The definition of UNPRECEDENTED : never known to have happened before.
I’m 70 and my wife is 66. Before Trump entered the political scene my wife and I had never heard the word unprecedented before! Now we are both totally sick of hearing it.
It sure seems like everything Trump does or says is unprecedented. What a misfit!!! He is an American anomaly.
WARNING- he is a carnival barker for a party who have sold their souls to the American Oligarchs who want to control everything and everyone
I can’t use the form. When I enter my information, and click the “Start Writing” button, I get the message that an error has occurred...please try again. I don’t think the script works for MACs.
Also, studies have shown that chief executive decisions are only right about 50% of the time. So, no, they are NOT worth the premium they are being paid.
What a stunt! There is ZERO chance this passes as law. Virtue signaling does not drive results for the average American.
Forget ‘average’ American, it would be useful if the Federal Minimum Wage increased. Hello? Can we start there where there’s at least a chance at success?
The link to Patriotic Millionaires and writing to Congress will feel good, as will a manageable donation to the cause. However, they, the CEO, aren’t listening, and they will continue to keep up the distorted pay gap because they can, and it’s all currently legal, it seems. The nearly 63 thousand letters won’t see many eyes. The gridlock in getting anything through Congress to counter CEO pay will be a nightmare even if the Democrats held both houses, the executive, and at least two more SCJs retire and are replaced by more liberal ones. It’s terrible, and for those who do not want to see DJT back in the WH as well in 2024, this battle for a 50-1 CEO to median worker pay is worth taking on, albeit a vast fish to fry given the players involved. There is too little common good going around these days. Couple it all with AI reality fearmongering (real, imagined, and conspiratorially), and the pro-CEO pay crowd must be wringing their hands in sheer joy currently. Sad really. Shame on them!
It would seem that one cause of the CEO meteoric rise in compensation is a result the focus on a company's stock price performance and the reward in shares of stock to these CEOs. Perhaps they should focus on that as well.
HEADS-UP: I just used the link in today's email newsletter to go to actionnetwork.org. I filled out the form, but when I clicked the "Start Writing" button, I got an error. Three times in a row. I checked to make sure that my fields were filled in properly, etc.
“This is part of the story of how American capitalism has become rigged in favor of those at the top. It leads us directly to oligarchy — rule by the richest few, putting democracy at risk.”
Unfortunately, we’ve always been an oligarchy since our founding. Originally, only white male Christian’s, who were land or business owners could participate in democracy, as well as participate in creating our laws and institutions that continue to favor the rich.
As the industrial revolution emerged, the oligarchs became Robber Barrons or Industrialists. They wielded even more power than the oligarchs do today. They even tried to stage a coup against FDR in 1933 and install Major General Smedley as a puppet president; although Smedley would refuse to go along with the scheme, known as the Business Plot. He would later be ridiculed by the press after testifying before Congress, including the NYT’s, because the rich always stick together. And like the early 1900’s, the press is continually being controlled by major corporations or billionaires. So much for the fourth estate!
That said, nothing has changed since the industrial revolution, except the players and a few men and women being allowed to join the club, and reap the benefits!of classism.
We always talk about the patriarchy and the impact it has on the rest of us. Women and people of color continue to fret that the system is rigged against them. And while it’s true, the system wasn’t built to favor all white male Christian’s, which is why there has always been a disconnect between most white men and the most marginalized in our society.
Italians and Irish and even rich Jews were never part of the club until the post-WW2 era. And in some cases, they’re still just tokens. And the reason most men refuse to believe their lives are any better than women and minorities is because most white people struggle as well; even given the advantages they attain above the rest of society.
The system is definitely built to serve some over others, but it’s a two tiered system. It built to serve some white Christian’s at the top, and while capitalism still allows newcomers to join; it’s just a select few. Until recently, women and minorities were persona non grata. The middle class has over time lessened the disparities between the sexes and classes, but hardly enough to satisfy most of us who still feel disillusioned and marginalized in society.
That said, in today’s world the system fails most of us, and for those at the top, or the upper middle class, you still have privileges they allude the rest of society. Especially opportunities to attend college and make contacts to help with employment opportunities.
As for solutions to this problem. Society had been addressing these issues since the civil rights era; however, every time this country takes one step forward, there is a force that tries to squash change and force us to take two steps back. It’s Newton’s third law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction!
Bottom line: with todays political dysfunction and misinformation and lies circulating faster than the speed of light, it’s hard to know “up from down,” so I wouldn’t bet any time soon for any positive change. This will be especially true if Trump is re-elected, in which case, there will be change coming--good and hard; just not the kind of change this country wants or needs.
Just a quick comment on current events.
The definition of UNPRECEDENTED : never known to have happened before.
I’m 70 and my wife is 66. Before Trump entered the political scene my wife and I had never heard the word unprecedented before! Now we are both totally sick of hearing it.
It sure seems like everything Trump does or says is unprecedented. What a misfit!!! He is an American anomaly.
WARNING- he is a carnival barker for a party who have sold their souls to the American Oligarchs who want to control everything and everyone
I can’t use the form. When I enter my information, and click the “Start Writing” button, I get the message that an error has occurred...please try again. I don’t think the script works for MACs.
I would support this, but I’d prefer to see a Wealth Tax and remove the income cap for payroll tax contributions.
Also, studies have shown that chief executive decisions are only right about 50% of the time. So, no, they are NOT worth the premium they are being paid.
The ratio has squared between 1965 & now -- from 20:1 to 400:1
What a stunt! There is ZERO chance this passes as law. Virtue signaling does not drive results for the average American.
Forget ‘average’ American, it would be useful if the Federal Minimum Wage increased. Hello? Can we start there where there’s at least a chance at success?
Can't sign. Led it error on account for Action Network. Error in link?
The link to Patriotic Millionaires and writing to Congress will feel good, as will a manageable donation to the cause. However, they, the CEO, aren’t listening, and they will continue to keep up the distorted pay gap because they can, and it’s all currently legal, it seems. The nearly 63 thousand letters won’t see many eyes. The gridlock in getting anything through Congress to counter CEO pay will be a nightmare even if the Democrats held both houses, the executive, and at least two more SCJs retire and are replaced by more liberal ones. It’s terrible, and for those who do not want to see DJT back in the WH as well in 2024, this battle for a 50-1 CEO to median worker pay is worth taking on, albeit a vast fish to fry given the players involved. There is too little common good going around these days. Couple it all with AI reality fearmongering (real, imagined, and conspiratorially), and the pro-CEO pay crowd must be wringing their hands in sheer joy currently. Sad really. Shame on them!
My husband helpfully suggested that we “eat the rich,” however.
Another part of the repair should be removing the artificial cap on the amount of salary that is subject to Social Security tax.
It would seem that one cause of the CEO meteoric rise in compensation is a result the focus on a company's stock price performance and the reward in shares of stock to these CEOs. Perhaps they should focus on that as well.
HEADS-UP: I just used the link in today's email newsletter to go to actionnetwork.org. I filled out the form, but when I clicked the "Start Writing" button, I got an error. Three times in a row. I checked to make sure that my fields were filled in properly, etc.
Get error message when trying to send. Could this me intentional? Someone doesn’t want this message to get out!
Someone said it didn’t work on a non-MAC, too. Seems it’s safe to assume it doesn’t work, period.
Maybe requiring companies to publish all salaries in the public domain by category would get some attention.
“This is part of the story of how American capitalism has become rigged in favor of those at the top. It leads us directly to oligarchy — rule by the richest few, putting democracy at risk.”
Unfortunately, we’ve always been an oligarchy since our founding. Originally, only white male Christian’s, who were land or business owners could participate in democracy, as well as participate in creating our laws and institutions that continue to favor the rich.
As the industrial revolution emerged, the oligarchs became Robber Barrons or Industrialists. They wielded even more power than the oligarchs do today. They even tried to stage a coup against FDR in 1933 and install Major General Smedley as a puppet president; although Smedley would refuse to go along with the scheme, known as the Business Plot. He would later be ridiculed by the press after testifying before Congress, including the NYT’s, because the rich always stick together. And like the early 1900’s, the press is continually being controlled by major corporations or billionaires. So much for the fourth estate!
That said, nothing has changed since the industrial revolution, except the players and a few men and women being allowed to join the club, and reap the benefits!of classism.
We always talk about the patriarchy and the impact it has on the rest of us. Women and people of color continue to fret that the system is rigged against them. And while it’s true, the system wasn’t built to favor all white male Christian’s, which is why there has always been a disconnect between most white men and the most marginalized in our society.
Italians and Irish and even rich Jews were never part of the club until the post-WW2 era. And in some cases, they’re still just tokens. And the reason most men refuse to believe their lives are any better than women and minorities is because most white people struggle as well; even given the advantages they attain above the rest of society.
The system is definitely built to serve some over others, but it’s a two tiered system. It built to serve some white Christian’s at the top, and while capitalism still allows newcomers to join; it’s just a select few. Until recently, women and minorities were persona non grata. The middle class has over time lessened the disparities between the sexes and classes, but hardly enough to satisfy most of us who still feel disillusioned and marginalized in society.
That said, in today’s world the system fails most of us, and for those at the top, or the upper middle class, you still have privileges they allude the rest of society. Especially opportunities to attend college and make contacts to help with employment opportunities.
As for solutions to this problem. Society had been addressing these issues since the civil rights era; however, every time this country takes one step forward, there is a force that tries to squash change and force us to take two steps back. It’s Newton’s third law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction!
Bottom line: with todays political dysfunction and misinformation and lies circulating faster than the speed of light, it’s hard to know “up from down,” so I wouldn’t bet any time soon for any positive change. This will be especially true if Trump is re-elected, in which case, there will be change coming--good and hard; just not the kind of change this country wants or needs.