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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#54676: May 16th 2013 at 6:46:06 AM

@Katsura: In america, Unions are generally the only way to prevent yourself from being paid exploitatively low wages.

CaptainKatsura Decoy from    Poland    Since: Jul, 2011
Decoy
#54677: May 16th 2013 at 7:07:32 AM

[up]I'm not for exploitatively low wages, but proportionate to efficiency of workers and other employees. Of course miners and other workers whose jobs are risky should be guaranteed things like insurance, but there is a problem if a group of workers is privilidged in comparison of others. Polish miners, of whom many does not even work underground as they operate machinery on the surface or work in bureaucracy (yet they have same rights as those working underground), cling to their privilidges and are digging their own grave as employment in Polish industry decreases due to the fact it is cheaper to import some of minerals. Ironically, Poland is rich in coal, but we import it from Colombia because it is more affordable.

My President is Funny Valentine.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#54678: May 16th 2013 at 8:43:32 AM

You're looking at two different, but related problems. One is the fairness of wages given the actual productivity of each worker. The other is the difficulty of assigning fair wages in an environment where labor competitiveness is drastically different between countries, such that increased domestic wages cause production to shift to imports.

The classical way to manage this is a combination of internal wage supports and tariffs to make importing goods/raw materials less competitive. You can also increase wages internally but devalue your currency so that imports are more expensive and exports are cheaper. Of course, these measures come at the cost of reduced profits for companies and lower relative incomes for the wealthy, but that's kind of the point.

edited 16th May '13 11:42:51 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#54681: May 16th 2013 at 1:00:20 PM

[up][up]Since it involves electronic scanning I'm surprised they didn't find a way to work the Number of the Beast in there somewhere.

Trump delenda est
Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#54682: May 16th 2013 at 1:25:32 PM

Politico:

While nothing has emerged directly linkingthe White House or Preident Barack Obama’s reelection campaign to the IRS scandal, Rubio and other Republicans have attempted to argue the scandal was an inevitable byproduct of the Obama campaign’s demonization of the GOP and outside spending groups.

(Typos in the original are preserved for my personal amusement.)

So we have this nice little publicity article for Rubio, and only at the very end do they throw in, as a footnote, 'Oh yeah, and technically there's no proof of this whatsoever.'

Covering what people say at length while simultaneously refusing to comment on the accuracy of what's being said is irresponsible journalism only one step below outright lying directly to your readers.

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#54683: May 16th 2013 at 1:30:18 PM

It gets worse. It's not even a targeted attempt at suppression.

The near vertical ascent in political spending by these “dark money” groups was prompted by the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in the Citizens United case, among others, freeing them to be more active in this realm.

And it’s a bipartisan scandal, though it’s hard to tell that judging by the names some groups have adopted — as the I.R.S. should know. Can you tell which of these lean left and which ones right? Patriot Majority USA, Crossroads GPS, American Future Fund and the Citizens for Strength and Security Fund. (Nos. 1 and 4 are liberal, 2 and 3 are conservative.)

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#54684: May 16th 2013 at 1:33:36 PM

That's a good article. The scandal here should be the blatant abuse of tax-exempt status by political organizations, not the IRS's somewhat bumbling attempts to audit them.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#54685: May 16th 2013 at 1:35:21 PM

Something to think about: What will the congressional hearings show here?

At least, I can give them credit for working on immigration, water resources and farms even during this storm.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#54686: May 16th 2013 at 1:37:54 PM

That Congress is capable of working on more than one thing at a time would not seem worthy of special notice, as that's its job. That's like complimenting a person for being able to eat and sit upright at the same time.

You could make it backhanded, though. "It's truly amazing that you're able to continue dealing with minor issues like immigration while important crises like the Benghazi investigation and this IRS scandal are occupying so much of our lawmakers' time. Why, I don't know how Congress gets anything accomplished at all!"

edited 16th May '13 1:41:52 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#54687: May 16th 2013 at 1:42:47 PM

You forgot the whole AP thing, and "as that's its job. " doesn't mean "they are good at it".

Anyhow, I still believe that the 2014 midterms will be about Obamacare much more than B-A-I.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#54689: May 16th 2013 at 1:53:25 PM

@Septimus: Here's the thing: Republicans don't want 2014 to be a referendum on Obamacare, because it's really freaking popular. They are doing everything in their power to magnify scandals and tie up the Democrats in damage control mode, so that they can point to their "ineffectiveness" as a reason to vote against them.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#54690: May 16th 2013 at 1:57:14 PM

a) I am talking about what 2014 is going to be about, not what the GOP wants it to be about and b) "freaking popular" needs a citation.

Well, I am guessing that Benghazi is the least dangerous one and the IRS/AP things the more dangerous ones for Obama.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#54691: May 16th 2013 at 2:03:12 PM

None of those are "dangerous" for Obama in the least, or at least would not be if the Republicans would stop harping on them. They face the potential electoral disaster of opposing Obama's agenda when, in a year's time, 30 million or more people who lack health insurance will get it.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#54692: May 16th 2013 at 2:27:47 PM

Well, I'm proud to say that I enjoyed having insurance coverage last year thanks to Obamacare!

Patriot Majority USA, Crossroads GPS, American Future Fund and the Citizens for Strength and Security Fund. (Nos. 1 and 4 are liberal, 2 and 3 are conservative.)

I knew these, except possibly #4. Then again, I read Daily Kos Elections, which follows these crazily-named groups and their shenanigans.

DrTentacles Cephalopod Lothario from Land of the Deep Ones Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Cephalopod Lothario
#54693: May 16th 2013 at 3:11:08 PM

Cross-posted this to the Econ thread, but since it has to do with America (And lack of regulations and oversight) I thought it could go well here as well.

An object lesson on the importance of regulation.

This is...as disturbing and disgusting as it gets. I probably shouldn't be so shocked that something like this can happen in glorious 'Merica, but I am.

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#54694: May 16th 2013 at 3:16:57 PM

Because our immigration system is broken, small business owners and entrepreneurs like Faizan can't bring their big ideas to the United States.

whitehouse.gov, best press agency in the US. They tell it like it is.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
OhNoABear I'm back, baby. from Exiting, pursued by a... Since: Jan, 2011
I'm back, baby.
#54696: May 16th 2013 at 6:33:24 PM

[up] Haven't read the article yet, but the Carville one sounds slightly... ominous.

edited 16th May '13 6:33:49 PM by OhNoABear

"The marvel is not that the Bear posts well, but that the Bear posts at all."
NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#54697: May 16th 2013 at 6:51:16 PM

Liberal groups received same IRS letter that ignited Tea Party outrage

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/15/1209257/-Liberal-groups-received-same-IRS-letter-that-ignited-Tea-Party-nbsp-outrage

At least the right can stop with their faux outrage now.

OhNoABear I'm back, baby. from Exiting, pursued by a... Since: Jan, 2011
I'm back, baby.
#54698: May 16th 2013 at 6:55:02 PM

[up] Ha! Yes, the fact that it seems to have been equal is absolutely going to put a cap on angry white guy outrage. Because that is always what has happened in the past.

"The marvel is not that the Bear posts well, but that the Bear posts at all."

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