Time to face the truth - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

one-eyed-fatman · 01-02-2006, 01:41 PM

Let's resolve to lift up the faltering American Dream
American economy losing ground to foreign innovation

By HOLLY SKLAR

The American Dream doesn't need to go on a diet in the new year. It's been shrinking for years.

We are becoming a nation of Scrooge-Marts and outsourcers — with an increasingly low-wage work force instead of a growing middle class. Even two-paycheck households are struggling to afford a house, college, health care and retirement.

The American Dream is becoming the American Pipe Dream.

"The vast majority of American workers (70 percent) think the American Dream has been or will be harder for them to financially achieve than it was for their parents' generation," according to the Principal Financial Well-Being Index.

We are living the American Dream in reverse.

The hourly wages of average workers are 11 percent lower than they were back in 1973, adjusted for inflation, despite rising worker productivity. CEO pay, by contrast, has skyrocketed — up a median 30 percent in 2004 alone in the Corporate Library survey of 2,000 large companies.

Median household income has fallen an unprecedented five years in a row. It would be even lower, if not for increased household work hours. Americans work more than 200 hours more a year on average than workers in other rich, industrialized nations.

We are breaking records we don't want to break. Record numbers of Americans have no health insurance. The share of national income going to wages and salaries is the lowest since 1929. Middle-class households are a medical crisis, outsourced job or busted pension away from bankruptcy.

The congressional majority voted the biggest cut in history to the student loan program at a time when college is more important, and more expensive, than ever. Public college tuition has risen even faster than private tuition, jumping 54 percent over the last decade, adjusted for inflation.

Our shortsighted government, beholden to powerful campaign contributors and lobbyists, is cutting rungs from the ladders of upward mobility while cutting taxes for the superwealthy.

That's not the American Dream.

Contrary to myth, the United States is not becoming more competitive in the global economy by taking the low road. We are in growing hock to other countries. We have a huge trade deficit, hollowed-out manufacturing base and deteriorating research and development. The infrastructure built by earlier generations has eroded greatly, undermining the economy as well as public health and safety.

Households have propped themselves up in the face of falling real wages by maxing out work hours, credit cards and home equity loans. This is not a sustainable course. The low road is like a "shortcut" that leads to a cliff.

We will not prosper in the 21st century global economy by relying on 1920s' corporate greed, 1950s' tax revenues, pre-1970s' wages and global-warming energy policies.

We will not prosper relying on disinvestment in place of reinvestment. We can't succeed that way any more than farmers can "compete" by eating their seed corn.

As BusinessWeek put it in a special issue on China and India, "China's competitive edge is shifting from low-cost workers to state-of-the-art manufacturing. India is creating world-class innovation hubs, and its companies are far better performers than China's."

The United States will not succeed by shifting increasingly from state-of-the art manufacturing and world-class innovation hubs to low-cost workers.

Contrary to myth, many European countries are better positioned for the future than the United States, with healthier economies and longer healthy life expectancies, greater math and science literacy, free or affordable education from preschool through college, universal health care, less poverty and more corporations combining social responsibility and world-class innovation.

Among the world's 100 largest corporations in 2005, just 33 are U.S. companies, while 48 are European. In 2002, 38 were U.S. companies and 36 were European. CEO-worker pay gaps are much narrower at European companies than American.

The United States dropped from No. 1 to No. 5 in the global information technology ranking by the World Economic Forum, whose members represent the world's 1,000 leading companies, among others. The top four spots are held by Singapore, Iceland, Finland and Denmark, with Sweden No. 6.

Instead of pretending the problem is overpaid workers and accelerating offshoring, we need to shore up our economy from below and invest in smart economic development. Let's make that our New Year's resolution for the American Dream.

**einheit 13** · 01-02-2006, 01:56 PM

How dare you post that "liberal-leftist-extremist-facist-comministic-Bush hater" garbage on this forum, damn un-American unions .......... .....sorry, had to beat XDfunny and his minion to it......

NewXD40fun · 01-02-2006, 02:01 PM

Damn you beat me to it.

BUT Ms. Holly Sklar is a pure liberal dedicated to the Liberal dream of giving people free money by taking it from people who work for a living.

Check out here writings.
http://www.zmag.org/bios/homepage.cfm?authorID=213

But that is her right of course, but she is wrong, IMHO. I just new OEFM was a closet liberal

Tom

**einheit 13** · 01-02-2006, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewXD40fun

Damn you beat me to it.

BUT Ms. Holly Sklar is a pure liberal dedicated to the Liberal dream of giving people free money by taking it from people who work for a living.

Check out here writings.
http://www.zmag.org/bios/homepage.cfm?authorID=213

But that is her right of course, but she is wrong, IMHO. I just new OEFM was a closet liberal

Tom

A liberal she may be, but can you disprove her facts?? I know what is happening to American companies(in the construction field) and she is correct......

Mike TRT · 01-02-2006, 02:10 PM

Not a bad read, and lots of it is understandable...... but in hock to other countries is a bit "off".... who the hell do we owe? every country invests in our market, without the usa, these other great companies in europe and asia would have nobody to sell products to........who else in the world is gonna buy some POS product from China? Not a lot of money in most of africa, mexico, uzbekistan, iran etc etc.....?

we need to stop sending 180 billion to africa for aids ... are you kidding me?

how much support did we send for the tsunamis last year? how much did we get for Katrina from the world? and we "owe" anybody is ridiculous.

Im personally tired of footing the bill for the rest of the worlds miserable little ****holes.....do I feel bad for the starving aids infested children? of course I do, and I thank heaven I was born american everyday, but there has to be a better way to "help" than just pay pay pay......

our riches as a nation is what makes many in the world hate us, much of it is jealous, much is perceived as ego....but it is what it is, then why do so many keep coming here even though they hate us and our country? its because of the "dream" to make money and bring it back the the hell holes they're from.....

I do agree, its getting harder now to afford the nice things in life, and college will be tough to afford years from now......but why is college so damn expensive to begin with? why is insurance so darn expensive? gas is ridiculous, milk is outrageous these days......the american dream may be slipping but its still better than dreaming on getting to america....

Lumberjack98 · 01-02-2006, 02:14 PM

I'm not really sure that any solutions were offered.

It's easy to bitch about problems. It's hard to get off your ass and do something about it.

Mark S. · 01-02-2006, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike TRT

Not a bad read, and lots of it is understandable...... but in hock to other countries is a bit "off".... who the hell do we owe? every country invests in our market, without the usa, these other great companies in europe and asia would have nobody to sell products to........who else in the world is gonna buy some POS product from China? Not a lot of money in most of africa, mexico, uzbekistan, iran etc etc.....?

we need to stop sending 180 billion to africa for aids ... are you kidding me?

how much support did we send for the tsunamis last year? how much did we get for Katrina from the world? and we "owe" anybody is ridiculous.

Im personally tired of footing the bill for the rest of the worlds miserable little ****holes.....do I feel bad for the starving aids infested children? of course I do, and I thank heaven I was born american everyday, but there has to be a better way to "help" than just pay pay pay......

our riches as a nation is what makes many in the world hate us, much of it is jealous, much is perceived as ego....but it is what it is, then why do so many keep coming here even though they hate us and our country? its because of the "dream" to make money and bring it back the the hell holes they're from.....

I do agree, its getting harder now to afford the nice things in life, and college will be tough to afford years from now......but why is college so damn expensive to begin with? why is insurance so darn expensive? gas is ridiculous, milk is outrageous these days......the american dream may be slipping but its still better than dreaming on getting to america....

Unfortunately, these foreign interests also invest heavily in the Treasury Bills and Bonds that finance our national debt. That means that our children and grandchildren will be in debt to these foreign interests for decades to come.

Mike TRT · 01-02-2006, 02:28 PM

no solutions were offered....your correct, I dont have any ideas, Im just bitching, I admit it.

although I do get off my ass and do plenty for the different "causes".

one-eyed-fatman · 01-02-2006, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lumberjack98

I'm not really sure that any solutions were offered.

It's easy to bitch about problems. It's hard to get off your ass and do something about it.

Does either side offer solutions anymore?

one-eyed-fatman · 01-02-2006, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike TRT

Not a bad read, and lots of it is understandable...... but in hock to other countries is a bit "off".... who the hell do we owe? every country invests in our market, without the usa, these other great companies in europe and asia would have nobody to sell products to........who else in the world is gonna buy some POS product from China? Not a lot of money in most of africa, mexico, uzbekistan, iran etc etc.....?

we need to stop sending 180 billion to africa for aids ... are you kidding me?

how much support did we send for the tsunamis last year? how much did we get for Katrina from the world? and we "owe" anybody is ridiculous.

Im personally tired of footing the bill for the rest of the worlds miserable little ****holes.....do I feel bad for the starving aids infested children? of course I do, and I thank heaven I was born american everyday, but there has to be a better way to "help" than just pay pay pay......

our riches as a nation is what makes many in the world hate us, much of it is jealous, much is perceived as ego....but it is what it is, then why do so many keep coming here even though they hate us and our country? its because of the "dream" to make money and bring it back the the hell holes they're from.....

I do agree, its getting harder now to afford the nice things in life, and college will be tough to afford years from now......but why is college so damn expensive to begin with? why is insurance so darn expensive? gas is ridiculous, milk is outrageous these days......the american dream may be slipping but its still better than dreaming on getting to america....

I heard we have borrowed money big time from China. Did I hear wrong?

01-02-2006, 01:41 PM	#1
one-eyed-fatman XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 9,875	Time to face the truth Let's resolve to lift up the faltering American Dream American economy losing ground to foreign innovation By HOLLY SKLAR The American Dream doesn't need to go on a diet in the new year. It's been shrinking for years. We are becoming a nation of Scrooge-Marts and outsourcers — with an increasingly low-wage work force instead of a growing middle class. Even two-paycheck households are struggling to afford a house, college, health care and retirement. The American Dream is becoming the American Pipe Dream. "The vast majority of American workers (70 percent) think the American Dream has been or will be harder for them to financially achieve than it was for their parents' generation," according to the Principal Financial Well-Being Index. We are living the American Dream in reverse. The hourly wages of average workers are 11 percent lower than they were back in 1973, adjusted for inflation, despite rising worker productivity. CEO pay, by contrast, has skyrocketed — up a median 30 percent in 2004 alone in the Corporate Library survey of 2,000 large companies. Median household income has fallen an unprecedented five years in a row. It would be even lower, if not for increased household work hours. Americans work more than 200 hours more a year on average than workers in other rich, industrialized nations. We are breaking records we don't want to break. Record numbers of Americans have no health insurance. The share of national income going to wages and salaries is the lowest since 1929. Middle-class households are a medical crisis, outsourced job or busted pension away from bankruptcy. The congressional majority voted the biggest cut in history to the student loan program at a time when college is more important, and more expensive, than ever. Public college tuition has risen even faster than private tuition, jumping 54 percent over the last decade, adjusted for inflation. Our shortsighted government, beholden to powerful campaign contributors and lobbyists, is cutting rungs from the ladders of upward mobility while cutting taxes for the superwealthy. That's not the American Dream. Contrary to myth, the United States is not becoming more competitive in the global economy by taking the low road. We are in growing hock to other countries. We have a huge trade deficit, hollowed-out manufacturing base and deteriorating research and development. The infrastructure built by earlier generations has eroded greatly, undermining the economy as well as public health and safety. Households have propped themselves up in the face of falling real wages by maxing out work hours, credit cards and home equity loans. This is not a sustainable course. The low road is like a "shortcut" that leads to a cliff. We will not prosper in the 21st century global economy by relying on 1920s' corporate greed, 1950s' tax revenues, pre-1970s' wages and global-warming energy policies. We will not prosper relying on disinvestment in place of reinvestment. We can't succeed that way any more than farmers can "compete" by eating their seed corn. As BusinessWeek put it in a special issue on China and India, "China's competitive edge is shifting from low-cost workers to state-of-the-art manufacturing. India is creating world-class innovation hubs, and its companies are far better performers than China's." The United States will not succeed by shifting increasingly from state-of-the art manufacturing and world-class innovation hubs to low-cost workers. Contrary to myth, many European countries are better positioned for the future than the United States, with healthier economies and longer healthy life expectancies, greater math and science literacy, free or affordable education from preschool through college, universal health care, less poverty and more corporations combining social responsibility and world-class innovation. Among the world's 100 largest corporations in 2005, just 33 are U.S. companies, while 48 are European. In 2002, 38 were U.S. companies and 36 were European. CEO-worker pay gaps are much narrower at European companies than American. The United States dropped from No. 1 to No. 5 in the global information technology ranking by the World Economic Forum, whose members represent the world's 1,000 leading companies, among others. The top four spots are held by Singapore, Iceland, Finland and Denmark, with Sweden No. 6. Instead of pretending the problem is overpaid workers and accelerating offshoring, we need to shore up our economy from below and invest in smart economic development. Let's make that our New Year's resolution for the American Dream.

01-02-2006, 01:56 PM	#2
einheit 13 XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Virginia, C.S.A. Posts: 5,327	How dare you post that "liberal-leftist-extremist-facist-comministic-Bush hater" garbage on this forum, damn un-American unions .......... .....sorry, had to beat XDfunny and his minion to it...... __________________ Wer nicht zweifeln kann, ist ein dummer mann! (He who cannot doubt, is a stupid man!) “It is the lack of will power, and not the lack of arms which render us incapable of offering any serious resistance.”

01-02-2006, 02:01 PM	#3
NewXD40fun XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: North Olmsted, Ohio Posts: 2,729	Damn you beat me to it. BUT Ms. Holly Sklar is a pure liberal dedicated to the Liberal dream of giving people free money by taking it from people who work for a living. Check out here writings. http://www.zmag.org/bios/homepage.cfm?authorID=213 But that is her right of course, but she is wrong, IMHO. I just new OEFM was a closet liberal Tom __________________ Springfield XD-40 Service w/DGR kit, EFK 9mm Taurus PT-140 Mill Pro _ Specialized Roubaix Expert "YOU'VE GOT TO STAND FOR SOMETHING OR YOU'LL FALL FOR ANYTHING" ---Aaron Tippin

01-02-2006, 02:10 PM	#5
Mike TRT XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 1,376	Not a bad read, and lots of it is understandable...... but in hock to other countries is a bit "off".... who the hell do we owe? every country invests in our market, without the usa, these other great companies in europe and asia would have nobody to sell products to........who else in the world is gonna buy some POS product from China? Not a lot of money in most of africa, mexico, uzbekistan, iran etc etc.....? we need to stop sending 180 billion to africa for aids ... are you kidding me? how much support did we send for the tsunamis last year? how much did we get for Katrina from the world? and we "owe" anybody is ridiculous. Im personally tired of footing the bill for the rest of the worlds miserable little ****holes.....do I feel bad for the starving aids infested children? of course I do, and I thank heaven I was born american everyday, but there has to be a better way to "help" than just pay pay pay...... our riches as a nation is what makes many in the world hate us, much of it is jealous, much is perceived as ego....but it is what it is, then why do so many keep coming here even though they hate us and our country? its because of the "dream" to make money and bring it back the the hell holes they're from..... I do agree, its getting harder now to afford the nice things in life, and college will be tough to afford years from now......but why is college so damn expensive to begin with? why is insurance so darn expensive? gas is ridiculous, milk is outrageous these days......the american dream may be slipping but its still better than dreaming on getting to america.... __________________ \"There is no hunting like the hunting of a man. And those who have hunted men long enough and liked it never cared for anything else thereafter.\"

01-02-2006, 02:14 PM	#6
Lumberjack98 XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 854	I'm not really sure that any solutions were offered. It's easy to bitch about problems. It's hard to get off your ass and do something about it. __________________ XD-9 Service, DGR, CC 3.5# Trigger, TFOs, KG Gunkote Texas XD Practical Shooters Association

01-02-2006, 02:28 PM	#8
Mike TRT XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 1,376	no solutions were offered....your correct, I dont have any ideas, Im just bitching, I admit it. although I do get off my ass and do plenty for the different "causes". __________________ \"There is no hunting like the hunting of a man. And those who have hunted men long enough and liked it never cared for anything else thereafter.\"

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