Better to be able to collect from high earners rather than completely restrict them.
At some point, the law of diminishing returns kicks in. We used to have an alternate minimum tax (AMT) that made sure that high earners pay a fair share. Trump & co made sure that they didn't have to pay it. In 2018 the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act nearly doubled the standard deduction and eliminated or restricted many itemized deductions for 2018 through 2025. It also eliminated the “Pease” limitation on itemized deductions for those years. .AMT provisions, along with almost all other individual income tax measures in the TCJA, are set to expire at the end of 2025. Thus, barring legislation from Congress, the AMT will return in force in 2026, affecting 6.7 million taxpayers. That number will rise to 7.6 million by 2030.
Yeah that is the way to go. Make increased "stupid income" become near infinitly taxed. Just like the graph of the percentage of wealth that is becoming a parabolic arc (infitely up). We need to calm that down fast.
Robert Reich is, as usual,talking truth to power! "Fatalism", the view that we can do nothing about the undesirable effects of technology and globalisation, is nothing but a cynical way of attempting to justify or legitimate a world that continues to serve only the rich and powerful. We are not powerless! Where there's a will, there's a way!
Thank you, Robert. Re: universal minimum income. Very complex. #1 universal medical health care. #2 expansion of SNAP. #3 universal housing. #4 enforce housing quality under felony prosecution of landlords
#5 universal income for those on less than 4x poverty level. #6 90% tax per year on assets over $1 million
Thank you for everything Dr. Reich. Related question: How long has the Republican party been committed to a return to powerless workforce, unregulated industry, unaccountable finance sector, and unaccountable ruling class? What was the genesis? When did our government get sold -- before the 2010 Roberts fiasco C.U. or other?
For decades, the GOP was the respectable party of small business and the middle class (excluding Nixon).
In 1980, it became clear the fckers needed much more money for TV campaigns, so they sold out to the super-rich and corporations. (To answer your question)
And as the US demographics shifted, they decided to kill education and suppress the vote and campaign on emotional, divisive issues devoid of reason.
Now the GOP has mutated into a cancer on democracy.
It is abundantly clear that the US has become literally controlled by a very small group of White men that make up the top 1% of the country. They control the Media, Military, Banks, Wall Street, Republican Party, Supreme Court, every aspect of our society. There was a time when the Middle Class had much greater influence in the US. That has long since been destroyed by disinformation, lies, deceit, and manipulation. Simply look around and see how little movement has been made toward Climate Change, Gun Control, Abortion, Mass Murder, Fox News, NewsMax (Right Wing Media) Lies, Pollution, list goes on and on. No focus on any of these critical problems are being addressed by those with the greatest ability and potential impact to make differences in the US. Because their idea of Globalization is simply their Money, Power, and influence on the world and political control. Nothing More!
I am confused as to why we spend so much energy trying to preserve jobs that for the most part no one really draws their purpose from those jobs. The planet provides us with oxygen which is a primary need for our species. Since food, clothing and shelter are also primary needs for our species what is wrong with technology providing those items and services? I think we would be much better served by conversations about creative leisure and “what comes after jobs” than by conversations about preserving jobs.
Agree 100%. It is demeaning to us as humans when we are told that jobs are the pinnacle of our existence. No one would want a job if they knew how to make a living on their own merits. Fortunately, I think this is the direction we are heading in. Jobs as we know them now will not exist in 10-15 years.
Hi Susan. I think you are probably right but as the speed of changes accelerates the runway for us to accommodate the changes shortens. Old “wisdom” based on experience is less valuable as tomorrow is not likely to be like yesterday.I think we have to start to base our suggestions on the trends not the old principles. Thanks for responding.
A universal minimum income is as much a basic right as universal minimum education, both of which are tethered to population expansion and birth control access.
With the loss of available food production related farmland space for ever expanding populations and available water to grow food on it, governments with economic resources are using land and water in other countries to grow food for their own people living in their desert landscapes and oil rich economies at the expense of people living in the countries where the food is grown on the rented land. The consequence for these people is food scarcity and related inflation of all other economic needs. The conflicts which arise from this and other similar situations are ancient.
When jobs are exported out of our own country, sending resources to other economies, the jobless and those with lowest to low paying jobs are caught between the economics of the capitalists who sell them their basic needs for goods and services and the capacity of their own work situation to meet basic living requirements for a healthy and productive life.
The problems with our own system’s food, shelter, transportation, and employment make basic universal minimum income a necessity because we don’t have good public transportation infrastructure and our existing system contributes to climate issues. Our water table is falling and soil quality is declining and the existing food production system is becoming increasingly fragile due to inclement weather intensity from climate issues. Our healthcare systems aren’t efficient and as effective as is necessary for future pandemics as was illustrated by our recent Covid response.
So yes, a universal minimum income could be useful. So would universal available birth control and universal health care and public transportation and universal availability of food resources without any food deserts.
The list of problems for solving this dilemma is long and the solutions require cooperation amongst groups currently at odds with one another. The wherewithal exists but priorities have made most of the problem solvers into firefighters leaving few to plan and implement change related to UMI goals.
Ok weird observation. Now knowing that red states have lost most of their industry the Republicans reallocation of income from Blue States to Red actually makes sense as for a universal income idea. Of course they robbed the middle class to enact this plan and made it more of a billionaire tax break plan than it was a tax break for the poor. I could see something like what the Republicans said they were going to do but targerted to the wealthy that benefited from the repeal of SALT. Id go even further than that with corporate and billionaire taxes that were quite progressive with income becoming taxed at 99% for the uber rediculous incomes and no more tax loophole for stocks left to family members upon death for anyone making $1 million a year or more.
GREAT CLASS! The word that stuck with me today was CULTURE and the Mini Cooper in Oklahoma. We need to have a discussion in America about Wisdom vs Knowledge. . . Smart vs Wise. Many people are Smart but not Wise. Many people have little Knowledge but much Wisdom. Cambridge and Berkley have a bunch of Smart people that may not be very Wise. Oklahoma may have a lot of people with little formal Knowledge but much Wisdom. I'm a hog for knowledge yet constantly question my Wisdom. I think that we as a CULTURE have deeply discounted WISDOM at a loss to our CULTURE. To be SMART without WISDOM is a precarious state.
David well said. However, this was addressed by my psych professors 50 years ago AND the culture has definitely ignored it. The Psych Profs at Ohio State addressed native intelligence and academic achievement. Or what they also called true intelligence and memory, Native intelligence is a measure of one's abilities in critical thinking, objective reasoning, mathematical comprehension (not to be confused with math skills), and time and spatial visualization, Academic Achievement being simply memory abilities. Many corporations, the CIA and some military took the difference seriously, sometimes. I had job candidates tested by Occupational Psychologist for native intelligence - before I retired twenty years back. I was tested five times during my career. However, outside of those organizations that do not ignore the difference, everyone else does ignore the difference., The ability to recite a five-page poem is not intelligence but many people would call a person with this ability a genius,
We are born with our level of native intelligence - nothing can be done to improve it. We can damage it with alcohol, cocaine, pot, and even tobacco, as well as injury or disease,
The whole world works this way.
I believe what you refer to as Wisdom is what the professors referred to as native intelligence.
Most of us can achieve with enough effort memory and become certified in this or that. Probably less than 20% can function with wisdom. To get Wisdom the full recognition it should have, especially for dealing with matters of econ or politics, appears impossible as the egos of those who can't be wise stand in the way of those who can be wise. People always want to applaud their own image. AND they outnumber those who can be wise,
One thing I have noticed is that some people can be wise at their job- but once they leave the building or work site wisdom goes out the window,
Well, I wrote a bunch of stuff. Now it is up to you to move Wisdom to the forefront. I will buy you a cup of coffee should you succeed.
Wisdom escapes the minds of most today. Individualism does not allow wisdom to flourish in people, for the most part. Our current American culture is an example of the degradation of the human being and the human mind. In other words, lack of wisdom. And, technology is accentuating this phenomenon. The more universal technology becomes the less universal we become and the less capable. We are doomed. Not like in the fanciful way of speaking but literally. We are already a lost civilization. I know all the factors playing constantly against human well-being, what’s being talked about here definitely part of it. But, the fact that the majority of people and then all governments, policies, businesses and systems have put money and financial gains before everyone’s well-being is a fact that we aren’t recovering from. If we can’t recover from mental greed and from the grip of technology, and I believe we have way past the mile marker on this, we have already set in motion the destruction of our civilization. Like I said before we are doomed to perish completely already. Just enjoy the time we have left. This just one of those things you need to look around and say - it is what it is. The unwise armed with money and power are the definition of a destructive force and the wise are few and powerless, though at least we know what’s coming.
Good chance you are correct. The only way I can think of moving citizens out of this hole is for citizens to begin discussing political issues. Take a look at https://www.meetup.com/Star-City-Thinkers/ and decide if this is something you would like to start-up wherever you live.
Look at past events and ignore the RSVP- more show up to a discussion than indicated. I have one group which is a City Parks and Rec Program that is attended by an average of 14 people ranging from truck driver to MD to attorney (45 total membership).
$5 says that the "Peeps" in the apocryphal story recognized exactly who 'Bob" was given that the GM plant (having at it's peak employed 5000 people) closed in 2006. Of course people know what a Mini Cooper is OG or contemporary. The point being the British Layland death trap of the 1970's(The mini) was rebooted more recently and expanded, ruggedized and much improved. However the engine is manufactured by BMW and I believe the BMW dealerships distribute / represent "Mini". Oklahoma City has a long yet troubled history of auto and auto parts manufacturing. Given the fact that "Bob" drove 3000 miles coast to coat in one seems to indicate that his vehicle is definitely NOT - OG - exterior welded joints, conic rubber "Shock absorbers" / springs / British Leyland - (Height of Winter of Discontent British 1974 multiplicity of national strikes and trade union conflicts - Monday morning - Friday evening assembled LEMON".
BMW makes a good power plant / Engine - but all of the parts probably come from all over the world - including territories like Singapore and Indonesia that folks frequently overlook or forget about.
Wisdom comes with experience, you do not need to have a choice. The best are smart and wise like profesor Reich. i am guessing here but sound like you are taking it personal.
Experience is surely one portal to wisdom. You're right! However, it is the interpretation of that experience where wisdom is discovered. Like I said, I'm 75 yrs old and question my wisdom all the time. And you are right again; I do take the pursuit of wisdom on a personal level.
[Separate from "Wisdom and knowledge" ] The ability to predict the future more correctly can rely more on real world cynicism and a sense of the ironic. I.e. what is the most ironic outcome that devised most reasonably ~ In Secretary "Bob's" case was perhaps not realizing the mobility and power of private companies to go south of the border. His models were 100% correct - just the wrong territory / country. The assumption of the "Common good" is a hill that many a well intended individual has died on.
The data curves at the 2008 "Point" being glossed over I assume was a major topic of a different lecture / lecture series.
Globalization came too soon! People across the globe were surprised by the shift which has lead to the distrust of business and government. The average citizen was caught off guard and unprepared! Technological change should have come first! The foundation for globalization was not established, and has caused confusion and trauma to many individuals!😡
I worked in manufacturing (both discrete and process environments) most of my career. I covered sales, accounting, manufacturing, and general management. The last 17 years were in turnaround management. Most of my time was split evenly between accounting and manufacturing (having worked at the VP level in both). Except for a few categories (tool & die, mechanic, set-up, millwright, fit up [in welding], some rework, and maybe machinist) most were not as difficult as a cook's job in a fast-food restaurant. Manufacturing jobs in general were not high paying jobs. They paid more because of unions.
The business sector has done a good job of turning many members of the workforce against unions.
You are not, with this posting, focused on manufacturing jobs returning to the USA- but IF they return there is no reason, they will be high-paying jobs unless they return to a unionized company.
The USA economy may be in trouble because of China's advance, We do need to look at this today as you are doing. We must not kid ourselves as to how much trouble we may not be in. We are in big trouble if we do not thinks and take necessary actions.
The largest problem we have is the difference between worker productivity and worker pay. Those "high paying jobs" for the robot maintener or the CNC programmer dont even touch the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wage/productivity inequality as has diverged since the late 70s. The shareholders are assuming all this productivity increase for themselves. Ie this is a income transfer from the workers to the shareholders. Rectify the wage/production inequality gap by supporting strong unions and getting rid of stock buy backs.
This is true. How would you go about making this happen? The stakeholders have put up the money for the productivity improvements. Much of the capital came originally from the labor- is there an argument here? But, in current times, much of the capital is coming, also, from labor in other countries. How do you reconcile this with American labor? Do you anticipate that productivity improvements will allow us to eventually walk away from imports? Look at the degree of productivity improvement in agriculture. At one time over 30% of American employment was ag related- now it is less than 2%. But, have food prices increased at a rate that is significantly below general inflation? If not - where has the benefit of the ag productivity improvements gone? Will other products eventually mirror the ag industry? If not, what paths may they follow?
I remember ZPG., Zero population growth, when the birth rate equals the death rate (assuming no net migration for the human population as a whole). Nixon (of all people) started the EPA, in part, as a result of arguments about population and immigration!
Rev. Thomas Malthus, Essay on the Principle of Population, 1798. "The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man. Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio. Subsistence increases only in an arithmetical ratio ... By that law of our nature which makes food necessary to the life of man, the effects of these two unequal power must be kept equal. This implies a strong and constantly operating check on population from the difficulty of subsistence."
At that time, the Vietnam War was raging. According to some sources, the Catholic church opposed contraception but did not condemn the war. It did, however, condemn ZPG.
When I was in law school in antediluvian time, we started an environmental law journal. I wasn't on it, but a close friend was editor. He was Catholic. When he was about to be married, the officiating priest got a copy of an edition and was all over him. Threatened excommunication.
I don't know whether he had to pay penance, but he had a high church wedding and although the church would not permit me to be an usher, was seated with the clergy at the reception.
But Robert, how would we keep up demand to maintain the lifestyle of the billionaires if we did not have overpopulation to feed the wealthy class' need for cheap labor to create supply? And how can the wealthy class sell that supply without spending millions on advertising to keep up demand? Small is Beautiful!
Or . .the Protestand sez to The Catholic . .or Mao sez to The People . .or The Planet sez to the Drought lands . . or . . the guy who wrote The Population Bomb sez . .
About the question: we feel that UBI can be a good answer to many problems. In 1948 an old age pension was instituted for everyone, reaching 65. It should be possible to expand that program.
But it still is a leftist dream. But some friends see progress.
Re universal minimum income, just like how governments can and do influence globalization and tech change, establishing a minimum income may sound like a panacea but is fraught with all sorts of unknowns. Sometimes a cure is worse than a malady.
Personally I think there needs to be a universal maximum income. Share the Wealth!
I agree. Both maximum & minimum.
But if a maximum income is impossible, tax it at such a high rate to make net (take home) income more comparable to that of lower wages.
Better to be able to collect from high earners rather than completely restrict them.
At some point, the law of diminishing returns kicks in. We used to have an alternate minimum tax (AMT) that made sure that high earners pay a fair share. Trump & co made sure that they didn't have to pay it. In 2018 the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act nearly doubled the standard deduction and eliminated or restricted many itemized deductions for 2018 through 2025. It also eliminated the “Pease” limitation on itemized deductions for those years. .AMT provisions, along with almost all other individual income tax measures in the TCJA, are set to expire at the end of 2025. Thus, barring legislation from Congress, the AMT will return in force in 2026, affecting 6.7 million taxpayers. That number will rise to 7.6 million by 2030.
Yeah that is the way to go. Make increased "stupid income" become near infinitly taxed. Just like the graph of the percentage of wealth that is becoming a parabolic arc (infitely up). We need to calm that down fast.
Add a minimum income for all and I'm with you 100%
Of course. The problem is getting past an insidious technology - and make no mistake, it's highly sophisticated >soft< technology:
- YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO PROPAGANDA:
https://youtu.be/dl2fnWIlDZg
For example, pay special attention to the comments on the language of the way the debate is framed with respect to "Gun Capitalism":
https://youtu.be/j7HyjG4uRjI
Just reinstating more graduated income tax would do much good, and getting rid of loopholes.
Only at top tier.
A universal income will be necessary in the coming years as Automation and workforce displacement continues.
Robert Reich is, as usual,talking truth to power! "Fatalism", the view that we can do nothing about the undesirable effects of technology and globalisation, is nothing but a cynical way of attempting to justify or legitimate a world that continues to serve only the rich and powerful. We are not powerless! Where there's a will, there's a way!
I totally agree with you David. In fact, that’s my motto--Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Thank you, Robert. Re: universal minimum income. Very complex. #1 universal medical health care. #2 expansion of SNAP. #3 universal housing. #4 enforce housing quality under felony prosecution of landlords
#5 universal income for those on less than 4x poverty level. #6 90% tax per year on assets over $1 million
Thank you for everything Dr. Reich. Related question: How long has the Republican party been committed to a return to powerless workforce, unregulated industry, unaccountable finance sector, and unaccountable ruling class? What was the genesis? When did our government get sold -- before the 2010 Roberts fiasco C.U. or other?
For decades, the GOP was the respectable party of small business and the middle class (excluding Nixon).
In 1980, it became clear the fckers needed much more money for TV campaigns, so they sold out to the super-rich and corporations. (To answer your question)
And as the US demographics shifted, they decided to kill education and suppress the vote and campaign on emotional, divisive issues devoid of reason.
Now the GOP has mutated into a cancer on democracy.
Just saw a George Carlin video. He was spot on then & now about this wealth and poor situation.
Can you add a link to the video here please?
It is abundantly clear that the US has become literally controlled by a very small group of White men that make up the top 1% of the country. They control the Media, Military, Banks, Wall Street, Republican Party, Supreme Court, every aspect of our society. There was a time when the Middle Class had much greater influence in the US. That has long since been destroyed by disinformation, lies, deceit, and manipulation. Simply look around and see how little movement has been made toward Climate Change, Gun Control, Abortion, Mass Murder, Fox News, NewsMax (Right Wing Media) Lies, Pollution, list goes on and on. No focus on any of these critical problems are being addressed by those with the greatest ability and potential impact to make differences in the US. Because their idea of Globalization is simply their Money, Power, and influence on the world and political control. Nothing More!
Giants: The Global Power Elite - worth reading
Thanks. I just purchased the paperback.
Inline with that (I assume) Winners Take All the Elite Charade of Changing the world Ananda Ghiridardas
I cancelled the purchase and found it at the library.
Get 'em before the states memorial day book banning. Ban 2 or three books and get the 3rd book burned for free!
Fully agree. Only with big donors out of the polticial equation, or revolution is this going to change.
Yes!!!!!!
I am confused as to why we spend so much energy trying to preserve jobs that for the most part no one really draws their purpose from those jobs. The planet provides us with oxygen which is a primary need for our species. Since food, clothing and shelter are also primary needs for our species what is wrong with technology providing those items and services? I think we would be much better served by conversations about creative leisure and “what comes after jobs” than by conversations about preserving jobs.
Agree 100%. It is demeaning to us as humans when we are told that jobs are the pinnacle of our existence. No one would want a job if they knew how to make a living on their own merits. Fortunately, I think this is the direction we are heading in. Jobs as we know them now will not exist in 10-15 years.
Especially when the jobs being preserved are the low paying ones and the high paying ones are being swapped for them.
I think you’re ahead of your time Terry.
Hi Susan. I think you are probably right but as the speed of changes accelerates the runway for us to accommodate the changes shortens. Old “wisdom” based on experience is less valuable as tomorrow is not likely to be like yesterday.I think we have to start to base our suggestions on the trends not the old principles. Thanks for responding.
A universal minimum income is as much a basic right as universal minimum education, both of which are tethered to population expansion and birth control access.
With the loss of available food production related farmland space for ever expanding populations and available water to grow food on it, governments with economic resources are using land and water in other countries to grow food for their own people living in their desert landscapes and oil rich economies at the expense of people living in the countries where the food is grown on the rented land. The consequence for these people is food scarcity and related inflation of all other economic needs. The conflicts which arise from this and other similar situations are ancient.
When jobs are exported out of our own country, sending resources to other economies, the jobless and those with lowest to low paying jobs are caught between the economics of the capitalists who sell them their basic needs for goods and services and the capacity of their own work situation to meet basic living requirements for a healthy and productive life.
The problems with our own system’s food, shelter, transportation, and employment make basic universal minimum income a necessity because we don’t have good public transportation infrastructure and our existing system contributes to climate issues. Our water table is falling and soil quality is declining and the existing food production system is becoming increasingly fragile due to inclement weather intensity from climate issues. Our healthcare systems aren’t efficient and as effective as is necessary for future pandemics as was illustrated by our recent Covid response.
So yes, a universal minimum income could be useful. So would universal available birth control and universal health care and public transportation and universal availability of food resources without any food deserts.
The list of problems for solving this dilemma is long and the solutions require cooperation amongst groups currently at odds with one another. The wherewithal exists but priorities have made most of the problem solvers into firefighters leaving few to plan and implement change related to UMI goals.
Be and encourage others to be a super voter.
Ok weird observation. Now knowing that red states have lost most of their industry the Republicans reallocation of income from Blue States to Red actually makes sense as for a universal income idea. Of course they robbed the middle class to enact this plan and made it more of a billionaire tax break plan than it was a tax break for the poor. I could see something like what the Republicans said they were going to do but targerted to the wealthy that benefited from the repeal of SALT. Id go even further than that with corporate and billionaire taxes that were quite progressive with income becoming taxed at 99% for the uber rediculous incomes and no more tax loophole for stocks left to family members upon death for anyone making $1 million a year or more.
GREAT CLASS! The word that stuck with me today was CULTURE and the Mini Cooper in Oklahoma. We need to have a discussion in America about Wisdom vs Knowledge. . . Smart vs Wise. Many people are Smart but not Wise. Many people have little Knowledge but much Wisdom. Cambridge and Berkley have a bunch of Smart people that may not be very Wise. Oklahoma may have a lot of people with little formal Knowledge but much Wisdom. I'm a hog for knowledge yet constantly question my Wisdom. I think that we as a CULTURE have deeply discounted WISDOM at a loss to our CULTURE. To be SMART without WISDOM is a precarious state.
David well said. However, this was addressed by my psych professors 50 years ago AND the culture has definitely ignored it. The Psych Profs at Ohio State addressed native intelligence and academic achievement. Or what they also called true intelligence and memory, Native intelligence is a measure of one's abilities in critical thinking, objective reasoning, mathematical comprehension (not to be confused with math skills), and time and spatial visualization, Academic Achievement being simply memory abilities. Many corporations, the CIA and some military took the difference seriously, sometimes. I had job candidates tested by Occupational Psychologist for native intelligence - before I retired twenty years back. I was tested five times during my career. However, outside of those organizations that do not ignore the difference, everyone else does ignore the difference., The ability to recite a five-page poem is not intelligence but many people would call a person with this ability a genius,
We are born with our level of native intelligence - nothing can be done to improve it. We can damage it with alcohol, cocaine, pot, and even tobacco, as well as injury or disease,
The whole world works this way.
I believe what you refer to as Wisdom is what the professors referred to as native intelligence.
Most of us can achieve with enough effort memory and become certified in this or that. Probably less than 20% can function with wisdom. To get Wisdom the full recognition it should have, especially for dealing with matters of econ or politics, appears impossible as the egos of those who can't be wise stand in the way of those who can be wise. People always want to applaud their own image. AND they outnumber those who can be wise,
One thing I have noticed is that some people can be wise at their job- but once they leave the building or work site wisdom goes out the window,
Well, I wrote a bunch of stuff. Now it is up to you to move Wisdom to the forefront. I will buy you a cup of coffee should you succeed.
Wisdom escapes the minds of most today. Individualism does not allow wisdom to flourish in people, for the most part. Our current American culture is an example of the degradation of the human being and the human mind. In other words, lack of wisdom. And, technology is accentuating this phenomenon. The more universal technology becomes the less universal we become and the less capable. We are doomed. Not like in the fanciful way of speaking but literally. We are already a lost civilization. I know all the factors playing constantly against human well-being, what’s being talked about here definitely part of it. But, the fact that the majority of people and then all governments, policies, businesses and systems have put money and financial gains before everyone’s well-being is a fact that we aren’t recovering from. If we can’t recover from mental greed and from the grip of technology, and I believe we have way past the mile marker on this, we have already set in motion the destruction of our civilization. Like I said before we are doomed to perish completely already. Just enjoy the time we have left. This just one of those things you need to look around and say - it is what it is. The unwise armed with money and power are the definition of a destructive force and the wise are few and powerless, though at least we know what’s coming.
Good chance you are correct. The only way I can think of moving citizens out of this hole is for citizens to begin discussing political issues. Take a look at https://www.meetup.com/Star-City-Thinkers/ and decide if this is something you would like to start-up wherever you live.
Look at past events and ignore the RSVP- more show up to a discussion than indicated. I have one group which is a City Parks and Rec Program that is attended by an average of 14 people ranging from truck driver to MD to attorney (45 total membership).
$5 says that the "Peeps" in the apocryphal story recognized exactly who 'Bob" was given that the GM plant (having at it's peak employed 5000 people) closed in 2006. Of course people know what a Mini Cooper is OG or contemporary. The point being the British Layland death trap of the 1970's(The mini) was rebooted more recently and expanded, ruggedized and much improved. However the engine is manufactured by BMW and I believe the BMW dealerships distribute / represent "Mini". Oklahoma City has a long yet troubled history of auto and auto parts manufacturing. Given the fact that "Bob" drove 3000 miles coast to coat in one seems to indicate that his vehicle is definitely NOT - OG - exterior welded joints, conic rubber "Shock absorbers" / springs / British Leyland - (Height of Winter of Discontent British 1974 multiplicity of national strikes and trade union conflicts - Monday morning - Friday evening assembled LEMON".
BMW makes a good power plant / Engine - but all of the parts probably come from all over the world - including territories like Singapore and Indonesia that folks frequently overlook or forget about.
There's a few ) brackets and other punctuation fixes that can be inserted there. ^^^^
Wisdom comes with experience, you do not need to have a choice. The best are smart and wise like profesor Reich. i am guessing here but sound like you are taking it personal.
Experience is surely one portal to wisdom. You're right! However, it is the interpretation of that experience where wisdom is discovered. Like I said, I'm 75 yrs old and question my wisdom all the time. And you are right again; I do take the pursuit of wisdom on a personal level.
[Separate from "Wisdom and knowledge" ] The ability to predict the future more correctly can rely more on real world cynicism and a sense of the ironic. I.e. what is the most ironic outcome that devised most reasonably ~ In Secretary "Bob's" case was perhaps not realizing the mobility and power of private companies to go south of the border. His models were 100% correct - just the wrong territory / country. The assumption of the "Common good" is a hill that many a well intended individual has died on.
The data curves at the 2008 "Point" being glossed over I assume was a major topic of a different lecture / lecture series.
* The most ironic outcome that can be reasonably devised.
Or the MOST ironic outcome that can reasonably be devised.
Grammer again.
Globalization came too soon! People across the globe were surprised by the shift which has lead to the distrust of business and government. The average citizen was caught off guard and unprepared! Technological change should have come first! The foundation for globalization was not established, and has caused confusion and trauma to many individuals!😡
I worked in manufacturing (both discrete and process environments) most of my career. I covered sales, accounting, manufacturing, and general management. The last 17 years were in turnaround management. Most of my time was split evenly between accounting and manufacturing (having worked at the VP level in both). Except for a few categories (tool & die, mechanic, set-up, millwright, fit up [in welding], some rework, and maybe machinist) most were not as difficult as a cook's job in a fast-food restaurant. Manufacturing jobs in general were not high paying jobs. They paid more because of unions.
The business sector has done a good job of turning many members of the workforce against unions.
You are not, with this posting, focused on manufacturing jobs returning to the USA- but IF they return there is no reason, they will be high-paying jobs unless they return to a unionized company.
The USA economy may be in trouble because of China's advance, We do need to look at this today as you are doing. We must not kid ourselves as to how much trouble we may not be in. We are in big trouble if we do not thinks and take necessary actions.
The largest problem we have is the difference between worker productivity and worker pay. Those "high paying jobs" for the robot maintener or the CNC programmer dont even touch the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wage/productivity inequality as has diverged since the late 70s. The shareholders are assuming all this productivity increase for themselves. Ie this is a income transfer from the workers to the shareholders. Rectify the wage/production inequality gap by supporting strong unions and getting rid of stock buy backs.
This is true. How would you go about making this happen? The stakeholders have put up the money for the productivity improvements. Much of the capital came originally from the labor- is there an argument here? But, in current times, much of the capital is coming, also, from labor in other countries. How do you reconcile this with American labor? Do you anticipate that productivity improvements will allow us to eventually walk away from imports? Look at the degree of productivity improvement in agriculture. At one time over 30% of American employment was ag related- now it is less than 2%. But, have food prices increased at a rate that is significantly below general inflation? If not - where has the benefit of the ag productivity improvements gone? Will other products eventually mirror the ag industry? If not, what paths may they follow?
So Scrooge . .
A minimum income? Sure, I'm willin . . .not really that Bigly a villain ..
If you'll agree . .to the equity . .of a maximum number of children. .
# Sez to B Crachit
I remember ZPG., Zero population growth, when the birth rate equals the death rate (assuming no net migration for the human population as a whole). Nixon (of all people) started the EPA, in part, as a result of arguments about population and immigration!
Rev. Thomas Malthus, Essay on the Principle of Population, 1798. "The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man. Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio. Subsistence increases only in an arithmetical ratio ... By that law of our nature which makes food necessary to the life of man, the effects of these two unequal power must be kept equal. This implies a strong and constantly operating check on population from the difficulty of subsistence."
At that time, the Vietnam War was raging. According to some sources, the Catholic church opposed contraception but did not condemn the war. It did, however, condemn ZPG.
When I was in law school in antediluvian time, we started an environmental law journal. I wasn't on it, but a close friend was editor. He was Catholic. When he was about to be married, the officiating priest got a copy of an edition and was all over him. Threatened excommunication.
I don't know whether he had to pay penance, but he had a high church wedding and although the church would not permit me to be an usher, was seated with the clergy at the reception.
My friend, who passed away several years ago had two kids; within the ZPG guidelines. The problem isn't acute in the US, The new census estimates make plain that as a result of more deaths, fewer births, and a recent low in immigration, America has achieved something close to zero growth in the 2020-21 period. https://www.brookings.edu/research/u-s-population-growth-has-nearly-flatlined-new-census-data-shows/#:~:text=The%20new%20census%20estimates%20make,in%20the%202020%2D21%20period.
If there is a problem, it is "foreign." Wonder whether MAGATs (or Orban and Putin) would apply ZPG to the "shithole" countries?
But Robert, how would we keep up demand to maintain the lifestyle of the billionaires if we did not have overpopulation to feed the wealthy class' need for cheap labor to create supply? And how can the wealthy class sell that supply without spending millions on advertising to keep up demand? Small is Beautiful!
Or . .the Protestand sez to The Catholic . .or Mao sez to The People . .or The Planet sez to the Drought lands . . or . . the guy who wrote The Population Bomb sez . .
About the question: we feel that UBI can be a good answer to many problems. In 1948 an old age pension was instituted for everyone, reaching 65. It should be possible to expand that program.
But it still is a leftist dream. But some friends see progress.
George.Carlin.offical
Re universal minimum income, just like how governments can and do influence globalization and tech change, establishing a minimum income may sound like a panacea but is fraught with all sorts of unknowns. Sometimes a cure is worse than a malady.