Political Crossfire Forums

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/29/opini ... nequality/

There is no doubt that the divide between rich and poor is growing. I believe this article has hit on some points worthy of discussion. I especially agree with points regarding taxes and political contributions. Union Membership decline is also another issue.

While many like to bash Unions look at what has happened. Unions reached their peak in Membership in the 1950´s it then took one income to support a family even in the middle class. Consumer Debt was nearly zero, people paid cash for their cars in most cases, and mom usually stayed at home looking after the kids. Today it takes two incomes to support a family and there is usually consumer debt and how many people pay cash for cars anymore. CEO´s took home a far lower multiple of the average workers wage. Gradually jobs were outsourced to low cost countries profits rose CEO´s pay is today a lot higher multiple of the average workers wage. Employees demand higher wages management threatens to outsource jobs to lower cost countries or find replacements. Hate Unions all you want but they enabled and created the middle class.

How do we change all of this and truly start rebuilding the middle class?

Guaranteed minimum income.

Abolish minimum wage.

Lower corporate taxes.

the privilege of having the capability to profit from private ownership needs to be linked to social compensation in a much more substantial manner than it currently is.

Don't think of a dwindling middle class a a bad thing. It's actually a very environmentally friendly trend. The middle class consumes a lot of natural resources for the amount of money they earn. The rich and the poor consumes relatively less. A dwindling middle class is necessary when we need to start thinking green.

The middle class was an era, not an economic ideal... we now have entered a paradigm consisting of one-world economics... there is not one tax package, job market, or political initiative that will bring back any sort of parity.

Middle class for the masses was a bubble. What we really need is to redefine it away from massive consumption. Lifestyles in the US really got over the top in the twencen.

the middle class was and is the tax base, all that it required to "save" it is tax reform

I'd say that the era of private fortunes is what is going to be coming to an end. That's what has really gotten over the top and has become an issue that has to be dealt with.

it's silly that someone could personally control that amount of resources and that is all there is to that

lol tax reform. We would have to cultivate 2 new generations of Americans who understand what taxes are before politicians give a f**k about tax reform.