In order to achieve real change for the better we'll need publicly funded elections so there won't be any need for personal campaign treasuries where graft can be deposited. Perhaps then there will be genuine servants of the American constituents who need help more than the wealthy who have everything that they need. As long as the politicians aren't made into multimillionaires after a few terms at the trough and willingly accept the pay and great retirement and benefits that they are offered upon gaining public office then perhaps some sanity will return to our public servants. Perhaps.
In order to make the American economy run more fairly there need to be many changes made: election financing, child care, Social Security, and many, many other areas. I could go on for a while. But I will be 73 in a few months and will not be around for most of this work.
Which may be a good thing because I find it very difficult to be optimistic. Yesterday, I took a couple of kitchen garbage bags full of water bottles back to the store to get my deposit back. There was a young fellow, early 20s, at the machine in front of me. He had a lot of pop cans and water bottles. I did not notice any beer cans. The machine was not running smoothly, often hesitating before scanning the last bottle or can he had put in and making strange noises.
I made a comment about how the bottle machine had not been working well lately. He turned to me and said quite seriously, "Yeah, it's Biden's fault." I was pretty stunned but managed to ask calmly, "How do you figure that?" He explained that "Biden raised gas to $6 per gallon," when Trump never would have done that. I said that Presidents did not raise or lower gas prices, and he then went into a long argument that gas prices are so high solely because of govt interference about drilling permits and other regulatory issues, and because Biden won't let us buy Russian oil when the Russians are really our friends.
He went on for several minutes and never once mentioned oil company profits. He made it very clear that he believes the gasoline crisis has been caused solely by Biden's unsuitability to be President, and that the price of gasoline is what is causing all the bottle return machines in town to regularly malfunction. He did not offer any explanation as to where all the extra bottles were coming from.
If this young fellow is typical of his generation, and I am afraid he is fairly typical, then making the American economy run more fairly will be a real struggle. I am not at all sure I would have the patience for that. I did manage to listen to everything this young man had to say without interrupting him or starting an argument, but I am not sure I could do that again. And I really don't want to try.
We must send the Republican criminal organization into the abyss where they can do no more harm and vote better and progressive candidates into office then there's a chance to salvage what is left of our Democracy.
It is depressing, Janet. The only thing I get from democrats is them asking for money constantly. Now I get mailbox full of begging letters. We will have to start a mass movement and do it ourselves.
Sounds like that young man is an avid Faux News listener. If public schools taught basic economics, misinformed people like him would be fewer in number.
Maybe not that much fewer, that assumes students would be paying attention. And it also assumes their parents would put at least some pressure on them to get good marks. Neither of those are particularly safe assumptions around here. The people around here have been complaining vociferously about the federal and state governments for many decades.
I am very hesitant to say where around here is. And I am hesitant to say how close we are to the nearest chapter of Proud Boys. Basically I live in a state which is considered safely Democratic, but there are pockets that are otherwise, and I am one of those pockets. I can explain historically how this happened, and it is an interesting tale which goes back to the 1850s, but I am not going to do that now.
Here and now I am just going to say that there is not one relatively simple thing that can be done to make a positive change to our current situation. Our current situation is much worse than that. Any improvement to our situation will require a very broad effort with very broad support. This will obviously be a very difficult project, but unless it can be completed successfully, the USA will be [multiple expletives deleted] in a fairly short time.
I live in Florida, ground zero of racism and the would-be Il Primo, DeSatan. Count yourself lucky to be in a blue state. Daily I meet people who haven’t a clue as to what drives our economy, our society (the profit motive). Nevertheless, they live and breathe 19th century capitalism as if its profit-drive were brought down on tablets from Mount Sinai. Luckily I’m an elderly white guy who slightly resembles Charles Ferrell of “My LIttle Margie.” Otherwise, I might be run over by a Ford 350 truck as I take my bicycle rides.
I live in Florida as well. The state's motto is : " If you have money come on down. If you are broke stay away". I lived here most of my life. It has always been run by the rednecks in N. Florida. Funny thing is there are many poor people in Florida. They vote for people who continue to oppress them. Poor and dumb.
I had to do a web search for Charles Ferrell of “My Little Margie.” to understand all of what you were trying to say In 1955 there was only one TV channel in this county, and my family did not have TV until 1962.
We never had many Blacks here. They were illegal until the 20th century.
But we did have loggers who reacted in the 1990s to Spotted Owls being declared endangered with shotguns.
My point was simply that in the West counties often matter more than states. Most people in this county and the one to the south manage to hate both the federal and state govts.
I'm embarrassed to say that this racism, bigotry and hatred has been passed down for a couple of generations and it will probably persist for several more until we can return truth in news reports that Reagan's meddling eliminated and began the era of Fox opinion network that has misguided altogether too many people who now listen to no other network thus we are stuck in limbo.
I too had a miserable time early on and the economic problems exist mostly because we kept creating more souls that needed healthy food, clean water, fresh air and cheap energy and truthfully reporting news agencies and the once great law "Fairness Doctrine" eliminated by Reagan made lying too the public like Fox opinion network easy as pie.
I was once an English teacher and became one because in my childhood, the great minority of teachers in my public schools taught according to John Dewey’s philosophy of open-endedness in the education process. I cannot speak to what’s happening today in educational theory and practice. If it’s turned toward authoritarianism, we are lost.
Whoa Daniel, thanks for the education. Honestly, I had not heard of Buckley v. Valeo so I just looked it up and learned a a lot about what had come before Citizens United. It was disturbing to see that history. This is why I love to read comments in this forum, always learning, not just from Robert. But boy, are we in a deep hole of financial dominance by the ruling class.
Thanks for that reference, I too was not familiar with that case and the way it was decided was, once again, the "fault" of the first amendment.
IMHO, this is just another reason to have a constitutional commission to look into how poorly the Constitution serves US citizens today. The founding fathers were well-intentioned but lived in the 18th century, while we struggle here in the 21st. It makes no sense to try and live by a document from that time. The 33 amendments are not proof of the flexibility of this 'living' document, they are a testament to the need for it to be thrown out and started over. IMHO, of course.
I just >love< this, it's not so much about the question "who should," but its more about the question "who will!" : https://youtu.be/_uViJYniVMw and what he thinks it portends. Yesterday I got into a discussion here where someone basically said "We need a Mr Smith" to go to Washington. This guy would be >my< first choice! LOL!
Agree or disagree you'll hear reference there, to just about everything domestic we've discussed here since the start, in the space of about 9 minutes!
Very familiar with Chris Hedges. Have read several of his book and would recommend every one of them. He is unrelenting in his efforts to speak truth to power. I'm so grateful for him.
DZK Hedges wrote American Fascist The Christian Right and the War on America, copyright 2006. He could have written this book YESTERDAY! The same year Michelle Goldberg's copyright for her book on The Rise of Christian Nationalism Kingdom Coming also came out. It is amazing to me what these visionary writers saw early in 2000, published in 2006 and we are living today. Christianity in this country scares the hell out of me.
Aren't we all somewhat disappointed idealistically speaking? I don't like a lot of the worsening economic conditions that come from the Republican criminal organization not cooperating with advancing improvements to anything promoted by the Democratic party, McConnell being the worst of the lot.
Today's Christianity is not the teaching of Christ. It is now a political wing of the ultra-right conservatives and has nothing to do with the love of one another taught by Jesus Christ. Based on the LAW, as found in the book of Leviticus, in the Old Testament, it Trys to control its followers to hate liberals, women's rights and worship a leader that seems strong and will lead them to the promised land of MAGA. They will hail his return if he runs again in 2024 as the "Second Coming".
BTW: I'm not surprised it's a 2006 work. This $hi7's been a long time a'comin'. What shocks me a bit is how it could've come as a surprise to >anybody.<
Can sell this to Trump's lumpen proletariat, who are in general, the loser class, but ought to add the beatitudes. Start with "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle...."
In my opinion it's strongly recommended to tax churches that cross the line and preach politics from the pulpit and make donations that influence bad undemocratic policies, but I'm sorry to see that the USSC ruled for religion to be able to cross the line into politics when we had a law preventing such a practice. It's really time for a blue wave to become a fact so it's easier to pass progressive policies that make American lives better.
In any other advanced country it's called bribery not funding or any other name. Since they wrote the laws that have made them wealthy, they can now enact laws concerning publicly funded elections and then we will see a presidential election that doesn't cost a billion dollars to put someone in the White House. Knowing what a political candidate is all about and if his votes align with those issues is a potentially honest candidate.
They passed the laws that created the bribery problems and now it'll be up to the voters to convince them to give campaign reform and publicly funded elections a vote or the corruption will continue as with untraceable dark money.
That is the best comment I have read in a long time! It should be put up on bulletin boards across the country until there are no more multi-millionaire politicians anywhere!
Thank you. I arrived at this response after rational analysis of much information and spending a lot of time reading online and hearing about the system that our politicians designed to serve their pockets after retirement or being voted out. Were you aware that unused graft in their personal campaign treasuries is taken into retirement tax-free, but since they wrote the laws it's never referred to as bribery or graft which it is. They once thought about giving 10% to a favorite charity but they never discussed it for very long. Greed is what they practice right out in the open. Cornyn has around $17Mn sitting in his treasury and only uses fresh graft for his campaigns.
Separating the graft from the willing politicians will begin to resolve the issues of allegiance and return truth and honesty to our government. I don't know where else to begin.
While I am totally disgusted with what they are doing, I feel a sense of optimism that the word is getting out! They won't be able to hide much longer and I intend to keep sharing comments like yours, far and wide. Thanks!
as an unemployed person who has an excellent education from an excellent university and who WANTS TO WORK, i can say without reservation that unemployment is traumatic and soul-crushing. without my work, i quickly discovered, i am a nothing. invisible. worthless. reviled -- in those rare moments when i am noticed. treated as if i have a communicable disease -- again, in those rare moments when anyone actually sees me. worse, i am blamed for my unemployment. so i wish i could add something useful to your very cogent comments on this topic, but it is difficult to think creatively when the topic is one that fills me with rage, with depression, with despair.
Something that always struck me as ludicrous is the suggestion that a highly educated person, likely burdened with a substantial student loan, having little if any money, and in desperate need of a job that nobody's offering them, should provide free labor volunteering - finding they're in cutthroat competition with others facing exactly circumstance, for the "privilege" of providing free labor to someone >making a living< off their effort. Been there, done that. Luckily, it was after I retired, have a pension, and could make ends meet with low jobs paying minimum wage. I didn't mind so much because I got a first hand education on the situation of folks on the other side of the conversation. No matter how rough it might get, let me assure you it has >nothing< to do with you. Do what you must to survive, bugger the morons treating you like Typhoid Mary, and above all, don't lose your self-respect.
DZK, I think you got it exactly right with the hamster wheel. I was in the workplace for over 50 years. And I worked before that as a kid doing farm work for summer jobs. I got lucky in finding a job for my last 33 years that provided a pension. I'm nearly 80, so not tech savvy enough to post an avatar. Can I borrow yours and add a little unattainable cheese cube for the 'hamster'? LOL
Have at it, but please use it on another site. Having us both use it here could lead to a >real< identity crisis - and we're >both< too old to put up with goin' through that kind of shenanigans again! LOL!
Oh, of course not. I was definitely joking about borrowing it. It is so representative of the human condition at this point in our history. I had to laugh when I saw it, but it is no longer funny given the state of work and the economy. The undereducation and lack of understanding is appalling.
One can feel the cool breeze & only wonder where the propensity for sharing the opposite comes from (best practice for self care must be a generational thing)...
besides weird criteria to fill a particular job, these fake job ads are looking to steal your personal information. huh? what's that? you ask. well, what's the first thing you do when you find a job you want to apply for? craft a special, targeted cover letter and send that with your CV/resume, then fill out an application. what's on one or more of those documents? your personal data. name. SSN. address. phone number. wage history. educational history. arrest record. possibly your age. they may also ask for a background check (at your expense, of course). i won't bore you with the story of how i learned about this particular scam, but it was a very painful lesson.
Been there! Done that! Haft still tries hustling me in for job interviews that come to nothing. I've been returning their email invitations with 🖕 for a long time, how!
Okay, I’m going to suggest something. And I know I don’t understand your situation and professional goals. Have you given consideration to taking a professorial appointment which would allow you to continue to write/publish and do research?
the comments here suggest that a lot of people here are struggling with unemployment and all the horrible things that brings to the surface. almost makes me think an online support group may be useful? so we know we aren't isolated and alone, we aren't abject failures, we aren't nobodies, and so we have someone to share our victories with -- cuz, regardless of how small they may be to anyone else, our victories are ours and they're victories. just a thought.
d017....I am also disabled and I can't even do things outside of work I used to do. Everything is hard for me now including going on trips etc. I have money to do things, but I am too disabled to do them. Just to fly is a hassle. I can't stand in line for an hour and neither can my wife who is also disabled.
I am a disabled veteran. I might be able to get some low level job but I would not be able to do it. Fortunately I get 100% compensation from the VA. Basic compensation for vets has not increased since WW11. We get a COLA, but compensation rates are so low I could not buy the house I presently live in now. Everybody says how they honor vets but when it comes to decent compensation for guys like me then it becomes "Oh you freeloader. Get a job. "
“... but you have your health?” ?? Was this meant to be a sincere response, I wonder? By pushing on the able- vs disabled- bodied question, you’re making this into an unwinnable contest. Whatever GrrlScientist’s situation is, and whatever your situation is, pitting yours against hers doesn’t help either of you, nor anyone else. And it’s exactly how the capitalist society works, to the betterment of those who “have” by making those who “have not” worse off.
Acknowledging that both positions are valid and also untenable, and asking how we might make things better for *all* seems to me a better way to go.
yes, someone somewhere has it worse than me: i get it. but this suggestion is just a cruel little mind trick people use to make ME feel worse for being trapped in an untenable situation. an inexcusable situation. an outrageous situation. this suggestion that someone somewhere in the world has it worse than i do does nothing to fix MY unemployment problem that i've been struggling to fix myself. it doesn't address MY lack of self-esteem or sense of self resulting from being erased from society, and it does nothing to address all the abuse -- emotional, psychological, financial -- i've suffered as i've tried to fix MY problem and return to being a self-respecting and CONTRIBUTING member of society again.
Grrl...I have been totally and permanently disabled for 20 years. I had to go through the burden of getting social security disability and total disability as a Vietnam vet. I had to fight for every penny. I still wish I was employed even though I am 72 years old. I do feel your pain! Employment is not just about the money. lt serves a social function as well. If you are a certain age and not employed you become an outsider and outcast unless you live off your investments. I tell people who ask that I am retired investor to which to some extent I am but it took 50 years.
I feel awful for you and wish I could do something to help. The only suggestion I can make—and you’ve probably heard this before—is to volunteer from home. There are many worthwhile causes and you would be doing something useful. Just a thought.
Sure... but being able-bodied means that there is a scope of things you *can* do (meaning that you can recenter the locus of causality for your situation and change how you feel for the better!); staying healthy (or getting fit if you have a reasonable measure of health), volunteering, & burnishing your credentials aren't things that would hinder your effort - and could help to address a dimension of the problem that may not be entirely evident.
Just $.02 from someone who's also struggling (but also refusing to accept such circumstances, no differently).
Burnish her credentials? Volunteer?? You sound like someone who has cash on hand to do these things. She's got credentials. Volunteering requires the ability to somehow pay the rent. Even "getting fit." The whole point of this article is that people should NOT have to crawl in order to thrive. And I consider crawling any activity that is unrelated to her passions and training. You may have the fortitude to do this - but I would seriously argue that you are disregarding her desperate plea for help, and the conditions that put her in that situation. A lot of us are feeling depression, anxiety, anger, frustration and hopelessness, through no fault of our own, even while trying valiantly to work. We should not be required to take whatever crumbs are thrown us!! The whole point of a fair and egalitarian society is to enhance our dignity, not to be forced to fall back onto our wits to maybe get ourselves into a better place!
If I had to pay back a 100,000 buck loan I never would have dreamed of going to college. My college education has not paid me in dollars but I think it was worth what I paid for it in 1973.
That's at the heart of a national problem: the subtext of loan debt forgiveness is that for-profit colleges sucked up a huge sum of funds from the government & had no business making promises to veterans (or anyone else); though the Obama administration was able to bust 'em, the changes to personal (individual) bankruptcy laws mean those students who got ripped off have had their cases lingering since (there was an announcement today of another swath of loan forgiveness).
you are not your job. I do not know you but I know that you are more than your job everyone is. I am sorry that you feel that way, I often feel the same way but when I feel that way, I am wrong.
I am so sorry. Is there some work from home, volunteer work you can do? Maybe helping other disabled veterans learn to use their phones or computers. It's not that you are your job, it's more that you feel valued
I help vets online. I have a lot of experience with the VA and how to get benefits. I really had to work hard to get my benefits. It took 30 years to get my 100% service-connection. With my pension and SSA I do OK money-wise. All my buddies from Vietnam have problems with Agent Orange including myself.
I hope you feel you are in a better frame now. What the USA did to its own services from 1950 through 1974 is revolting. I think people today owe all of you who were doused with Agent Orange, or forced to march into the radioactive cloud from an atomic bomb deserve reparations. Over the years, from the 1930s with the syphilis tests, through the Iraqi war our own government has treated its Citizens as though they were chattel
I can relate to your discouragement. There are a few options for you though, One is to make sure your resume is GREAT, Get help with this or have someone who is successful review it. Two be willing to travel where the jobs are - this is difficult if you are married and have kids but it may be your only option. I found once I was willing to travel I had no difficulty staying employed. Covid did disrupt a lot of employment opportunities, but it's more manageable now. I retired at 87, a lot because of Covid restrictions, but also because I was starting to fall apart. I still receive job offers though.
The problem is, the people who make these decisions favor the bond traders over the working class because it’s about lining their pockets, not doing things in the best interests of the majority of the American people they are supposed to serve.
You're forgetting another element, Dr. Reich. The desire of politicians to stay in power, no matter the cost. Admittedly, this power thirst is more prevalent among the Republicans, but it also exists with some Democrats. Short of term limits with which I disagree, I don't have a good plan to offer, I hope you do.
Fay Reid ; Educating the people so they can vote intelligently, and, of course, protecting voting rights are two keys to help to solve this seemingly never ending problem. the local schools have made not only civics, but financial literacy part of the curriculum, It will be interesting to see what comes of that.
How fortunate you are. In California we have yet to reinstate Civics. When I was teaching I volunteered to take an additional class of 10 Fostered boys who didn't "fit" in. But instead of my usual science I taught them how to fill out job applications, balance check books, and read street maps. These poor kids were 16 years old in 8th grade, I thought they would be better served with useful information, than knowing the Periodic Table
Fay Reid ; Good that you helped them with life skills, As a former foster child I appreciated every teacher, guidance counselor and foster parent who helped me along the way. It was survival skills that helped the most and showed that they cared.
Thank you for that. I've never understood why those 10 young boys A. traveled through elementary school together, and B. were held back 2 or 3 years. They had learning problems, of course, but they weren't stupid, or misbehaved.
Fay Reid : They most likely were kept together because it was expedient to manage them as a group. It is difficult to place a foster child with learning problems, but treating each as an individual with unique needs is even more challenging. Ideally parents would do that. But an overburdened foster care system is not funded for such individualized care. It would be 'too expensive'.
Anything that would help needy children is "too expensive". It's too expensive to assure that every child in the USA has nutritious meals at least twice a day, it is too expensive to take care of their health needs, it is too expensive to see that they have an adequate education commensurate with their ability and interest. It is also too expensive to hire enough Social workers at a salary commensurate with their education and value to oversee a foster care system to assure that none of the children in their legal care is sexually or physically abused. In some communities the only thing asked of the foster parent is that they have a good 'Christian' upbringing.
Fay....So true. What is the best job in the world? Answer: Being a US senator. These guys stay in office until they turn 90 if possible. Both parties are corrupted by power and money.
I find it outrageous that every time rich white guys get together to discuss economics, the working people, you know, the ones who actually keep the economy going, are the ones blamed: they want to be paid too much (slavery was so much better); workers don't have the skills; if unemployment is too low, Wall Street will lose . . . something. Then Powell and his crew, men who will never feel the pain of trying to raise a family on the edge, proclaim that there will be some pain but that's what is needed to get things back on track (or some other nonsense, OK BS. The media has pretty much ignored the price gouging from the corporations we the people have allowed to avoid paying taxes.
What is wrong with us as a people that we accept a man who has not had particular success at the Fed deciding the future of the working people of this country? Bonds and stocks are important, but when they become more important than the women and men whose work put companies on Wall Street, we have lost our soul. Powell has no clue, yet Biden forgot his Democratic bona fides and reappointed him anyway. We're stuck with him, but there must be a way to limit his power to wreck the lives of our people.
I don’t care about bond traders, thank you. I want working people who are not rich, with families to support, to feel secure and hopeful and be able to build up savings.
So Jerome Powell admitted that raising interest rates won't lower the cost of fuel and groceries, but he's going to do it anyway? This just adds to the pain of ordinary people, because their credit card interest rates now rise, and it's more difficult to afford a house. Yes, the cure is worse than the disease. These people in their ivory towers can't move beyond their own mindsets. Of course, Republicans were chastising Powell for not raising interest rates sooner....
There's one other category of people difficult to employ: those with felony convictions who have served their sentences, and with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, we have plenty of those.
A few States do allow former felons who have served their time to vote, The main problem is we (in general, not particular) consider prison's main purpose to be punitive. Some European countries (I think Norway, but not sure) have had great success in treating incarcerated people to rehabilitation. They offer education, skills training, and job readiness in place of punishment. The recidivism rate is exceedingly low. A very few people (especially those who are psychopathic) cannot at present be rehabilitated. But most felons can be. It is also cheaper in the long run to retrain, rehabilitate, and return to society, than to exact revenge. Unfortunately, in some segments of our Country vengeance is utmost.
Pity the dumb 18 year old who is convicted of a felony. He can't even get into the army these days. Prison requires work for inmates which is modern day slavery. We point at Chinese as using slave labor while we do the same thing.
It's worse, because if they did their time, they have paid their debt to society. Trying to make them responsible for 'money owed' like they are doing in FL, should not even be legal. It's thousands of dollars often and the former inmate is burdened before they even get on their feet.The ruling 'class' just want to exploit and silence them some more!
Laurie....Florida denies ex-felons the vote by insisting they pay for "money owed". This is how they deny the vote to minorities and the poor who would not elect republicans. What was Voting Rights Act all about? After the Civil War Reconstruction era blacks were re-enslaved with Jim Crow laws. Now the prison system is used to deny the vote.
If we took money out of politics how would republicans every get elected. Most politicians are bought and paid for but some are worse as in our corrupt court system.
Yes, I agree that bond trader's confidence should take a backseat to the interests of the working people. If we are to have government of, by and for the human people that makes sense.
yes you are on the mark - our system is crazy with constant battle between stock market and labor market. Barrell oil price goes up share holders thrilled while gasoline goes to $5 and working class are depressed. Interest rates go up bond holders thrilled while labor in todays World looses. Yet in 1940s 50s 60s when stock market indexed on dividends and unions wages indexed on CEO salary + benies and tax laws were truely progressive both groups were happy. That all changed when retaliation of Goldwater loss was organized into a 'greed' revolution. Um
When will Americans realize that throughout human history, the wealthy and powerful have always run things for their own benefit? Today, here in the United States, it's not any different.
If we really want to make positive change for all Americans, we need to fight for democracy and our rights by electing people who will fight to maintain and expand our democracy, and our basic human rights as well, and hold accountable at the ballot box and in the courts those who would weaken democracy and ignore basic human rights.
So far as I'm aware, there's only one political party that ascribes to those principles most of the time, and need to be constantly reminded that being a public servant means being the servant to the people. That's the Democratic Party. Remember to vote Democratic all down the line in November.
Bond traders are generally quite wealthy and part of the "Ruling Class". So our paid off "elected representatives" will defer to them rather than to the working class. That's part of the Feudalistic rules. The only way to fix that is for the electorate to become informed (screen out the rubbish) and vote for their best interests. We need to realize that the ultra wealthy are spending billions each year on propaganda to fool the common people.
Does anyone remember when our government froze prices to stop inflation? If they are really concerned about inflation, and the cause is corporations price-gouging, stop them with a price freeze. Allow prices to decrease but not increase. Or call on the corporate/business leaders to be more civic minded, more community-oriented.
End-stage capitalism is working exactly as expected: our economic policies are transferring wealth from workers to those with extra capital to invest. The most profitable corporations buy or bankrupt their weaker rivals; hedge funds strip equity and resources from "poorly performing" companies; and profits flow to investors while communities struggle to provide services to their indebted citizens.
Communism, fascism, and capitalism all concentrate wealth and power into the hands of the elite. Only worker socialism, with strong credit unions, worker cooperatives, employee-owned corporations, and unions put power into the hands of those who produce actual goods and services.
By the way - maybe a lot of those unfilled jobs have been abandoned by workers who have gained jobs paying $15/hr and no longer have to work two (or more) $7.50/hr jobs to feed their children.
Inflation is somewhere between 6 and 10% (the true rate and its true sources are guesstimates). The riskless real interest rate is historically about 2-3%, therefor the nominal interest rate on short term government bonds should be at least 8%+. That would lead to bankruptcy of the many "zombie" businesses that are not profitable and require persistent infusions of new loans at currently massively subsidized negative real interest rates. This has to end. It is stealing real wealth from savers and retirees to subsidize "dead weight" businesses along with their employees. (The federal government also needs a low rate to easily fund the national debt) Unemployment of the under skilled, obsolete skilled and undereducated would rise. But it should not be national policy to attain full employment on the backs of savers and retirees by massively distorting the nominal interest rate. Training programs are needed for the underemployable. And a massive weaning off of government expenditures is needed to deal with deficits.
In order to achieve real change for the better we'll need publicly funded elections so there won't be any need for personal campaign treasuries where graft can be deposited. Perhaps then there will be genuine servants of the American constituents who need help more than the wealthy who have everything that they need. As long as the politicians aren't made into multimillionaires after a few terms at the trough and willingly accept the pay and great retirement and benefits that they are offered upon gaining public office then perhaps some sanity will return to our public servants. Perhaps.
In order to make the American economy run more fairly there need to be many changes made: election financing, child care, Social Security, and many, many other areas. I could go on for a while. But I will be 73 in a few months and will not be around for most of this work.
Which may be a good thing because I find it very difficult to be optimistic. Yesterday, I took a couple of kitchen garbage bags full of water bottles back to the store to get my deposit back. There was a young fellow, early 20s, at the machine in front of me. He had a lot of pop cans and water bottles. I did not notice any beer cans. The machine was not running smoothly, often hesitating before scanning the last bottle or can he had put in and making strange noises.
I made a comment about how the bottle machine had not been working well lately. He turned to me and said quite seriously, "Yeah, it's Biden's fault." I was pretty stunned but managed to ask calmly, "How do you figure that?" He explained that "Biden raised gas to $6 per gallon," when Trump never would have done that. I said that Presidents did not raise or lower gas prices, and he then went into a long argument that gas prices are so high solely because of govt interference about drilling permits and other regulatory issues, and because Biden won't let us buy Russian oil when the Russians are really our friends.
He went on for several minutes and never once mentioned oil company profits. He made it very clear that he believes the gasoline crisis has been caused solely by Biden's unsuitability to be President, and that the price of gasoline is what is causing all the bottle return machines in town to regularly malfunction. He did not offer any explanation as to where all the extra bottles were coming from.
If this young fellow is typical of his generation, and I am afraid he is fairly typical, then making the American economy run more fairly will be a real struggle. I am not at all sure I would have the patience for that. I did manage to listen to everything this young man had to say without interrupting him or starting an argument, but I am not sure I could do that again. And I really don't want to try.
Thank you for the reminder that there is much misunderstanding and false information about the economy and how it works.
Yes, there certainly is much understanding, and I don't really see how that can change. Perhaps I am too pessimistic, but I don't really think so.
I think I meant to say misunderstanding.
We are in a crisis, and it is getting worse. This next election will be a pivot point. There will be no valid excuses for not voting.
We must send the Republican criminal organization into the abyss where they can do no more harm and vote better and progressive candidates into office then there's a chance to salvage what is left of our Democracy.
It is depressing, Janet. The only thing I get from democrats is them asking for money constantly. Now I get mailbox full of begging letters. We will have to start a mass movement and do it ourselves.
Sounds like that young man is an avid Faux News listener. If public schools taught basic economics, misinformed people like him would be fewer in number.
Maybe not that much fewer, that assumes students would be paying attention. And it also assumes their parents would put at least some pressure on them to get good marks. Neither of those are particularly safe assumptions around here. The people around here have been complaining vociferously about the federal and state governments for many decades.
I am very hesitant to say where around here is. And I am hesitant to say how close we are to the nearest chapter of Proud Boys. Basically I live in a state which is considered safely Democratic, but there are pockets that are otherwise, and I am one of those pockets. I can explain historically how this happened, and it is an interesting tale which goes back to the 1850s, but I am not going to do that now.
Here and now I am just going to say that there is not one relatively simple thing that can be done to make a positive change to our current situation. Our current situation is much worse than that. Any improvement to our situation will require a very broad effort with very broad support. This will obviously be a very difficult project, but unless it can be completed successfully, the USA will be [multiple expletives deleted] in a fairly short time.
I live in Florida, ground zero of racism and the would-be Il Primo, DeSatan. Count yourself lucky to be in a blue state. Daily I meet people who haven’t a clue as to what drives our economy, our society (the profit motive). Nevertheless, they live and breathe 19th century capitalism as if its profit-drive were brought down on tablets from Mount Sinai. Luckily I’m an elderly white guy who slightly resembles Charles Ferrell of “My LIttle Margie.” Otherwise, I might be run over by a Ford 350 truck as I take my bicycle rides.
I live in Florida as well. The state's motto is : " If you have money come on down. If you are broke stay away". I lived here most of my life. It has always been run by the rednecks in N. Florida. Funny thing is there are many poor people in Florida. They vote for people who continue to oppress them. Poor and dumb.
I had to do a web search for Charles Ferrell of “My Little Margie.” to understand all of what you were trying to say In 1955 there was only one TV channel in this county, and my family did not have TV until 1962.
We never had many Blacks here. They were illegal until the 20th century.
But we did have loggers who reacted in the 1990s to Spotted Owls being declared endangered with shotguns.
My point was simply that in the West counties often matter more than states. Most people in this county and the one to the south manage to hate both the federal and state govts.
I'm embarrassed to say that this racism, bigotry and hatred has been passed down for a couple of generations and it will probably persist for several more until we can return truth in news reports that Reagan's meddling eliminated and began the era of Fox opinion network that has misguided altogether too many people who now listen to no other network thus we are stuck in limbo.
That's funny Stan. Watch those big trucks.
I think schools teach the young to spend it if you got it.
I am too old to dedicate myself to fixing a rotten economic system. I pity the young who will
grow up to worse times than I had.
I too had a miserable time early on and the economic problems exist mostly because we kept creating more souls that needed healthy food, clean water, fresh air and cheap energy and truthfully reporting news agencies and the once great law "Fairness Doctrine" eliminated by Reagan made lying too the public like Fox opinion network easy as pie.
I don't know if I would have tried either. It's obvious that this young person has been misinformed about most of his diatribe.
The priority of public education, IMHO, is to teach critical thinking and to reveal the connection between politics and economics.
I have little hope for the notion of "teaching critical thinking". The very idea runs counter to the authoritarian basis of schooling.
I was once an English teacher and became one because in my childhood, the great minority of teachers in my public schools taught according to John Dewey’s philosophy of open-endedness in the education process. I cannot speak to what’s happening today in educational theory and practice. If it’s turned toward authoritarianism, we are lost.
Yes, it is scary. I'm afraid there is no simple way to fix it.
Revolution is the way to fix it but that means chaos and blood.
We will have to fight them eventually.
Speech should not equal money. Reverse Buckley v. Valeo.
Whoa Daniel, thanks for the education. Honestly, I had not heard of Buckley v. Valeo so I just looked it up and learned a a lot about what had come before Citizens United. It was disturbing to see that history. This is why I love to read comments in this forum, always learning, not just from Robert. But boy, are we in a deep hole of financial dominance by the ruling class.
American politicians don't even mention the ruling class in America because they are part of it.
Thanks for that reference, I too was not familiar with that case and the way it was decided was, once again, the "fault" of the first amendment.
IMHO, this is just another reason to have a constitutional commission to look into how poorly the Constitution serves US citizens today. The founding fathers were well-intentioned but lived in the 18th century, while we struggle here in the 21st. It makes no sense to try and live by a document from that time. The 33 amendments are not proof of the flexibility of this 'living' document, they are a testament to the need for it to be thrown out and started over. IMHO, of course.
We have a lot of work to do to turn Christian fascist around in the USA.
Money talks and bullshit walks.
I just >love< this, it's not so much about the question "who should," but its more about the question "who will!" : https://youtu.be/_uViJYniVMw and what he thinks it portends. Yesterday I got into a discussion here where someone basically said "We need a Mr Smith" to go to Washington. This guy would be >my< first choice! LOL!
Agree or disagree you'll hear reference there, to just about everything domestic we've discussed here since the start, in the space of about 9 minutes!
Very familiar with Chris Hedges. Have read several of his book and would recommend every one of them. He is unrelenting in his efforts to speak truth to power. I'm so grateful for him.
Yep! Relentless is a good word. Right or wrong, I got a kick out of him.
DZK Hedges wrote American Fascist The Christian Right and the War on America, copyright 2006. He could have written this book YESTERDAY! The same year Michelle Goldberg's copyright for her book on The Rise of Christian Nationalism Kingdom Coming also came out. It is amazing to me what these visionary writers saw early in 2000, published in 2006 and we are living today. Christianity in this country scares the hell out of me.
Hedges is good. I think he is a disappointed idealist.
Aren't we all somewhat disappointed idealistically speaking? I don't like a lot of the worsening economic conditions that come from the Republican criminal organization not cooperating with advancing improvements to anything promoted by the Democratic party, McConnell being the worst of the lot.
Today's Christianity is not the teaching of Christ. It is now a political wing of the ultra-right conservatives and has nothing to do with the love of one another taught by Jesus Christ. Based on the LAW, as found in the book of Leviticus, in the Old Testament, it Trys to control its followers to hate liberals, women's rights and worship a leader that seems strong and will lead them to the promised land of MAGA. They will hail his return if he runs again in 2024 as the "Second Coming".
Totally bone chilling and I believe you. Christianity has been bastardized by the worst and meanest instincts of humanity.
I don't remember the author but "Daybreak" was an interesting read, but a friend's dog chewed it up 🙄
BTW: I'm not surprised it's a 2006 work. This $hi7's been a long time a'comin'. What shocks me a bit is how it could've come as a surprise to >anybody.<
(Sort've like climate change!)
Thanks for the info on him. I'll look into it. I've never heard of him before. Glad I seem to have picked a winner, here.
Claude Rains was wonderfully evil in "Mr. Smith."
Hedges is speaking to the wrong audience.
Can sell this to Trump's lumpen proletariat, who are in general, the loser class, but ought to add the beatitudes. Start with "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle...."
You can't help the retarded.
You got it.
Also, when people have enough wealth to buy elections, they have too much wealth. Tax it away.
In my opinion it's strongly recommended to tax churches that cross the line and preach politics from the pulpit and make donations that influence bad undemocratic policies, but I'm sorry to see that the USSC ruled for religion to be able to cross the line into politics when we had a law preventing such a practice. It's really time for a blue wave to become a fact so it's easier to pass progressive policies that make American lives better.
Take their tax exemptions away.
Maybe people should check out the weekly meetings held by the Progressive Democrats of America. Anyone who wants to can register here:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tceuhrzsvHdymeeZRwb-i7X50FJa-HMR4
I think I should put their home page too:
https://pdamerica.org/
Tax those mothers.
Wayne....How do we get politicians to give up their funding from special interests?
In any other advanced country it's called bribery not funding or any other name. Since they wrote the laws that have made them wealthy, they can now enact laws concerning publicly funded elections and then we will see a presidential election that doesn't cost a billion dollars to put someone in the White House. Knowing what a political candidate is all about and if his votes align with those issues is a potentially honest candidate.
They passed the laws that created the bribery problems and now it'll be up to the voters to convince them to give campaign reform and publicly funded elections a vote or the corruption will continue as with untraceable dark money.
That is the best comment I have read in a long time! It should be put up on bulletin boards across the country until there are no more multi-millionaire politicians anywhere!
Thank you. I arrived at this response after rational analysis of much information and spending a lot of time reading online and hearing about the system that our politicians designed to serve their pockets after retirement or being voted out. Were you aware that unused graft in their personal campaign treasuries is taken into retirement tax-free, but since they wrote the laws it's never referred to as bribery or graft which it is. They once thought about giving 10% to a favorite charity but they never discussed it for very long. Greed is what they practice right out in the open. Cornyn has around $17Mn sitting in his treasury and only uses fresh graft for his campaigns.
We have best politicians money can buy.
Separating the graft from the willing politicians will begin to resolve the issues of allegiance and return truth and honesty to our government. I don't know where else to begin.
While I am totally disgusted with what they are doing, I feel a sense of optimism that the word is getting out! They won't be able to hide much longer and I intend to keep sharing comments like yours, far and wide. Thanks!
as an unemployed person who has an excellent education from an excellent university and who WANTS TO WORK, i can say without reservation that unemployment is traumatic and soul-crushing. without my work, i quickly discovered, i am a nothing. invisible. worthless. reviled -- in those rare moments when i am noticed. treated as if i have a communicable disease -- again, in those rare moments when anyone actually sees me. worse, i am blamed for my unemployment. so i wish i could add something useful to your very cogent comments on this topic, but it is difficult to think creatively when the topic is one that fills me with rage, with depression, with despair.
Something that always struck me as ludicrous is the suggestion that a highly educated person, likely burdened with a substantial student loan, having little if any money, and in desperate need of a job that nobody's offering them, should provide free labor volunteering - finding they're in cutthroat competition with others facing exactly circumstance, for the "privilege" of providing free labor to someone >making a living< off their effort. Been there, done that. Luckily, it was after I retired, have a pension, and could make ends meet with low jobs paying minimum wage. I didn't mind so much because I got a first hand education on the situation of folks on the other side of the conversation. No matter how rough it might get, let me assure you it has >nothing< to do with you. Do what you must to survive, bugger the morons treating you like Typhoid Mary, and above all, don't lose your self-respect.
I am sort of in the same situation, except I am less functional then you are. thank you for your concern for others.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article262757363.html?ac_cid=DM662540&ac_bid=257552691
Sounds like jobs available for activist inclined, to me.
Thanks for this Daniel.....not surprised.
Dude, check your avatar/icon: anything beats stewing in your own juices.
Don't like my icon? Ever worked an assembly line?
DZK, I think you got it exactly right with the hamster wheel. I was in the workplace for over 50 years. And I worked before that as a kid doing farm work for summer jobs. I got lucky in finding a job for my last 33 years that provided a pension. I'm nearly 80, so not tech savvy enough to post an avatar. Can I borrow yours and add a little unattainable cheese cube for the 'hamster'? LOL
Have at it, but please use it on another site. Having us both use it here could lead to a >real< identity crisis - and we're >both< too old to put up with goin' through that kind of shenanigans again! LOL!
Oh, of course not. I was definitely joking about borrowing it. It is so representative of the human condition at this point in our history. I had to laugh when I saw it, but it is no longer funny given the state of work and the economy. The undereducation and lack of understanding is appalling.
One can feel the cool breeze & only wonder where the propensity for sharing the opposite comes from (best practice for self care must be a generational thing)...
Willdo, as soon as I figure out what you mean.
That's why the messages don't disappear immediately after reading them.
There are a lot of fake job ads, just there to scare current employees, or because they already know who they're hiring but have to advertise.
Also the weird criteria- like not hiring unemployed people, or requiring 5 years experience with software that came out last year.
besides weird criteria to fill a particular job, these fake job ads are looking to steal your personal information. huh? what's that? you ask. well, what's the first thing you do when you find a job you want to apply for? craft a special, targeted cover letter and send that with your CV/resume, then fill out an application. what's on one or more of those documents? your personal data. name. SSN. address. phone number. wage history. educational history. arrest record. possibly your age. they may also ask for a background check (at your expense, of course). i won't bore you with the story of how i learned about this particular scam, but it was a very painful lesson.
Been there! Done that! Haft still tries hustling me in for job interviews that come to nothing. I've been returning their email invitations with 🖕 for a long time, how!
Okay, I’m going to suggest something. And I know I don’t understand your situation and professional goals. Have you given consideration to taking a professorial appointment which would allow you to continue to write/publish and do research?
excellent suggestion. i've been trying to get a science research position or writing position the local university for three years.
You do know what the state of hiring and funding in colleges and universities is right now, don't you?
Generally, there is a shortage of professors that has been present for several years.
I feel furious on your behalf. BTW, it’s possible to feel like a nothing once you’ve retired too. I have been struggling with that a lot.
the comments here suggest that a lot of people here are struggling with unemployment and all the horrible things that brings to the surface. almost makes me think an online support group may be useful? so we know we aren't isolated and alone, we aren't abject failures, we aren't nobodies, and so we have someone to share our victories with -- cuz, regardless of how small they may be to anyone else, our victories are ours and they're victories. just a thought.
I’d be happy to join even though I’m retired. As I said, I’m struggling with similar issues.
perhaps first step, is to hear each other. Thank you Paula for listening.
😘
Recently joined a group of Progressives who have worked with me online. Very grateful 🙏🏻
I understand. I'm going to be 70 September 2nd. I'm disabled, unable to work and want to get involved. It's maddening
d017....I am also disabled and I can't even do things outside of work I used to do. Everything is hard for me now including going on trips etc. I have money to do things, but I am too disabled to do them. Just to fly is a hassle. I can't stand in line for an hour and neither can my wife who is also disabled.
hurts my heart. I hear you, and wish you well.
Just be thankful it's not long-term & that you don't have a disability!
I am a disabled veteran. I might be able to get some low level job but I would not be able to do it. Fortunately I get 100% compensation from the VA. Basic compensation for vets has not increased since WW11. We get a COLA, but compensation rates are so low I could not buy the house I presently live in now. Everybody says how they honor vets but when it comes to decent compensation for guys like me then it becomes "Oh you freeloader. Get a job. "
my unemployment IS long term.
... but you have your health?
“... but you have your health?” ?? Was this meant to be a sincere response, I wonder? By pushing on the able- vs disabled- bodied question, you’re making this into an unwinnable contest. Whatever GrrlScientist’s situation is, and whatever your situation is, pitting yours against hers doesn’t help either of you, nor anyone else. And it’s exactly how the capitalist society works, to the betterment of those who “have” by making those who “have not” worse off.
Acknowledging that both positions are valid and also untenable, and asking how we might make things better for *all* seems to me a better way to go.
Truly The Internet is not what it was twenty years ago. (Are you serious - "wondering" - like, out loud, after typing?)
yes, someone somewhere has it worse than me: i get it. but this suggestion is just a cruel little mind trick people use to make ME feel worse for being trapped in an untenable situation. an inexcusable situation. an outrageous situation. this suggestion that someone somewhere in the world has it worse than i do does nothing to fix MY unemployment problem that i've been struggling to fix myself. it doesn't address MY lack of self-esteem or sense of self resulting from being erased from society, and it does nothing to address all the abuse -- emotional, psychological, financial -- i've suffered as i've tried to fix MY problem and return to being a self-respecting and CONTRIBUTING member of society again.
Grrl...I have been totally and permanently disabled for 20 years. I had to go through the burden of getting social security disability and total disability as a Vietnam vet. I had to fight for every penny. I still wish I was employed even though I am 72 years old. I do feel your pain! Employment is not just about the money. lt serves a social function as well. If you are a certain age and not employed you become an outsider and outcast unless you live off your investments. I tell people who ask that I am retired investor to which to some extent I am but it took 50 years.
I feel awful for you and wish I could do something to help. The only suggestion I can make—and you’ve probably heard this before—is to volunteer from home. There are many worthwhile causes and you would be doing something useful. Just a thought.
Sure... but being able-bodied means that there is a scope of things you *can* do (meaning that you can recenter the locus of causality for your situation and change how you feel for the better!); staying healthy (or getting fit if you have a reasonable measure of health), volunteering, & burnishing your credentials aren't things that would hinder your effort - and could help to address a dimension of the problem that may not be entirely evident.
Just $.02 from someone who's also struggling (but also refusing to accept such circumstances, no differently).
Burnish her credentials? Volunteer?? You sound like someone who has cash on hand to do these things. She's got credentials. Volunteering requires the ability to somehow pay the rent. Even "getting fit." The whole point of this article is that people should NOT have to crawl in order to thrive. And I consider crawling any activity that is unrelated to her passions and training. You may have the fortitude to do this - but I would seriously argue that you are disregarding her desperate plea for help, and the conditions that put her in that situation. A lot of us are feeling depression, anxiety, anger, frustration and hopelessness, through no fault of our own, even while trying valiantly to work. We should not be required to take whatever crumbs are thrown us!! The whole point of a fair and egalitarian society is to enhance our dignity, not to be forced to fall back onto our wits to maybe get ourselves into a better place!
Health doesn't pay the rent, let alone make a dent in the paralyzing student loan debt Grrl no doubt amassed getting that degree.
Buy a clue!
Spare the $.02 - you're talking to a Berkeley grad, fool.
If I had to pay back a 100,000 buck loan I never would have dreamed of going to college. My college education has not paid me in dollars but I think it was worth what I paid for it in 1973.
That's at the heart of a national problem: the subtext of loan debt forgiveness is that for-profit colleges sucked up a huge sum of funds from the government & had no business making promises to veterans (or anyone else); though the Obama administration was able to bust 'em, the changes to personal (individual) bankruptcy laws mean those students who got ripped off have had their cases lingering since (there was an announcement today of another swath of loan forgiveness).
In America you are your job. I have not worked in 20 years being a disabled veteran.
you are not your job. I do not know you but I know that you are more than your job everyone is. I am sorry that you feel that way, I often feel the same way but when I feel that way, I am wrong.
virtual hugs if you want ''em
I am so sorry. Is there some work from home, volunteer work you can do? Maybe helping other disabled veterans learn to use their phones or computers. It's not that you are your job, it's more that you feel valued
I help vets online. I have a lot of experience with the VA and how to get benefits. I really had to work hard to get my benefits. It took 30 years to get my 100% service-connection. With my pension and SSA I do OK money-wise. All my buddies from Vietnam have problems with Agent Orange including myself.
I hope you feel you are in a better frame now. What the USA did to its own services from 1950 through 1974 is revolting. I think people today owe all of you who were doused with Agent Orange, or forced to march into the radioactive cloud from an atomic bomb deserve reparations. Over the years, from the 1930s with the syphilis tests, through the Iraqi war our own government has treated its Citizens as though they were chattel
Make sure to check out that link Mr Solomon posted below.
I am also in the same situation and frustrated, hopeless.
I can relate to your discouragement. There are a few options for you though, One is to make sure your resume is GREAT, Get help with this or have someone who is successful review it. Two be willing to travel where the jobs are - this is difficult if you are married and have kids but it may be your only option. I found once I was willing to travel I had no difficulty staying employed. Covid did disrupt a lot of employment opportunities, but it's more manageable now. I retired at 87, a lot because of Covid restrictions, but also because I was starting to fall apart. I still receive job offers though.
The problem is, the people who make these decisions favor the bond traders over the working class because it’s about lining their pockets, not doing things in the best interests of the majority of the American people they are supposed to serve.
You're forgetting another element, Dr. Reich. The desire of politicians to stay in power, no matter the cost. Admittedly, this power thirst is more prevalent among the Republicans, but it also exists with some Democrats. Short of term limits with which I disagree, I don't have a good plan to offer, I hope you do.
Fay Reid ; Educating the people so they can vote intelligently, and, of course, protecting voting rights are two keys to help to solve this seemingly never ending problem. the local schools have made not only civics, but financial literacy part of the curriculum, It will be interesting to see what comes of that.
How fortunate you are. In California we have yet to reinstate Civics. When I was teaching I volunteered to take an additional class of 10 Fostered boys who didn't "fit" in. But instead of my usual science I taught them how to fill out job applications, balance check books, and read street maps. These poor kids were 16 years old in 8th grade, I thought they would be better served with useful information, than knowing the Periodic Table
Fay Reid ; Good that you helped them with life skills, As a former foster child I appreciated every teacher, guidance counselor and foster parent who helped me along the way. It was survival skills that helped the most and showed that they cared.
Thank you for that. I've never understood why those 10 young boys A. traveled through elementary school together, and B. were held back 2 or 3 years. They had learning problems, of course, but they weren't stupid, or misbehaved.
Fay Reid : They most likely were kept together because it was expedient to manage them as a group. It is difficult to place a foster child with learning problems, but treating each as an individual with unique needs is even more challenging. Ideally parents would do that. But an overburdened foster care system is not funded for such individualized care. It would be 'too expensive'.
Anything that would help needy children is "too expensive". It's too expensive to assure that every child in the USA has nutritious meals at least twice a day, it is too expensive to take care of their health needs, it is too expensive to see that they have an adequate education commensurate with their ability and interest. It is also too expensive to hire enough Social workers at a salary commensurate with their education and value to oversee a foster care system to assure that none of the children in their legal care is sexually or physically abused. In some communities the only thing asked of the foster parent is that they have a good 'Christian' upbringing.
Good for you!
Fay....So true. What is the best job in the world? Answer: Being a US senator. These guys stay in office until they turn 90 if possible. Both parties are corrupted by power and money.
I find it outrageous that every time rich white guys get together to discuss economics, the working people, you know, the ones who actually keep the economy going, are the ones blamed: they want to be paid too much (slavery was so much better); workers don't have the skills; if unemployment is too low, Wall Street will lose . . . something. Then Powell and his crew, men who will never feel the pain of trying to raise a family on the edge, proclaim that there will be some pain but that's what is needed to get things back on track (or some other nonsense, OK BS. The media has pretty much ignored the price gouging from the corporations we the people have allowed to avoid paying taxes.
What is wrong with us as a people that we accept a man who has not had particular success at the Fed deciding the future of the working people of this country? Bonds and stocks are important, but when they become more important than the women and men whose work put companies on Wall Street, we have lost our soul. Powell has no clue, yet Biden forgot his Democratic bona fides and reappointed him anyway. We're stuck with him, but there must be a way to limit his power to wreck the lives of our people.
Ruth Sheets: we need more people like Dr Reich and you to educate, educate and educate working people more!
Ruth and Laurie.......you guys are so right!
I don’t care about bond traders, thank you. I want working people who are not rich, with families to support, to feel secure and hopeful and be able to build up savings.
So Jerome Powell admitted that raising interest rates won't lower the cost of fuel and groceries, but he's going to do it anyway? This just adds to the pain of ordinary people, because their credit card interest rates now rise, and it's more difficult to afford a house. Yes, the cure is worse than the disease. These people in their ivory towers can't move beyond their own mindsets. Of course, Republicans were chastising Powell for not raising interest rates sooner....
There's one other category of people difficult to employ: those with felony convictions who have served their sentences, and with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, we have plenty of those.
Even though they have served their time, they have trouble getting jobs and can't vote. An underclass if there ever was one.
A few States do allow former felons who have served their time to vote, The main problem is we (in general, not particular) consider prison's main purpose to be punitive. Some European countries (I think Norway, but not sure) have had great success in treating incarcerated people to rehabilitation. They offer education, skills training, and job readiness in place of punishment. The recidivism rate is exceedingly low. A very few people (especially those who are psychopathic) cannot at present be rehabilitated. But most felons can be. It is also cheaper in the long run to retrain, rehabilitate, and return to society, than to exact revenge. Unfortunately, in some segments of our Country vengeance is utmost.
Pity the dumb 18 year old who is convicted of a felony. He can't even get into the army these days. Prison requires work for inmates which is modern day slavery. We point at Chinese as using slave labor while we do the same thing.
It's worse, because if they did their time, they have paid their debt to society. Trying to make them responsible for 'money owed' like they are doing in FL, should not even be legal. It's thousands of dollars often and the former inmate is burdened before they even get on their feet.The ruling 'class' just want to exploit and silence them some more!
Laurie....Florida denies ex-felons the vote by insisting they pay for "money owed". This is how they deny the vote to minorities and the poor who would not elect republicans. What was Voting Rights Act all about? After the Civil War Reconstruction era blacks were re-enslaved with Jim Crow laws. Now the prison system is used to deny the vote.
Yes. It’s disgusting.
Exactly!
Hedge funds make money regardless whether the market rises or falls.
I don't give financial advice.
But the Washington Post does. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/06/22/step-by-step-guide-to-buy-i-bonds/?fbclid=IwAR1bUPjp9SezGXju6iUkDmItRiPdCN4Kz_Il9999qR0BpxJC0LKzO3CvrlQ
The US has the capacity to play arbitrage on the prices of bonds, currency common stock, anything.
If we took money out of politics how would republicans every get elected. Most politicians are bought and paid for but some are worse as in our corrupt court system.
Corrupt judges have got to go!
Anyone installed by tRump , the 'investigated' and twice 'impeached' former (and present' Thief in Chief' should be removed as illegitimate.
Actually, somehow Teflon Don did manage to accidentally install an honorable judge or two, in spite of his best efforts.
So, while I'm inclined to agree with your sentiments overall, not absolutely every single judge he appointed should go.
They deserve the same courtesy we expect for ourselves-- to be assessed on an individual basis.
Reverse Buckley v. Valeo. Money should not equal speech!!
Yes, I agree that bond trader's confidence should take a backseat to the interests of the working people. If we are to have government of, by and for the human people that makes sense.
yes you are on the mark - our system is crazy with constant battle between stock market and labor market. Barrell oil price goes up share holders thrilled while gasoline goes to $5 and working class are depressed. Interest rates go up bond holders thrilled while labor in todays World looses. Yet in 1940s 50s 60s when stock market indexed on dividends and unions wages indexed on CEO salary + benies and tax laws were truely progressive both groups were happy. That all changed when retaliation of Goldwater loss was organized into a 'greed' revolution. Um
Again, them what have gets!
When will Americans realize that throughout human history, the wealthy and powerful have always run things for their own benefit? Today, here in the United States, it's not any different.
If we really want to make positive change for all Americans, we need to fight for democracy and our rights by electing people who will fight to maintain and expand our democracy, and our basic human rights as well, and hold accountable at the ballot box and in the courts those who would weaken democracy and ignore basic human rights.
So far as I'm aware, there's only one political party that ascribes to those principles most of the time, and need to be constantly reminded that being a public servant means being the servant to the people. That's the Democratic Party. Remember to vote Democratic all down the line in November.
Bond traders are generally quite wealthy and part of the "Ruling Class". So our paid off "elected representatives" will defer to them rather than to the working class. That's part of the Feudalistic rules. The only way to fix that is for the electorate to become informed (screen out the rubbish) and vote for their best interests. We need to realize that the ultra wealthy are spending billions each year on propaganda to fool the common people.
Except, for my voters, their best interests are guns, god, gays and gynecology. They genuinely have no other interests.
Phillip Notz ; well said!
Does anyone remember when our government froze prices to stop inflation? If they are really concerned about inflation, and the cause is corporations price-gouging, stop them with a price freeze. Allow prices to decrease but not increase. Or call on the corporate/business leaders to be more civic minded, more community-oriented.
Yes, and it was a Republican who did it, miracle of miracles. Imagine that.
Why are we surprised?
End-stage capitalism is working exactly as expected: our economic policies are transferring wealth from workers to those with extra capital to invest. The most profitable corporations buy or bankrupt their weaker rivals; hedge funds strip equity and resources from "poorly performing" companies; and profits flow to investors while communities struggle to provide services to their indebted citizens.
Communism, fascism, and capitalism all concentrate wealth and power into the hands of the elite. Only worker socialism, with strong credit unions, worker cooperatives, employee-owned corporations, and unions put power into the hands of those who produce actual goods and services.
By the way - maybe a lot of those unfilled jobs have been abandoned by workers who have gained jobs paying $15/hr and no longer have to work two (or more) $7.50/hr jobs to feed their children.
Inflation is somewhere between 6 and 10% (the true rate and its true sources are guesstimates). The riskless real interest rate is historically about 2-3%, therefor the nominal interest rate on short term government bonds should be at least 8%+. That would lead to bankruptcy of the many "zombie" businesses that are not profitable and require persistent infusions of new loans at currently massively subsidized negative real interest rates. This has to end. It is stealing real wealth from savers and retirees to subsidize "dead weight" businesses along with their employees. (The federal government also needs a low rate to easily fund the national debt) Unemployment of the under skilled, obsolete skilled and undereducated would rise. But it should not be national policy to attain full employment on the backs of savers and retirees by massively distorting the nominal interest rate. Training programs are needed for the underemployable. And a massive weaning off of government expenditures is needed to deal with deficits.
Well said!