing is in decline while wage growth is still stuck under 3%. Overall GDP remains stuck well under 3% while business investment is way down, showing the temporary sugar-high from Trump’s tax cuts for the rich have worn off. So what have we really gotten for the huge deficits spawned from the tax cuts? Not much! The spoils are not trickling down, going to stock buybacks or the personal portfolios of corporate elites. Meanwhile, the middle class continues to generally get pummeled. We are finally seeing some wage growth at the very bottom of the income chain, but that stems from a decades-long trajectory of steadily lower unemployment rates bringing us full employment & a tight jobs market, plus minimum wage increases in certain regions (areas mostly controlled by Dems). So whatever strength that remains with this economy, President Trump had little to do with.
If we could ever overcome our stifling polarization & learn to work together, we could make it our national mission to fix our economic model for the working class, advancing real opportunity, shared growth & upward mobility. It would take a bipartisan approach featuring the best ideas from both sides, especially with the energy from each party moving mainly out on the extremes & needs to become more centered. The GOP approach of basically doing nothing & letting the free markets sort it out decidedly won’t work, as that would just feed into the expanding wage/wealth gaps with workers continuing to be exploited. But many progressive ideas offer a more redistributionist agenda with massive government spending initiatives, which could raise deficits without really addressing the core problems. But something needs done, with the U.S. experiencing increasingly absurd income inequality compared to most of the developed world. Any comprehensive plan with a variety of the best ideas which we’d seek to put together synergistically, it would require wise investments on the part of government without the money spent becoming wasteful handouts. It would also take the private & public sectors working in tandem.
To even have any hope of achieving such a shared vision, members of both parties would need to retreat from their extremist positions & take seriously input from the other side, which is hard to do when they barely talk to each other. Even well-meaning DC politicians with great ideas know there’s no chance of getting major legislation passed under this hyperpartisan environment. Smart policies could only materialize if the common good takes priority over tribal interests, the exact opposite of what we have currently. We also need to clearly recognize the concerns, which particularly conservatives at the upper half of the income ladder tend to dismiss there’s anything wrong. So somehow there must come a time we have uniform agreement over what the biggest problems really are, since it’s impossible to arrive at real solutions when there’s dispute over what issues most need resolved. That’s where the links in any & all of our Part 3’s can provide direction, helping emphasize the specific economic challenges we should focus on. And there’s plenty of things needing fixed we’re hardly paying attention to. These articles below add to the body of evidence identifying the main troubles that should be tackled with vigor & determination:
Uneven, Distorted, Dystopian, Inequitable, Top-Heavy Economic System
Trump tax cuts only made things worse:
Jobs Report Shows Stagnant Wages
Sustained low unemployment should boost incomes, but this report indicates underlying structural problems which continue to plague the working middle class:
Without a Real Fix, Things Aren’t Looking to get Better
Economic insecurity experienced by so many is bringing on a whole host of societal ills. We’re stuck in a rut in so many areas. We cannot just ignore these issues!:
Health Care & Drug Prices
Runaway costs are the biggest concern:
The Critical Need to Save America from the Cult Party
The worse Trump’s lies, recklessness, corruption & criminality get, the more the GOP bends over backwards to protect him with their ridiculous & lawless arguments. Since they’ve gone way off the rails, we need the party to return to pragmatism, rationality & sanity, otherwise they could drag America with them off the rails. It’s amazing to think this is the party I supported for decades when I see what they’ve now become. See here what they’ve been up to lately as their actions are clearly inexcusable, relentlessly pursuing a destructive crusade to undermine our democratic society:
Election Speculation
Mike to Spend Big Bucks
Let’s Say Farewell to the King
The recent tit-for-tat missile exchanges by America & Iran led to tragic collateral damage this week, when an Iranian missile mistakenly took down a commercial airliner shortly after takeoff from Tehran. There were many Canadian citizens on that plane who lost their lives: https://abcnews.go.com/
Peart penned the lyrics to A Farewell to Kings, a song about crooked rulers spawning hatred, fears & lies. They’re leaders with cruel tormented eyes beating down the people while dismissing warnings from the wise, being hypocrites on behalf of their king suppressing the truth. The song speculates how history might record these times with sadness as the complacent people allowed the seeds of darkness to grow, choosing the path of least resistance by not confronting the evil. With eyes turned away from the castle in the distance, citizens were too preoccupied with their own lives to care about the scheming demons dressed in kingly guise. Can we find the mind that makes us strong to give us a fresh start, to learn right from wrong in making the correct choice? The power is in the people if they’re willing to take proper action against corrupt rulers.
The meaning of those lyrics have obvious implications for America in 2020. With a Senate trial about to begin & an election in November, we have a couple chances to get this right & end the tyranny. Will we follow truth & wisdom in fighting against the ruler of hatred, fear & lies, saying farewell to our king? Or turn our gaze away & allow the scheming forces who seek to control us have their way? The choices we make this year will define us for generations to come, so pursuing right from wrong can allow us to make a new start. See the lyrics posted as this song is played:
Recent Comments