11-16-2016, 01:48 PM
(11-16-2016, 01:06 PM)Eric the Green Wrote:Quote:Quote:I would feel far better knowing that Mitt Romney were President-elect. Disappointed that my side lost -- but much would be safe that is in gross peril now. I might contrast Donald trump from the primaries and say "at least we did not get that".
Pity he wasn't elected in 2012, eh? Romney would have been a great president.
Quote:Throughout most of the twentieth century, economic growth corresponded with improving lives for working people. Strong unions forced wages to keep pace with increases in productivity; that kept consumption high. (Don't blame imports; the material objects imported are now far less important than the services that one pays for to make those objects valuable. Ask yourself whether you have spent more on cable television than on the television sets that you have watched cable TV on. Ask yourself whether you have paid more on a cell phone than you can expect to pay for cell phone access or for your computer than for the Internet access).
What kept wages high was limited immigration. Once the floodgates were opened, wages plummeted.
No, higher population is a net positive for economic growth. The market is larger, so business increases, wages rise. What helped to keep wages low was flattening the minimum wage as Reagan-Bush and Bush did, along with the other trickle-down policies, including the decline of unions. Kennedy opened immigration; that's not when wages started to go flat and decline relative to inflation. Reagan did that; the record is clear.
Higher population of course increases the overall size of the economy, benefiting the economic and political elites. The Warren Buffetts and George Soroses of the world make out like bandits.
However, as far as average welfare is concerned, that increase in size does the individuals no good when it's spread out over an equal or greater increase in the number of people. Wages stagnate or decline.
Now you know why the billionaires are supporting open borders Democrats, while the actual working class has voted Trump and the Republicans in.