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That's what life was almost like here back in the mid-20th Century. But then all the stuff had to get privatised, and so... we still pay the price by worshipping the lifestyles of the rich famous, who are alway complainin'.
That's what I find weird in USA, everything goes private. Heck, it seems only thing left for the government is to go and start wars with some weak 3rd world countries. Public healthcare, from looks of news, looks like Antichrist, any attempt of goverment trying to control economy even litle bit is instantly attempting to recreate Soviet Union. Capitalism is all good and ok, but seriosuly?
Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ
Capitalism is seen as a god these days because of the work of an insane actor who told us all stories of a black woman driving a Cadillac to her lavish apartment funded by the government and told us that it was ok to hate things, who fell asleep in cabinet meetings and told the person who last held his job that he didn't care about nuclear launch protocols and that he would get someone else to do it, who had the mind of a 5 year old and ignored the plight of millions of people.
I speak of course of Reagan.
Very big Daydream Believer. "That's not knowledge, that's a crapshoot!" -Al Murray "Welcome to QI" -Stephen Fry
You making fun of the guy for Alzheimer's? That is totally not cool man, not cool.
Fun fact: Compared to today's Republicans, Reagan (like Nixon) was a pinko.
edited 5th Jul '11 8:42:32 PM by TheyCallMeTomu
Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ
True, that might've been a low blow.
What was also a low blow was how he committed crimes to get elected via keeping the hostages from being released until after Carter's bid for reelection.
But this is off topic. What is no topic was how he lowered taxes on the rich and corporations, instituting Supply Side Economics while also instituting free-trade agreements which sent jobs overseas. Basically, he gave them carte-blanche to exploit workers wherever and then asked nothing back to fix the trouble they caused.
Very big Daydream Believer. "That's not knowledge, that's a crapshoot!" -Al Murray "Welcome to QI" -Stephen Fry
Reagan had a theory. A theory that we have spent three decades proving demonstrably wrong over and over. And yet, people still believe that theory. That's why people call Republican Economic Policy a religion-when being kind-or a cult.
486-powered rotating frosted cherry Pop-Tart
People believe it for the same reason people play the lottery or get sucked into Ponzi schemes: "I'm rich. Do as I say, not as I do, and you can be rich too!"
online since 1993 | huge retrocomputing and TV nerd | lee4hmz.info (under construction) | heapershangout.com
Don't put "playing the lottery" here, it's not as irrational as it looks. (can't find the wikipedia article now)
Finland has progressive tax and it works well for us. Dunno why.
Anyway, here is a simple economic view that was once presented to me, can't remember who it was.
When employee goes to doctor, who says "You are about to get X, take these/do this to prevent it", it cost company less to have employee off 2 days than having him 2 weeks for getting seriosuly sick for not being able to afford health care.
Free schools allow even poorer people getting educstion, making sure that companies have more avaiable educated work force.
When you stand on top, you do not see what others do to keep you there. Company does not consist owner only, it has numerous employers who keep it running. Satisfied and happy worker is more loyal and productive than nearly burned out eternaly depted poor worker, who keeps doing work untill he dies so his kids don't have to pay for his mistakes.
Otherwise you end up with monkey tree. Monkeys up in the tree look down and see smiling faces. Monkeys down in the tree look up and see assholes.
Missed a lot but basicly that way. Rich do not simply run companies alone, if they even truly participate in production. Those men and women in factory keep churning out the products, not the CEO. Making sure they can pay for products you produce seems better than having them life in "from hand to mouth" principle, where everything goes to saving incase you get sick or are barely able to afford for food after taxes.
Finland used to have culture where rich didn't advertise their wealth. They lived just like everyone else, used busses or taxes, went to work, had slightly bigger house and such, but they didn't rub it in the face of fellow workers. They didn't go around and say "HA HA I get this much from your work"