A Blast From The Past: The Effect of Reaganomics on the American Economy

[MrScorpio]

6 Shocking Ways Conservatives Helped Cause the Economic Destruction of America

The anti-government, pro-corporate-rule Reagan Revolution screwed a lot of things up for regular people and for the country.

June 20, 2010 |

It seems that you can look at a chart of almost anything and right around 1981 or soon after you'll see the chart make a sharp change in direction, and probably not in a good way. And I really do mean almost anything, from economics to trade to infrastructure to ... well almost anything. I spent some time looking for charts of things, and here are just a few examples. In each of the charts below look for the year 1981, when Reagan took office.

Conservative policies transformed the United States from the largest creditor nation to the largest debtor nation in just a few years, and it has only gotten worse since then:



Working people's

share

of the benefits from increased productivity took a sudden turn down:



The Rest: http://www.alternet.org/story/147262/6_shocking_ways_conservatives_helped_cause_the_economic_destruction_of_america?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=alternet

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, MrScorpio.

[busterbrown]

3. Too much market regulation I tell ya!!

K&R bro!!!

[cantbeserious]

2. Who Stole The American Dream - Video - Book - Powell Memo

"The promise of a prosperous middle-class life with decent work, rising living standards, and the potential for a better future has long been the foundation of the American dream. But as America continues to struggle to recover from the Great Recession, it has become clear that the middle class is in jeopardy -- and many of the policies of the last 40 years are to blame.

Examining the political, legislative, and corporate choices that have pushed the middle class to the brink, Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, and bestselling author Hedrick Smith details the story of this demise. In his new book, Who Stole the American Dream?, Mr. Smith analyzes how "pro-business" policies dismantled the previous American social contract and tells the stories of the people who have been left behind. ..."

The Book - Who Stole The American Dream

http://www.amazon.com/Stole-American-Dream-Hedrick-Smith/dp/1400069661

See the Powell Manifesto Here.

http://www.thwink.org/sustain/articles/017_PowellMemo/PowellMemoReproduction.pdf

Commentary Here.

http://www.thwink.org/sustain/articles/017_PowellMemo/

[zeemike]

7. Wow.. that is interesting.

Thanks for posting it.

[blkmusclmachine]

4. 1981, the GOP called it "Mourning in America."

[DirkGently]

5. KNR.

[hibbing]

6. "tax reform"

Interesting charts, and they are calling for the same crappy policies today that they were 35 years ago. At least we move forward, or some of us do. I don't know how much longer this can last. All economic policies geared towards the ruling class 1% while their percentage of the wealth keeps increasing, the middle class gets pinched and the lower class gets shit upon....I could go on and on.

Peace

[liberal_at_heart]

8. K&R

[japple]

9. Trickle down=Piss on 'em! n/t

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

10. It worked just like it was designed to,

for the benefit of the 1%.

[Nye Bevan]

11. It looks from your graph that the decline was much greater under Clinton (1992-2000)

than under Reagan (1980-1988). Am I reading it correctly, or is the point that Reagan instituted changes that subsequent Democratic presidents were powerless to reverse, even when they were elected for two terms?

[paleotn]

12. One of the cornerstones of Reaganomics....

...is so called "free" trade. Corporatists are now able to freely ship production overseas, exploit foreign workers, trash their environment, ship production back to the US and sell it at significantly higher profit margins than was possible with US based production. All this to further enrich shareholders, ie the 1%. And what are we, the 99%, left with? A service based economy, with terrible wages, no benefits and zero job security. That's a far cry from the economy our parents and grandparents knew. And it all started with Reagan and has been supported by every president since, including the current one. If you think otherwise, explain Obama's support for the super secret Trans Pacific Partnership. And why is it so secret? Because it's the super giant size of free trade, corporate overlord bullshit that's gotten most of us into the damn mess we're in now.