and the number one sign of the decline of the American Empire.....



Truck Nuts

zungle


I'm detecting an anti corporate sentiment....................

IMO............ Labor Unions,lobbyist and trial lawyers should not go unscathed............

We are in it pretty deep............  

You forget politicians and televangelists.

I hope this can continue.  This is interesting.  Thanks for the links, etc. 

digi2ns

zungle


I'm detecting an anti corporate sentiment....................

IMO............ Labor Unions,lobbyist and trial lawyers should not go unscathed............

We are in it pretty deep............  

For me Im not either side but whats right for my country and its workforce in these tuff times. It all starts with the payoffs (donations) from the major corps. It just reinforces that need for more gain. In turn, businesses are allowed to push discrimination and harassment to the point of forcing the senior workforce out and hiring fresh new recruits at a pay that does not require them to pay the higher wages and benefits of keeping the ones that have been there decades. When DOL & FMLA dont even protect the people anymore with it being a federal law, what do people do when they get sick in the later years and are released because of the lack of respect for the laws and the Gov dont even step in once addressed at those levels. As for Unions, those who havent experienced the type of work atmosphere of greed, bonuses, corrupt management and business at high levels will really NEVER understand why unions are so important to the dues payers. Now with all the misleading guidance and deception going on here in country all for the sake of breaking up that which has taken a VERY long time to get in place to protect the american workforce and families. 
Just look at what Bonuses and Donations have done for us.  Leadrship in any business is in it for only ONE thing and that is PERSOANL gain, not the company or keeping America working. We try and outsource all we can for the sake of saving in the budget just to try and meet that next goal, if something gets in the way like someone gets ILL, get rid of em and hire the new one we dont have to spend a 1/4 to employee, and if we donate to help someone get elected, we are sure to help inforce the efforts on that end to get rid of those that are much costlier to keep around. Its just a viscious circle in the corporate side that NO ONE ever sees as they try to hit that next goal to insure the few profit as the masses continue to struggle just to survive.
When its all said and done, the suiters will be laughing once again, WallyWorld Family will be safe in the Fortress Bunker and the rest will be fighting on the surface to keep on surviving. Its just how it actually is.  Take a look around, watch the news and enjoy what the future holds for you.   (Just my ranting-Sorry)  But I feel better I got it out  LOL

I think this is a good time to differentiate between public and private unions.  I don't have a problem at all with private unions.  They can present their demands to managment, and managment can deal with them or not.  And if the unions demand too much they bankrupt the company (see auto workers etc).

I have a big problem with public unions.  They donate the money to elect the people that give them the raises.  To bad we pay for that with taxes.

IMO, public unions are no different than crony capitalism.  In both cases insiders are using connections and money to get a better deal for themselves at the expense of everyone else.

You can see plenty of examples of this in school systems where teachers can't get fired.  Or with safety workers retireing at 50-55 years old with 100k plus pensions then turning around and getting hired back for the same job (and now making 200k plus a year)


Note I have plenty of respect for most of the individual employees (both my grandparents were teachers, and I have good friends in law enforcement) but as a whole the system has is not sustainable.  It's like the old joke "it's a good job if you can get it".   Sure making 100k plus a year is great.  But it's not affordable on my dime.

I think this is a good time to differentiate between public and private unions. 

I appreciate your interpretations.............


But days of truly  private "Unions" are over.


With State and Federal  laws on "'Prevailing "  wage, non competing contracts and heavy political lobbying  there are no such private "Unions"


 Don't get me started on  public "Unions"..............We-e-e-e-e-ell........... summarized....."Illegal"

To understand how deep our politicians are in bed with the "Unions" and "Corporations" one  must be free of there personal gains.



"Politician" or avg "Joe"..........Thats a tough nut to crack anymore.

Umm I am NOT in a union, but I AM in a classification of a state employee under the Civil Service Umbrella.

This is the third year my pay raises have been frozen by the state legislature, yet my share of payment for health insurance has gone up every year, and now there is a bill introduced to increase my portion of my contribution to retirement. There is also a bill being introduced to do away with the Civil Service branch.

I am happy to have a job, yes. BUT I AM NOT AKIN to crap up north,I am angry to see the strong arm tactics and political muscle going on up there,

Anti Corporate sentiment? Corporations have had a steady decrease on taxation as related to the average citizen for going on 80 years. Corporations and average citizens income tax used to reside at about a 1:1 ratio in the 30's . Almost every decade the ration is skewed in favor of corporations. Today it is about 6:1 ratio. The accumulation of corporate welfare is what is breaking our banks.   Hmmm speaking of broken banks.  I guess that's another story..LOL no it isn't.. the same old story just like the savings and loan industry back in the 80's. If we want to fix it, we need to lose the so called conservative agenda. It's been chewing our society up for going on 30 years straight. We've gone nearer to the point of no return with a GOP White house along with the majority on both houses during GWB's presidency. I will not hold the present leader in the white house responsible for not fixing that mess in 2 and a half years. Now look what kind of lies it took for the newly named GOP " tea party" goof balls to pull of the latest disaster. I agree with you BUB.
I look at what really going on and it makes me sad for my daughters future.

"...Keep your hands off of my stack"

Great thread, with links no less! After reading through I was inspired to add my own fip penny bit (6.5 cents).
 
Way back in ancient Athens (Sign at the city-state limits: “Welcome to the birthplace of Democracy. Barbarians (except slaves) keep out.”) the leaders came up with this great idea to have 500 Athenian citizens in the ruling assembly—not for representational purposes per se, but to rule out the possibility of anyone bribing the legislature to gain preferential treatment. Nobody would be able to sway the opinions of a majority of 500 individuals, the thinking went. Way too costly.
 
Cut to the chase, and to today, and what do we have? Exhibit A, a quote from Boeing’s (for example) own web site: “Boeing and its subsidiaries have employees working in all 50 United States.” Boeing (and TRW and Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, etc.) has plants all over the place, in congressional districts from coast to coast. So, name the Congressperson who is immune from being linked with a plant closing and related job losses in his/her district if they vote to somehow cut aerospace spending? (Hint: trick question. No such rep exists.)
 
Exhibit B, the Supreme Court’s January ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission: to wit, Corporations are not limited in the amount of money they can spend to get somebody elected (or the nefarious converse, to get somebody NOT elected), or to sway opinion in things political. So, while maybe I think it too costly to try to sway the opinions of a majority of US legislators, there are other “corporate citizens” in the land who may not share my naiveté. But after all, some citizens are more equal than others, isn’t that the saying?
 
Exhibit C: take Boeing again, not for any particular reason except as example. (You can fill in another corporate name here if you like.) Again, to take it at its own word, Boeing boast of plants in 70 countries around the globe. Of which the USA is one. So, while the Supreme Court grants Boeing (and other big companies, and yes, labor unions and other collective organizations) the right to put its money where its, um, mouth is as far as politics is concerned—in the interest of free speech for all US citizens; and corporations, it turns out, are kinda, sorta, mebbe, if-you-squint-and-don’t-really-care-whose-rights-get-trampled-in-the-process, citizens too—one has to wonder: citizens of where? Lets say there’s a corporation with plants in the USA and Saudi Arabia and the UAE and China and Russia—oh, geez, Boeing again! (Sorry, fellow citizen!) And this corporation can spend and spend and spend on the elections of all those Congressional reps in all those congressional districts where company plants are located anyway? Conflict of interest? Okay, I’ll stop on this “connect the dots” scenario before it goes domino, but I put the case.
 
Actually, as thoughtful as the responses in this thread have been, which I appreciate, they’re kind of a downer, ya know? I’m going back to making music (actually working on a press release, which I have been avoiding, haha, which is sorta/kinda/if-you-squint related to music making, in the necessary evil category).  

It is interesting that Boeing was mentioned.  I had to smile a bit.
 
Boeing corporate operates as if it were a pseudo government agency.  For that matter, Airbus does the same.   Both of these companies are large pawns (and they enjoy that position) in the global economy.  Why not.... they both gain tremendously from their position.   For instance, the US  Export Import Bank (the government agency that finances U.S. exports) provided  90% of the loan guarantees for 2009  to subsidize one company.  If you guessed Boeing, you would be correct.  The bed that Boeing made while the government fluffed the pillows in the 40's still exists, and neither of them has any trouble sleeping at night - 70 years later.

Karyn


Boeing?   hmmm,  I've heard of them.   What do they make then?

My bad, I should have described them better.   These are the Boeing-Boeing-Boeing model 127
 
These are the short-haul version.  

double post  

Just trying to keep track of things. Here is who has been blamed so far in this thread. Republicans Democrats Unions Football American Idol The Military Social Security Medicare Wall Street Boeing Big Oil The Supreme Court Banks Immigrants Lobbyists Media We get the government we deserve folks. Randy p.s. Good job keeping this civil so far.

Best reply yet...............




We've blamed everyone but ourselves...................




Wait a minute, I tried that in a a while back...........

Ok.  Who was last seen holding the Blame Thrower?  Bapu?  Mooch? 










Maybe I've seen Mystery Men too many times.  I blame my childhood.

Henceforce I resolve to double the amount of economics and poltics I read each week. (wait, then I will never get any work done)

Well,you may have picked up on the fact that I am the smallest of business owners. I am an "S" Corp with a few employees.


With the layers of extra red tape and taxes added to my plate because of local government over spending and poor budgeting...etc.etc.. 


I am resolved to turn further inward, employ severe micro management and control only what I can. 


I am now profiting only thru false economics, which leaves no room for pay raises or hiring...


Or free time .............


Right now all of my extra money is and has been saved,stashed and invested,


Mostly stashed outside of the banking system.........


None has hit the market, none has trickled down. 


None will for quite some time.


I have been fairly conservative over the years and have not been hit as hard as most.


But to reach my long term goals, I am now and have been working triple and quadruple time....


Thats the only way  I know............