Of Division, Politics, Economics and Race in America

[DarterBlue]

Background: The USA is a multi racial, multi ethnic, plural society which had its genesis in the subjugation of its native peoples and the use of slave labor, in many parts of the country, imported against its will. In short, despite the narrative popularly espoused and taught in schools, the country was born in dysfunction and exploitation. Despite its questionable beginnings, the country prospered economically and by the end of WW1, was, perhaps, the preeminent industrial power in the world. Confirmation of this position of dominance was cemented at the conclusion of WW2, when much of Europe, as well as Japan lay in ruins. To its credit, the USA employed very sound, thoughtful policy following the war enabling both its friends and foes, alike to rebuild from the rubble of war with such programs as the Marshall Plan. True, this was probably due to the threat of communism posed by the Soviet Union. But regardless, it was enlightened policy that enabled the developed world to prosper post WW2 And, domestically, in response to social upheavals in the 1950s and 1960s, great progress was also made in civil rights. In short there was justifiably much optimism  in the air as it seemed that once and for all, the USA was going to live up to the noble language contained in its Declaration of Independence and its fine constitution. 

Unfortunately, cracks started to develop within the core of the country during the mid to late 1970s. The economy which had been humming along, raising the living standards of most citizens in the process, began to sag under the weight of expensive oil. Well enter Reagan. Under his Presidency, the economy seemed to prosper. But beneath the surface, a trend that had begun a decade and a half earlier accelerated as more and more workers found themselves without union representation in an economy increasingly dominated by mammoth international corporations. Further, deregulation accelerated the transformation of the economy into an oligarchic state, as mergers occurred which would have most certainly been disallowed under the country's antitrust laws, in prior administrations. Despite Democrats recapturing the Presidency in the early 1990s, the trend continued as Bill Clinton facilitated and supported the wholesale deregulation of the Financial Markets culminating with the repeal of Glass-Steagall 

The result of all of the above was slow growth. Why? Principally because of the fact that the wealthy have much smaller marginal propensities to consume. With incomes of the working class and working poor largely stagnant, aggregate demand stagnated. For awhile, this was delayed as lax credit and the housing bubble created the illusion of nonexistent disposable income. But that ended with the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008. 

Crossroads: In 2016, along comes DJT. I give him credit, he recognized that there was an opportunity based on the stagnant quality of live of the working class. Unfortunately, instead of taking the high road, he decided to exploit it by opening up long existent, old, racial wounds. Couple that with the nearsightedness of big business, which has promoted the importation of labor at both the high end (information and technology jobs) and the very low end (agricultural workers), instead of supporting an educational infrastructure that promotes the development of our own scientists and engineers, and, instead of paying living wages for the low end jobs which would make them attractive to domestic workers. All of this has led to what increasingly seems to me to be an incendiary situation. For instead of dealing with society''s real problems, chief among them being: 1. The exportation of jobs to foreign shores; 2. Our crumbling infrastructure; 3. The impact of robotics and artificial intelligence on the nature of production and the need for labor; and 4. Climate change, we instead expend our energy on belittling and berating each other. All, while the politicians in Washington fail to execute policies that would promote sustainable growth and relative social harmony. 

As I type this, things are in a bad way. You need only look at the various threads on this board to realize this. For while we continue to fight each other internally our competition conducts business as usual and continues to out maneuver us. Does this mean that the USA's position of leader of the world is over? Not necessarily, though at some stage, as all other great civilizations before it, this will probably happen. But we can and should enact policies that stave this off till well into the future. But I fare we will not, as in fact, everything we seem to have done on a major scale over the last forty years seems destined to undermine us from within. 

I am a comparatively old man and have certainly seen most of my days on earth already. However, I would like to live out the remainder of my life, in this, the county I have spent the large majority of my adult life in and have come to love. But given where we seem to be going, I am concerned that I may no longer be welcome here and that conditions may escalate to the point where things become unsafe. I guess what I do have going for me is an ability to adapt, as I had to adjust to America, and if forced to, I can do so once again elsewhere.  

[zulu1128]

tl;dr

[concha]

3 minutes ago, zulu1128 said:

tl;dr

 

I read a little and it was like a Howard Zinn essay. So I stopped.

.

[RedZone]

29 minutes ago, concha said:

 

I read a little 

.

That's quite a bit more than you normally read.

Your posts back that up.

 

[RedZone]

59 minutes ago, DarterBlue said:

Background: The USA is a multi racial, multi ethnic, plural society which had its genesis in the subjugation of its native peoples and the use of slave labor, in many parts of the country, imported against its will. In short, despite the narrative popularly espoused and taught in schools, the country was born in dysfunction and exploitation. Despite its questionable beginnings, the country prospered economically and by the end of WW1, was, perhaps, the preeminent industrial power in the world. Confirmation of this position of dominance was cemented at the conclusion of WW2, when much of Europe, as well as Japan lay in ruins. To its credit, the USA employed very sound, thoughtful policy following the war enabling both its friends and foes, alike to rebuild from the rubble of war with such programs as the Marshall Plan. True, this was probably due to the threat of communism posed by the Soviet Union. But regardless, it was enlightened policy that enabled the developed world to prosper post WW2 And, domestically, in response to social upheavals in the 1950s and 1960s, great progress was also made in civil rights. In short there was justifiably much optimism  in the air as it seemed that once and for all, the USA was going to live up to the noble language contained in its Declaration of Independence and its fine constitution. 

Unfortunately, cracks started to develop within the core of the country during the mid to late 1970s. The economy which had been humming along, raising the living standards of most citizens in the process, began to sag under the weight of expensive oil. Well enter Reagan. Under his Presidency, the economy seemed to prosper. But beneath the surface, a trend that had begun a decade and a half earlier accelerated as more and more workers found themselves without union representation in an economy increasingly dominated by mammoth international corporations. Further, deregulation accelerated the transformation of the economy into an oligarchic state, as mergers occurred which would have most certainly been disallowed under the country's antitrust laws, in prior administrations. Despite Democrats recapturing the Presidency in the early 1990s, the trend continued as Bill Clinton facilitated and supported the wholesale deregulation of the Financial Markets culminating with the repeal of Glass-Steagall 

The result of all of the above was slow growth. Why? Principally because of the fact that the wealthy have much smaller marginal propensities to consume. With incomes of the working class and working poor largely stagnant, aggregate demand stagnated. For awhile, this was delayed as lax credit and the housing bubble created the illusion of nonexistent disposable income. But that ended with the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008. 

Crossroads: In 2016, along comes DJT. I give him credit, he recognized that there was an opportunity based on the stagnant quality of live of the working class. Unfortunately, instead of taking the high road, he decided to exploit it by opening up long existent, old, racial wounds. Couple that with the nearsightedness of big business, which has promoted the importation of labor at both the high end (information and technology jobs) and the very low end (agricultural workers), instead of supporting an educational infrastructure that promotes the development of our own scientists and engineers, and, instead of paying living wages for the low end jobs which would make them attractive to domestic workers. All of this has led to what increasingly seems to me to be an incendiary situation. For instead of dealing with society''s real problems, chief among them being: 1. The exportation of jobs to foreign shores; 2. Our crumbling infrastructure; 3. The impact of robotics and artificial intelligence on the nature of production and the need for labor; and 4. Climate change, we instead expend our energy on belittling and berating each other. All, while the politicians in Washington fail to execute policies that would promote sustainable growth and relative social harmony. 

As I type this, things are in a bad way. You need only look at the various threads on this board to realize this. For while we continue to fight each other internally our competition conducts business as usual and continues to out maneuver us. Does this mean that the USA's position of leader of the world is over? Not necessarily, though at some stage, as all other great civilizations before it, this will probably happen. But we can and should enact policies that stave this off till well into the future. But I fare we will not, as in fact, everything we seem to have done on a major scale over the last forty years seems destined to undermine us from within. 

I am a comparatively old man and have certainly seen most of my days on earth already. However, I would like to live out the remainder of my life, in this, the county I have spent the large majority of my adult life in and have come to love. But given where we seem to be going, I am concerned that I may no longer be welcome here and that conditions may escalate to the point where things become unsafe. I guess what I do have going for me is an ability to adapt, as I had to adjust to America, and if forced to, I can do so once again elsewhere.  

Pretty embarrassing times.

 

 

 

[DevilDog]

1 hour ago, DarterBlue said:

Background: The USA is a multi racial, multi ethnic, plural society which had its genesis in the subjugation of its native peoples and the use of slave labor, in many parts of the country, imported against its will. In short, despite the narrative popularly espoused and taught in schools, the country was born in dysfunction and exploitation. Despite its questionable beginnings, the country prospered economically and by the end of WW1, was, perhaps, the preeminent industrial power in the world. Confirmation of this position of dominance was cemented at the conclusion of WW2, when much of Europe, as well as Japan lay in ruins. To its credit, the USA employed very sound, thoughtful policy following the war enabling both its friends and foes, alike to rebuild from the rubble of war with such programs as the Marshall Plan. True, this was probably due to the threat of communism posed by the Soviet Union. But regardless, it was enlightened policy that enabled the developed world to prosper post WW2 And, domestically, in response to social upheavals in the 1950s and 1960s, great progress was also made in civil rights. In short there was justifiably much optimism  in the air as it seemed that once and for all, the USA was going to live up to the noble language contained in its Declaration of Independence and its fine constitution. 

Unfortunately, cracks started to develop within the core of the country during the mid to late 1970s. The economy which had been humming along, raising the living standards of most citizens in the process, began to sag under the weight of expensive oil. Well enter Reagan. Under his Presidency, the economy seemed to prosper. But beneath the surface, a trend that had begun a decade and a half earlier accelerated as more and more workers found themselves without union representation in an economy increasingly dominated by mammoth international corporations. Further, deregulation accelerated the transformation of the economy into an oligarchic state, as mergers occurred which would have most certainly been disallowed under the country's antitrust laws, in prior administrations. Despite Democrats recapturing the Presidency in the early 1990s, the trend continued as Bill Clinton facilitated and supported the wholesale deregulation of the Financial Markets culminating with the repeal of Glass-Steagall 

The result of all of the above was slow growth. Why? Principally because of the fact that the wealthy have much smaller marginal propensities to consume. With incomes of the working class and working poor largely stagnant, aggregate demand stagnated. For awhile, this was delayed as lax credit and the housing bubble created the illusion of nonexistent disposable income. But that ended with the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008. 

Crossroads: In 2016, along comes DJT. I give him credit, he recognized that there was an opportunity based on the stagnant quality of live of the working class. Unfortunately, instead of taking the high road, he decided to exploit it by opening up long existent, old, racial wounds. Couple that with the nearsightedness of big business, which has promoted the importation of labor at both the high end (information and technology jobs) and the very low end (agricultural workers), instead of supporting an educational infrastructure that promotes the development of our own scientists and engineers, and, instead of paying living wages for the low end jobs which would make them attractive to domestic workers. All of this has led to what increasingly seems to me to be an incendiary situation. For instead of dealing with society''s real problems, chief among them being: 1. The exportation of jobs to foreign shores; 2. Our crumbling infrastructure; 3. The impact of robotics and artificial intelligence on the nature of production and the need for labor; and 4. Climate change, we instead expend our energy on belittling and berating each other. All, while the politicians in Washington fail to execute policies that would promote sustainable growth and relative social harmony. 

As I type this, things are in a bad way. You need only look at the various threads on this board to realize this. For while we continue to fight each other internally our competition conducts business as usual and continues to out maneuver us. Does this mean that the USA's position of leader of the world is over? Not necessarily, though at some stage, as all other great civilizations before it, this will probably happen. But we can and should enact policies that stave this off till well into the future. But I fare we will not, as in fact, everything we seem to have done on a major scale over the last forty years seems destined to undermine us from within. 

I am a comparatively old man and have certainly seen most of my days on earth already. However, I would like to live out the remainder of my life, in this, the county I have spent the large majority of my adult life in and have come to love. But given where we seem to be going, I am concerned that I may no longer be welcome here and that conditions may escalate to the point where things become unsafe. I guess what I do have going for me is an ability to adapt, as I had to adjust to America, and if forced to, I can do so once again elsewhere.  

Well articulated.  I read each and every word. Sadly most people don't read that's why they believe all the nonsense they are expose too.  If I may share this with a few friends I humbly seek your approval.

[DarterBlue]

58 minutes ago, DevilDog said:

Well articulated.  I read each and every word. Sadly most people don't read that's why they believe all the nonsense they are expose too.  If I may share this with a few friends I humbly seek your approval.

You are welcome to. 

[DarterBlue]

2 hours ago, concha said:

 

I read a little and it was like a Howard Zinn essay. So I stopped.

.

In addition to being a patriot who fought for this country during WW2, Howard Zinn was a good historian who happened to view things from an independent perspective. 

But as he did not represent your narrative, I am not surprised you chose not to read much of what he wrote. A closed mind is much like a closed book. It does little good. 

[World Citizen]

2 hours ago, DarterBlue said:

Background: The USA is a multi racial, multi ethnic, plural society which had its genesis in the subjugation of its native peoples and the use of slave labor, in many parts of the country, imported against its will. In short, despite the narrative popularly espoused and taught in schools, the country was born in dysfunction and exploitation. Despite its questionable beginnings, the country prospered economically and by the end of WW1, was, perhaps, the preeminent industrial power in the world. Confirmation of this position of dominance was cemented at the conclusion of WW2, when much of Europe, as well as Japan lay in ruins. To its credit, the USA employed very sound, thoughtful policy following the war enabling both its friends and foes, alike to rebuild from the rubble of war with such programs as the Marshall Plan. True, this was probably due to the threat of communism posed by the Soviet Union. But regardless, it was enlightened policy that enabled the developed world to prosper post WW2 And, domestically, in response to social upheavals in the 1950s and 1960s, great progress was also made in civil rights. In short there was justifiably much optimism  in the air as it seemed that once and for all, the USA was going to live up to the noble language contained in its Declaration of Independence and its fine constitution. 

Unfortunately, cracks started to develop within the core of the country during the mid to late 1970s. The economy which had been humming along, raising the living standards of most citizens in the process, began to sag under the weight of expensive oil. Well enter Reagan. Under his Presidency, the economy seemed to prosper. But beneath the surface, a trend that had begun a decade and a half earlier accelerated as more and more workers found themselves without union representation in an economy increasingly dominated by mammoth international corporations. Further, deregulation accelerated the transformation of the economy into an oligarchic state, as mergers occurred which would have most certainly been disallowed under the country's antitrust laws, in prior administrations. Despite Democrats recapturing the Presidency in the early 1990s, the trend continued as Bill Clinton facilitated and supported the wholesale deregulation of the Financial Markets culminating with the repeal of Glass-Steagall 

The result of all of the above was slow growth. Why? Principally because of the fact that the wealthy have much smaller marginal propensities to consume. With incomes of the working class and working poor largely stagnant, aggregate demand stagnated. For awhile, this was delayed as lax credit and the housing bubble created the illusion of nonexistent disposable income. But that ended with the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008. 

Crossroads: In 2016, along comes DJT. I give him credit, he recognized that there was an opportunity based on the stagnant quality of live of the working class. Unfortunately, instead of taking the high road, he decided to exploit it by opening up long existent, old, racial wounds. Couple that with the nearsightedness of big business, which has promoted the importation of labor at both the high end (information and technology jobs) and the very low end (agricultural workers), instead of supporting an educational infrastructure that promotes the development of our own scientists and engineers, and, instead of paying living wages for the low end jobs which would make them attractive to domestic workers. All of this has led to what increasingly seems to me to be an incendiary situation. For instead of dealing with society''s real problems, chief among them being: 1. The exportation of jobs to foreign shores; 2. Our crumbling infrastructure; 3. The impact of robotics and artificial intelligence on the nature of production and the need for labor; and 4. Climate change, we instead expend our energy on belittling and berating each other. All, while the politicians in Washington fail to execute policies that would promote sustainable growth and relative social harmony. 

As I type this, things are in a bad way. You need only look at the various threads on this board to realize this. For while we continue to fight each other internally our competition conducts business as usual and continues to out maneuver us. Does this mean that the USA's position of leader of the world is over? Not necessarily, though at some stage, as all other great civilizations before it, this will probably happen. But we can and should enact policies that stave this off till well into the future. But I fare we will not, as in fact, everything we seem to have done on a major scale over the last forty years seems destined to undermine us from within. 

I am a comparatively old man and have certainly seen most of my days on earth already. However, I would like to live out the remainder of my life, in this, the county I have spent the large majority of my adult life in and have come to love. But given where we seem to be going, I am concerned that I may no longer be welcome here and that conditions may escalate to the point where things become unsafe. I guess what I do have going for me is an ability to adapt, as I had to adjust to America, and if forced to, I can do so once again elsewhere.  

Good read and I'd even add that congress has not only failed to enact Good policy but have been actively working for big corporations' interest against our own interest.  These are the clowns that keep getting elected despite the fact they vote against the prople's best interest.  

I see a concern and an empathy from young people that gives me hope that we can turn this around.  Or they can turn it around.  

There are many with love in their hearts and that must overcome the hate of a few.  But there are other places with less hate though. 😏  

As an aside, what do you think of Elizabeth Warren?  I think she is exactly what we need as she is as smart or smarter than Wall Street and she is keeping an eyes on them and looking out for us.  Imho.

 

 

[concha]

37 minutes ago, DarterBlue said:

In addition to being a patriot who fought for this country during WW2, Howard Zinn was a good historian who happened to view things from an independent perspective. 

But as he did not represent your narrative, I am not surprised you chose not to read much of what he wrote. A closed mind is much like a closed book. It does little good. 

"Independent". 🤣

I like that.

[DarterBlue]

4 hours ago, World Citizen said:

As an aside, what do you think of Elizabeth Warren?  I think she is exactly what we need as she is as smart or smarter than Wall Street and she is keeping an eyes on them and looking out for us.  Imho.

 

I would enthusiastically support a Warren bid for the Presidency. However, I feel that Schumer and Pelosi will do everything in their power to have someone else as the nominee. One reason I would support Warren is that she would be forceful in reigning in Wall Street and would thus reduce the likelihood of another market meltdown!

[Horsefly]

8 hours ago, DarterBlue said:

Background: The USA is a multi racial, multi ethnic, plural society which had its genesis in the subjugation of its native peoples and the use of slave labor, in many parts of the country, imported against its will. In short, despite the narrative popularly espoused and taught in schools, the country was born in dysfunction and exploitation. Despite its questionable beginnings, the country prospered economically and by the end of WW1, was, perhaps, the preeminent industrial power in the world. Confirmation of this position of dominance was cemented at the conclusion of WW2, when much of Europe, as well as Japan lay in ruins. To its credit, the USA employed very sound, thoughtful policy following the war enabling both its friends and foes, alike to rebuild from the rubble of war with such programs as the Marshall Plan. True, this was probably due to the threat of communism posed by the Soviet Union. But regardless, it was enlightened policy that enabled the developed world to prosper post WW2 And, domestically, in response to social upheavals in the 1950s and 1960s, great progress was also made in civil rights. In short there was justifiably much optimism  in the air as it seemed that once and for all, the USA was going to live up to the noble language contained in its Declaration of Independence and its fine constitution. 

Unfortunately, cracks started to develop within the core of the country during the mid to late 1970s. The economy which had been humming along, raising the living standards of most citizens in the process, began to sag under the weight of expensive oil. Well enter Reagan. Under his Presidency, the economy seemed to prosper. But beneath the surface, a trend that had begun a decade and a half earlier accelerated as more and more workers found themselves without union representation in an economy increasingly dominated by mammoth international corporations. Further, deregulation accelerated the transformation of the economy into an oligarchic state, as mergers occurred which would have most certainly been disallowed under the country's antitrust laws, in prior administrations. Despite Democrats recapturing the Presidency in the early 1990s, the trend continued as Bill Clinton facilitated and supported the wholesale deregulation of the Financial Markets culminating with the repeal of Glass-Steagall 

The result of all of the above was slow growth. Why? Principally because of the fact that the wealthy have much smaller marginal propensities to consume. With incomes of the working class and working poor largely stagnant, aggregate demand stagnated. For awhile, this was delayed as lax credit and the housing bubble created the illusion of nonexistent disposable income. But that ended with the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008. 

Crossroads: In 2016, along comes DJT. I give him credit, he recognized that there was an opportunity based on the stagnant quality of live of the working class. Unfortunately, instead of taking the high road, he decided to exploit it by opening up long existent, old, racial wounds. Couple that with the nearsightedness of big business, which has promoted the importation of labor at both the high end (information and technology jobs) and the very low end (agricultural workers), instead of supporting an educational infrastructure that promotes the development of our own scientists and engineers, and, instead of paying living wages for the low end jobs which would make them attractive to domestic workers. All of this has led to what increasingly seems to me to be an incendiary situation. For instead of dealing with society''s real problems, chief among them being: 1. The exportation of jobs to foreign shores; 2. Our crumbling infrastructure; 3. The impact of robotics and artificial intelligence on the nature of production and the need for labor; and 4. Climate change, we instead expend our energy on belittling and berating each other. All, while the politicians in Washington fail to execute policies that would promote sustainable growth and relative social harmony. 

As I type this, things are in a bad way. You need only look at the various threads on this board to realize this. For while we continue to fight each other internally our competition conducts business as usual and continues to out maneuver us. Does this mean that the USA's position of leader of the world is over? Not necessarily, though at some stage, as all other great civilizations before it, this will probably happen. But we can and should enact policies that stave this off till well into the future. But I fare we will not, as in fact, everything we seem to have done on a major scale over the last forty years seems destined to undermine us from within. 

I am a comparatively old man and have certainly seen most of my days on earth already. However, I would like to live out the remainder of my life, in this, the county I have spent the large majority of my adult life in and have come to love. But given where we seem to be going, I am concerned that I may no longer be welcome here and that conditions may escalate to the point where things become unsafe. I guess what I do have going for me is an ability to adapt, as I had to adjust to America, and if forced to, I can do so once again elsewhere.  

Very well written, I enjoyed it and agree

[BUFORDGAWOLVES]

If we recognize this to be the case then why continue to feed and fan the flames that put us in this situation, I see people applauding the post but in a flash back to the same race baiting bullshit?

Hypocrites.

I'm guilty of it to an extent, but I fucking recognize it... I submit to you, do the others?

Regards

BufordGaWolves

[DarterBlue]

17 minutes ago, BUFORDGAWOLVES said:

If we recognize this to be the case then why continue to feed and fan the flames that put us in this situation, I see people applauding the post but in a flash back to the same race baiting bullshit?

Hypocrites.

I'm guilty of it to an extent, but I fucking recognize it... I submit to you, do the others?

Regards

BufordGaWolves

Most people, regardless of politics, have a deep need to be "the good guy." I had a long relationship (I won't go so far as to call it a friendship) with a former colleague of mine who was an unrepentant racist; the relationship was based on a mutual interest in financial markets and astrophysics. I was able to deal with him on an intellectual level because he fully acknowledged that he was who he was. In short, he was not a hypocrite. 

I have a lot more difficulty dealing with hypocrites. If your gonna stab me do it to my face and not in my back!

[Hardcore Troubador]

12 hours ago, DarterBlue said:

Background: The USA is a multi racial, multi ethnic, plural society which had its genesis in the subjugation of its native peoples and the use of slave labor, in many parts of the country, imported against its will. In short, despite the narrative popularly espoused and taught in schools, the country was born in dysfunction and exploitation. Despite its questionable beginnings, the country prospered economically and by the end of WW1, was, perhaps, the preeminent industrial power in the world. Confirmation of this position of dominance was cemented at the conclusion of WW2, when much of Europe, as well as Japan lay in ruins. To its credit, the USA employed very sound, thoughtful policy following the war enabling both its friends and foes, alike to rebuild from the rubble of war with such programs as the Marshall Plan. True, this was probably due to the threat of communism posed by the Soviet Union. But regardless, it was enlightened policy that enabled the developed world to prosper post WW2 And, domestically, in response to social upheavals in the 1950s and 1960s, great progress was also made in civil rights. In short there was justifiably much optimism  in the air as it seemed that once and for all, the USA was going to live up to the noble language contained in its Declaration of Independence and its fine constitution. 

Unfortunately, cracks started to develop within the core of the country during the mid to late 1970s. The economy which had been humming along, raising the living standards of most citizens in the process, began to sag under the weight of expensive oil. Well enter Reagan. Under his Presidency, the economy seemed to prosper. But beneath the surface, a trend that had begun a decade and a half earlier accelerated as more and more workers found themselves without union representation in an economy increasingly dominated by mammoth international corporations. Further, deregulation accelerated the transformation of the economy into an oligarchic state, as mergers occurred which would have most certainly been disallowed under the country's antitrust laws, in prior administrations. Despite Democrats recapturing the Presidency in the early 1990s, the trend continued as Bill Clinton facilitated and supported the wholesale deregulation of the Financial Markets culminating with the repeal of Glass-Steagall 

The result of all of the above was slow growth. Why? Principally because of the fact that the wealthy have much smaller marginal propensities to consume. With incomes of the working class and working poor largely stagnant, aggregate demand stagnated. For awhile, this was delayed as lax credit and the housing bubble created the illusion of nonexistent disposable income. But that ended with the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008. 

Crossroads: In 2016, along comes DJT. I give him credit, he recognized that there was an opportunity based on the stagnant quality of live of the working class. Unfortunately, instead of taking the high road, he decided to exploit it by opening up long existent, old, racial wounds. Couple that with the nearsightedness of big business, which has promoted the importation of labor at both the high end (information and technology jobs) and the very low end (agricultural workers), instead of supporting an educational infrastructure that promotes the development of our own scientists and engineers, and, instead of paying living wages for the low end jobs which would make them attractive to domestic workers. All of this has led to what increasingly seems to me to be an incendiary situation. For instead of dealing with society''s real problems, chief among them being: 1. The exportation of jobs to foreign shores; 2. Our crumbling infrastructure; 3. The impact of robotics and artificial intelligence on the nature of production and the need for labor; and 4. Climate change, we instead expend our energy on belittling and berating each other. All, while the politicians in Washington fail to execute policies that would promote sustainable growth and relative social harmony. 

As I type this, things are in a bad way. You need only look at the various threads on this board to realize this. For while we continue to fight each other internally our competition conducts business as usual and continues to out maneuver us. Does this mean that the USA's position of leader of the world is over? Not necessarily, though at some stage, as all other great civilizations before it, this will probably happen. But we can and should enact policies that stave this off till well into the future. But I fare we will not, as in fact, everything we seem to have done on a major scale over the last forty years seems destined to undermine us from within. 

I am a comparatively old man and have certainly seen most of my days on earth already. However, I would like to live out the remainder of my life, in this, the county I have spent the large majority of my adult life in and have come to love. But given where we seem to be going, I am concerned that I may no longer be welcome here and that conditions may escalate to the point where things become unsafe. I guess what I do have going for me is an ability to adapt, as I had to adjust to America, and if forced to, I can do so once again elsewhere.  

Agree with some of the statements contained herein.  Disagree with most of it (esp. the overall sentiment).  Nevertheless, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[DarterBlue]

18 minutes ago, Hardcore Troubador said:

Agree with some of the statements contained herein.  Disagree with most of it (esp. the overall sentiment).  Nevertheless, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Fair enough. I appreciate your honesty. Most of my posts are intended to stir debate. I have never been a big fan of the shouting matches that seem to characterize most discussions. Nothing is gained from them except, perhaps, satisfaction from venting.  

[Horsefly]

2 hours ago, Drummer61 said:

Well written and heartfelt....However,those cracks you refer to, may have started at the end of WW2 with the manifestations of appeasement, political correctness and the advent of  much more liberal thinking.....Your a gentleman Darter...🤙🤙 

This is your go-to answer to everything.  Surely you can expound and articulate better.  I’m looking for more depth in your replies.

[Nolebull813]

I didn't read it. I just yelled Make America Great Again, all my redneck buddies cheered and I exited off the site with a sense of fulfillment 😂

[World Citizen]

15 minutes ago, GardenStateBaller said:

NYP=NE

 

Your an idiot.  

[World Citizen]

Another example of our elected officials working against us and for Wall Street. 

If any of you think it matters if your left or right politically, These guys don't care and all they want is more money...your money actually.  

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/05/30/business/volcker-rule-banks-federal-reserve.html?action=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage 

Trump may be around long enough to get rid of every protection that is preventing people from being taken advantage of this country.  He has not done a single thing that is a benefit to any of us unless your a big business or Wall Street.  

[DarterBlue]

7 minutes ago, World Citizen said:

Another example of our elected officials working against us and for Wall Street. 

If any of you think it matters if your left or right politically, These guys don't care and all they want is more money...your money actually.  

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/05/30/business/volcker-rule-banks-federal-reserve.html?action=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage 

Trump may be around long enough to get rid of every protection that is preventing people from being taken advantage of this country.  He has not done a single thing that is a benefit to any of us unless your a big business or Wall Street.  

Exactly! And the morons on here celebrate this. Perhaps a few of these guys are idle billionaires. But I doubt it!

[dan in daytona]

3 hours ago, World Citizen said:

 

Trump may be around long enough to get rid of every protection that is preventing people from being taken advantage of this country.  He has not done a single thing that is a benefit to any of us unless your a big business or Wall Street.  

Amen brother

[RedZone]

8 hours ago, World Citizen said:

Your an idiot.  

#GardenStateBaller is an embarrassment to the white race and a total fraud. 

His life is measured by wins and losses on an off-topic high school football forum and he can't even count those correctly.

 I apologize for him.

[World Citizen]

15 hours ago, DarterBlue said:

Exactly! And the morons on here celebrate this. Perhaps a few of these guys are idle billionaires. But I doubt it!

[concha]

2 minutes ago, World Citizen said:

 

That's hilarious.

Especially since I'm guessing you guys in general supported either a senile socialist or a corrupt harpy who lost to Trump.

The Hysterical Middle School Girl Posse, everyone... 🤡

They'll be here for 6 and 1/2 more years.  🤣

.