I already responded to the latter part of your very wise comment, but I had intended but neglected to emphasize the first part of your post.
The economic form of government that works best for the people, as has been proven in many European countries, is the fusion of free market capitalism with democratic socialism. Also the era when the…
I already responded to the latter part of your very wise comment, but I had intended but neglected to emphasize the first part of your post.
The economic form of government that works best for the people, as has been proven in many European countries, is the fusion of free market capitalism with democratic socialism. Also the era when the US improved fastest at all economic levels was from FDR to LBJ, when many socialist programs were instituted & our income tax system was its most progressive.
We need to get back to the spirit of that progressive society when the common good was prioritized over corporate profits. The current prioritization of the latter continues to hold sway even as we see it help bring about grave & destabilizing economic disparity & injustice, the erosion of democracy & national cohesion, & the end of a civilized, inhabitable world.
Jaime, As back-up to your comment, I thought you’d appreciate the following data relative to real family income growth by quintile, 1947-2004.
Between 1947 and 1973, income growth increased for the lowest fifth by 116% and for the top fifth by 84.8%.
Between 1973 and 2000, it increased for the lowest fifth by 12.1%; for the top fifth by 66.9%.
Between 2000 and 2005, for the lowest fifth -7.8%; for the top fifth -0.9%.
Source: Economic Policy Institute, 2008.
In my view, the elitists who presumed the country could withstand indefinitely this degree of grotesque inequalities of wealth and income have been so heavily invested in the status quo as to blind them to the dire consequences that would eventually ensue.
I already responded to the latter part of your very wise comment, but I had intended but neglected to emphasize the first part of your post.
The economic form of government that works best for the people, as has been proven in many European countries, is the fusion of free market capitalism with democratic socialism. Also the era when the US improved fastest at all economic levels was from FDR to LBJ, when many socialist programs were instituted & our income tax system was its most progressive.
We need to get back to the spirit of that progressive society when the common good was prioritized over corporate profits. The current prioritization of the latter continues to hold sway even as we see it help bring about grave & destabilizing economic disparity & injustice, the erosion of democracy & national cohesion, & the end of a civilized, inhabitable world.
Jaime, As back-up to your comment, I thought you’d appreciate the following data relative to real family income growth by quintile, 1947-2004.
Between 1947 and 1973, income growth increased for the lowest fifth by 116% and for the top fifth by 84.8%.
Between 1973 and 2000, it increased for the lowest fifth by 12.1%; for the top fifth by 66.9%.
Between 2000 and 2005, for the lowest fifth -7.8%; for the top fifth -0.9%.
Source: Economic Policy Institute, 2008.
In my view, the elitists who presumed the country could withstand indefinitely this degree of grotesque inequalities of wealth and income have been so heavily invested in the status quo as to blind them to the dire consequences that would eventually ensue.
Thank-you, Barbara Jo! Nice to have those statistics to support our arguments.