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Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)
Unknown Beatle
(2,672 posts)and the quest for power, the petty shit won't stop.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Who knows, we could have an event that changes everything.
AngryDem001
(684 posts)that event was WWIII......
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)I'd like to think we can get there without losing every major city and killing off 600,000,000 people with nukes.
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)gave us a burgeoning "Middle Class", but it's starting to look as if it was only a mirage. The real American Dream is being bought by the rich. If we go anywhere beyond the earthly bounds, it'll be for some pursuit of theirs. Hell, that's what the buzz about a Martian colony is - it's about plundering whatever precious resources might be found there.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)While it's true that all of our competition was sifting through rubble after WWI, it wasn't WWII that gave us a the Middle Class, it was the Cold War.
When the United States decided to make it a policy to promote Capitalism on a global scale they needed something to show other nations as to why they should chose Capitalism over Communism. They decided to use the "improved quality of life for the citizens" argument and created a robust "Middle Class" to showcase to the world. Unions were given a lot of power in the courts to counter the "Capitalist exploitation of the workers" argument.
After the fall of the Soviet Union the "powers that be" couldn't really see any REASON to keep that Middle Class going. It was a HUGE drain on their profits. The attitude became one of not having any responsibility to pay for their work force even a living wage. Contempt for the workers soon became the norm as people in desperation accepted less and less and were regarded as being less and less valuable.
It's to the point now where there is actual HATE for the workers and many bosses see them as moochers who feel they are entitled to the bosses money.
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)but it wouldn't have happened if WWII hadn't been there as an igniter. WWII brought struggling, smallish manufacturing firms to the fore and poured on the cash to invigorate them. It would've lost momentum had it not been for the arms race that followed. Having been born just before Hiroshima, I got to ride that wave of prosperity a good bit. Now in my "golden years", I look out over the now stagnant waters that propelled me for a time. It's a sad view for sure.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)If you listen to Republicans they'll use the same arguments bosses use. Starting with "We're broke." to justify why you can't get a raise.
