Corporate democrats ARE liberals. Unless you want to claim that Obama is a conservative.. or that Schumer is a conservative.. etc. And that simply is not going to fly. Listen.. I get it.. you want to turn this conversation into a democrat versus republican thing.. because the data does not support your ideology. you can bash republicans.. the current group anyway.. all you wish.. the facts are.. your liberals haven't done any better... and that's in large part because all people want to talk about is their ideology and not the real solutions we need to take/.
solutions that we all could probably agree to if we stopped the ideology fights... but that's not going to happen as long as liberals continue to hold onto their ideology.
no I meant 10X our demand leakage.
Our trade deficit is 48.3 billion dollars. Now some here claim that we need to deficit spend to make this up... and that's why we deficit spend the way we do.
but our budget deficit is 439 billion dollars (lower percentage wise than it has been in years).
Its hard to argue that we need to spend 439 billion in deficit when we are only "leaking " 48.3 billion.
In one year we spent 10x the money we "leaked" in trade deficit. then take that deficit versus trade balance over a couple of decades and you will see that we have spent so much deficit spending that "demand leakage" is really a non entity.
That trade deficit you quoted is for one month - annualized it's $580 billion per year. I think the annual is closer to $40 billion per month, or $480 billion per year but I couldn't find the number quickly.
It's a cop out to point out no one is making the argument you're attributing to liberals? LOL.
You said the kind of spending doesn't matter to your mythical "liberals" but it just does. If you want to equate "liberal" with "democrat in congress" then you can't object when I point to GOP acts while in power as evidence of what it means to be conservative. Deal?
That's just not a legitimate way to evaluate the effectiveness of transfer payments. There are two forces, we'll call them. One are the economic forces unrelated to transfer payments that are increasing inequality across much or all of the developed world. Let's say economic forces increase inequality by 10x per year. Transfer payments correct for some of those forces - let's say 4x per year. Well, each year inequality increases by (10x - 4x) = 6x. But you can't say transfer payments had no effect, just that they were not SUFFICIENT to offset the other forces working against them.
Again, so if we ended food stamps, EITC, disability, Medicaid, SCHIP, inequality would stay the same? You called it a straw man earlier and were offended I made the argument, but if transfer payments have not reduced inequality, then ending them cannot increase inequality. I thought you rejected that, as well you should because it's ridiculous.
That's not really what I meant, but I ran out of space to comment more directly. Bottom line is I don't think the proposals you mention do much of anything to solve the problem of healthcare access, but I'd be up for changing my mind if someone scored something specific, and not a napkin version of it. And I'd favor more comprehensive approaches if we're just throwing out proposals not being considered in Congress, like single payer.
I would like someone to explain to me how they can be in principle against free movement of capital across borders but against free movement of people.
I really don't - it's you who is pointing to votes in Congress by democrats as evidence of what "liberals" believe, but you're insisting that I ignore what GOPers do and listen to your version of what it means to be a conservative. I'm just asking for the same courtesy.
LOL, so we need to stop the ideology fights, and that means liberals quit believing what they do and adopt adopt conservative views, like yours! Very funny. I'll strike that up as a not well thought out comment and leave it at that.
That trade deficit you quoted is for one month - annualized it's $580 billion per year. I think the annual is closer to $40 billion per month, or $480 billion per year but I couldn't find the number quickly.
Also the trade deficit is not the only mechanism by which demand can leak. Over the past 40 years, we have seen wage stagnation for almost all Americans but wages surging forward for the wealthiest among us. This has increased the rate of demand leakage as a function of the economy from personal savings.
Very true.. but you don;t want to address that wage stagnation.. you want to punish the wealthy without a regard to wage stagnation.
Tell me.. how many liberals are vehemently against illegal immigration? Or are liberals more likely to have haven cities for illegal immigrants.
Now.. tell me.. when you have more people coming in for fewer jobs, and those people are working in many cases in violation of our wage and labor laws.. how can you not believe that illegal immigration contributes to wage stagnation.
No.. because there are liberal republicans, (in fact that's what we mostly have), moderate republicans and conservative republicans in congress. Democrats on the other hand are either liberal or moderate.. there are not any (at least that I can think of) conservative democats in congress. Sorry but you would need to claim that Hillary, Schumer, Pelosi, and Obama are "conservatives" or even moderates.. and there is no way that flies. They are liberals.
Ahhh but yes it is... lets take your example.. Lets say that economic forces increase inequality by 10x per year.. and you contend that transfer payments correct for some of those forces.. lets say 4 x per year..
Well the reality would be that probably inequality would probably not stay the same.. it would decrease as a result. And that's because the amount drop in the amount that is received by the poor would be less than the drop received by the wealthy in many of these programs. Thus inequity would be reduced. Of course people would be hurting.. but inequity would be less.
I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone except a die hard libertarian that is for truly "FREE" trade.. almost all folks believe in regulated trade. Even trump.. I haven't heard him claim that we need to open our borders to a heroin trade...
By the way.. I am not a believer in free trade either. I believe in fair trade. As are all conservatives.
However, I see no problem with someone believing in free trade and not free immigration. they are two different things with different ramifications.
You are creating a strawman to avoid the debate.
As far as "moving a plant to Mexico or China or allowing 500 immigrants into the US" and you don;t see a difference then you are a fool. If a company can move a plant to Mexico or China.. then they will do it.. because its going to be VASTLY cheaper than keeping a company in the us even with allowing 500 immigrants in.
Very true.. but you don;t want to address that wage stagnation.. you want to punish the wealthy without a regard to wage stagnation.
Tell me.. how many liberals are vehemently against illegal immigration? Or are liberals more likely to have haven cities for illegal immigrants.
Now.. tell me.. when you have more people coming in for fewer jobs, and those people are working in many cases in violation of our wage and labor laws.. how can you not believe that illegal immigration contributes to wage stagnation.
No I have not misinterpreted or misunderstood your arguments and others as well.
And no sir.. I do not make the old correlation=causation mistake when I discuss deficit spending with inequality. Sorry but I understand statistical analysis quite well. IF deficit spending had a strong effect on reducing inequity then there would be a strong correlation between deficit spending and inequality. As deficit spending increased.. then inequality should drop correspondingly..
THATS what would happen to a correlation statistic IF there was a strong causal relationship between deficit spending and reduced inequality. There would be a strong negative correlation. More spending.. decreased inequality. BUT you don;t see that. What you see is that deficit spending increases and inequality has increased. Which is a positive correlation. However this does not mean causation that increases spending causes inequality..that relationship COULD be there.. (it could be causal) but you can;t say that.
HOLY CRAP batman.. why our demand leakage is 48.3 billion dollars... that's why we are spending 439 Billion dollars. ALMOST 10X the amount of money in deficit to "demand leakage"..
WELL.. IF I increase transfer payments in that example.. then the amount of inequality should REDUCE and trend down.. as the increase in transfer payments increase.. but they don;t.. we have been increasing transfer payments.. i.e. expanding government programs like Medicaid, Obamacare subsidies, Medicare part D, and increased the earned income credit to the point where people receive a net income from the governmnet and yet inequality INCREASED.
Blows your equation out of the water.
Well the reality would be that probably inequality would probably not stay the same.. it would decrease as a result. And that's because the amount drop in the amount that is received by the poor would be less than the drop received by the wealthy in many of these programs. Thus inequity would be reduced. Of course people would be hurting.. but inequity would be less.
Critter7r said:I'm confused, let's review ... " ... the amount drop in the amount that is received by the poor .. " so, the size of the reduction paid to the poor, " ... would be less than the drop received by the wealthy ... " would be less than the size of the reduction paid to the wealthy. So, .... somehow, the elimination of SNAP, food stamps, TANF and the EITC is going to reduce a wealthy person's income by a larger number than it will reduce a poor person's income. Which will reduce inequality. Except for SS, the wealthy don't receive money from many programs designed to help the poor. And I don't know how you expect that a wealthy person would lose more from the loss of these programs than a poor person.
In the past, his argument has been, "all the money ends up with the rich, so all the money that the government gives to the poor just goes to the rich in the end. So we should give less to the poor." Of course, he's not taking into consideration that that money feeds both the poor (literally) and the economy (figuratively) as it trickles up to the rich.
This only makes sense if you believe that all money effectively makes the circuit from ownership to labor and back again, in a neverending cycle with a steady equilibrium that is only disturbed by government intervention. (And immigration.)
Things like tying the minimum wage to inflation and securing union rights would help fight against wage stagnation! They don't punish the wealthy, they rebalance the system.
Illegals are given amnesty under both parties presidential candidates. That's not a democrat only issue.
Minimum wage does not address any fundamental problems. And minimum wage has gone up with inflation since its inception (the last raise 2007) and 29 states have HIGHER minimum wages than the federal minimum.. and yet wage stagnation continues. Tying the minimum wage to inflation will do little if nothing to decrease wage stagnation.
Securing union rights? To some degree this will help in removing some of the laws in right to work states. or in certain industries that fall under onerous union laws.. (like fed ex).
However, yes.. illegals have been given amnesty under both parties. However, currently.. the republican party wants to reduce illegal immigration and control and reduce legal immigration. The democrat party is creating haven cities. So right now.. it IS a democrat only issue.
Minimum wage does not address any fundamental problems. And minimum wage has gone up with inflation since its inception (the last raise 2007) and 29 states have HIGHER minimum wages than the federal minimum.. and yet wage stagnation continues. Tying the minimum wage to inflation will do little if nothing to decrease wage stagnation.
Securing union rights? To some degree this will help in removing some of the laws in right to work states. or in certain industries that fall under onerous union laws.. (like fed ex).
However, yes.. illegals have been given amnesty under both parties. However, currently.. the republican party wants to reduce illegal immigration and control and reduce legal immigration. The democrat party is creating haven cities. So right now.. it IS a democrat only issue.
Again.. are you claiming that your "corporate" democrats.. like Schumer, Pelosi, Obama, Boxer.. are "moderates?". sorry but they are certainly not.OK, your ideological blinders are showing when you basically insist there are no moderate democrats in Congress but most republicans in Congress are liberal republicans.
We can't fix inequality without changing the rules. Decades of regressive legislation has built the current mountain of inequality. The sales tax itself is regressive, hitting lower income earners with a higher tax rate on their income.
Some of the most popular proposals include:
•Raise the minimum wage.
•Increase taxes on super-high incomes.
•Remove tax loopholes.
•Cap CEO pay.
So what? You're ignoring the other forces affecting inequality, making some arbitrary but unstated assumption that these other forces affecting inequality are constant or increasing at a rate less than the impact of transfer payments, .
.I'm sorry but that makes no sense, as in I don't understand at all how that math can possibly work. You'll have to restate it somehow
Hmm lets see. I would start with a labeling program for agriculture so that any food products or produce that was produced in any country that had a lower standard of food safety than the US its country of origin must be labeled. I mean how is it I know where my shoes were manufactured, my toothbrush manufacture if out of the US.. but I have no idea whether the food that I put in my childrens mouths this morning was from a country as stringent as the US or from a country where pesticides illegal in the US are used routinely?Fair" trade means nothing that I know of - like "fair" taxation. So, we know you're against Mexicans crossing our borders to work in the U.S., so what limits would you favor on goods manufactured in Mexico coming back to the U.S.? ?
Sure, there are differences, obviously. But what has a larger impact on wages in the US?
1) 12 million illegals and millions more legal immigrants, doing a lot of low skill, low value added jobs that will never pay middle class wages?
And if you can't move the plants to the developing world, move people from the developing world here - what's the difference in the impact?
of course it makes sense. Because how are you planning on keeping a company from moving a 500 employee plant to Mexico where they pay pennies on the dollar?Yeah, I see a difference, and IMO moving the 500 employee plant has a FAR bigger negative impact than allowing 500 workers into the U.S. That was my point. But in both cases, there are 500 people without a job. You're only focusing on immigration. Makes no sense.
Again.. are you claiming that your "corporate" democrats.. like Schumer, Pelosi, Obama, Boxer.. are "moderates?". sorry but they are certainly not.
And please.. I listen a lot to liberals and liberal media.. and when they talk about reducing AND ending inequality.. usually the first thing out of their mouth is "higher taxes".
From huffington post:
no.. I am not ignoring it. You are ignoring the fact that after decades of spending and increases in spending. And increases in government programs.. inequity has increased. and steadily. YOU are making the assumption that the forces affecting inequality are constantly increasing at a rate GREATER than the spending increases. That's your assumption.. whats a bigger assumption.. that the forces that are pushing inequity are changing.. which mean that inequity would be reduced when the forces are less and yet spending is increased? or your assumption that the forces that are driving inequity are constantly increasing and always at a rate that's greater than the increase in spending?
Sorry man but you are making a much greater assumption.. Like a snake oil salesman that when confronted with why his snake oil doesn;t work.. states "well you of course need MORE of it".
Okay.. when welfare is given to people.. the amount of benefit in total dollars to the wealthy is greater than the total dollars that the welfare recipient gets. That's because it takes money to administer that money to welfare folks. In addition.. the money that goes to the welfare person ultimately ends up in the hands of a wealthy person since saving is quite limited in the welfare population.
So.. when you eliminate welfare.. you most likely eliminate a larger amount in total dollars to the wealthy than you do the welfare recipient.
Hmm lets see. I would start with a labeling program for agriculture so that any food products or produce that was produced in any country that had a lower standard of food safety than the US its country of origin must be labeled. I mean how is it I know where my shoes were manufactured, my toothbrush manufacture if out of the US.. but I have no idea whether the food that I put in my childrens mouths this morning was from a country as stringent as the US or from a country where pesticides illegal in the US are used routinely?
And if mexico.. or Canada for that matter wish to protest and put further tariffs on US goods.. so be it.. we can retaliate and see who is standing at the end.
I am for wealth distribution,
You'll forgive me if I don't buy the GOP rhetoric on immigration until I see it in action. .
Well, an example close to my heart is entire accounting departments are now being offshored to India. How can you not believe that offshoring 10s of thousands of good paying white collar jobs contributes to wage stagnation?
How can you not believe that offshoring millions and millions of good paying production jobs to China doesn't contribute to wage stagnation?
How can you not believe that the nearly complete private sector demise of the traditional vehicle for increasing the bargaining power of average workers (unions) does not contribute to wage stagnation, when each worker individually negotiates with behemoths?
Etc.
Same thing with so-called sanctuary cities. These are people we invited here. Should we treat them like vermin because they're 'illegal' or treat them like human beings who deserve respect? I'll pick the latter.
Point is you're reducing complex problems to grade school level talking points. It's not persuasive.
The Economist notes that despite increased competition, Mexican farm exports to the United States have tripled since NAFTA's implementation, in part because of reduced tariffs on maize
Yes, you have. For one, nobody is calling for "more, more, MORE" deficit spending. Deficit spending, if you truly understood my argument, needs to be big enough to close the demand gap, and not so big that it would swamp the economy's ability to meet demand.
You haven't spent one second on statistical analysis and we both know it. Don't even try that with me. You are a seat-of-the-pants arguer if ever there was one. If you need proof of this, ask yourself how, after debating economics for so long here, were you not aware that the ballpark size of our annual trade deficit was about half a trillion dollars? That is one of those numbers that anybody halfway familiar with our economy has at their fingertips, just like the approximate size of our GDP or our national debt.
Let's say you had an unemployed son that you were sending money to. You send him $1000/month, but his expenses are $1500/month. By your reasoning, your $1000 checks correlate to his going further and further into debt
Which brings you to the conclusion that your spending doesn't help him, and might even be the cause of his debt.
.There is an accounting identity that holds true, every single year; govt. deficit/surplus = net imports/exports + net domestic saving. If the govt. runs a balanced budget, and we run our usual $500 billion trade deficit, then $500 billion must flow out of the domestic sector to our overseas trading partners. I can't make it any simpler than that. If you don't believe in demand leakage, I might as well be trying to convince a Christian that God does not exist
Just FYI, by all indications, FedEx itself is the one lobbying for the laws enabling them to keep the union out of their business. It's not like FedEx is trying to get a union to represent their employees and the big bad gov't won't allow them to do so.
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