40% Of US Workers Now Earn Less Than 1968 Minimum Wage

a reply to: Wookiep

When people stop working for these wages and stop paying for crappy products the market will respond.

a reply to: onequestion

When people stop working for these wages and stop paying for crappy products the market will respond.

How will those people live? Welfare? Where does that come from? Taxes?

a reply to: Phage

No idea but it works.

Well have to work together as a community and help support each other and make some sacrifices to build a better world and country for our kids.

Time to grow some balls and get some empathy for the plight of your fellow man.

a reply to: onequestion

No idea but it works.

Not so well.
Apparently.

Time to grow some balls and get some empathy for the plight of your fellow man

Empathy is great. I've got tons of it. So do you apparently.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: Wookiep

When people stop working for these wages and stop paying for crappy products the market will respond.

That's nice, but do you expect me to live under a bridge just to prove a point? Look, I need a roof over my head and basic needs. I have NO choice but to take that crappy wage and pay for crappy products. Do you really think this is something I WANT?

ETA- I am not on welfare, and believe it or not I don't qualify for govt programs anyway. Crazy huh? I'd have to have no job and kids that I could claim in order to get that.

a reply to: Wookiep

Yeah its crazy. No easy answers.

a reply to: onequestion

It's a complete disaster. Since the 1990's, I believe since NAFTA was enacted, everything went very downhill when it didn't have to. Information technology was booming, but then things were outsourced. At least for me this was the case. I don't mean to sound snappy toward you, it's not personal, I'm actually confirming your position in the OP. All I know is, all my years of hard work haven't paid off at all.

IMO, You want accurate inflation rate? All you need to do is check what a 20 dollar gold piece is worth today and there is your inflation.
Just as Russo described, the single worker who was well capable of raising a family, purchasing a house, car, necessities, a few luxuries, and all with the stereotypical stay at home mom, kids, school, extracurricular activities, even paid 6 week vacations or more were the norm for seasoned workers with strong unions, and health insurance, auto insurance etc...were paid by employers or reasonable personal health insurance costs, and matching 401K and other funds by employers, is now a thing of the past. Now, you have both husband and wife working full time while the kids are sent to day care, and somehow, with two paychecks, families are barely making it as the tax collector doubles his intake, Government run schools are teaching our kids to narc on friends and family, Criminals are winning law suits for injuries during robberies and such, and winning, porn is advertised using pop-up windows that children can't escape from, CPS has taken the roll of legal kidnappers, and illegal aliens are welcome with open arms by the millions.

Now that's a sentence!
go ahead show me my redundancies.

a reply to: Wookiep

It's hard for everyone except a select few

Capitalism isn't working.

a reply to: Wookiep
On the other hand, I've done ok.
My business died (became self-unemployed in '85) but I've done ok in with a couple of good jobs in a not so easy locale.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Wookiep
On the other hand, I've done ok.
My business died (became self-unemployed in '85) but I've done ok.

Good for you!

a reply to: Wookiep
I honestly can't take a lot of credit other than being willing to do what was required. Nothing illegal or demeaning.

a reply to: Phage

you Chip 'n Dale dancer?
2nd

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Wookiep
I honestly can't take a lot of credit other than being willing to do what was required. Nothing illegal or demeaning.

Well then you have a good story of success, so again, good for you! I've done all that has been required for me to survive as well, I'm apparently not as fortunate as you, so I guess it would be good for you to count your blessings? I've done nothing illegal or demeaning either. But congrats for not turning to the illegal drug trade, or some other shady and illegal thing..

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: Wookiep

It's hard for everyone except a select few

Capitalism isn't working.

Corrupted capitalism isn't working, I agree.

originally posted by: beezzer

Just being straight up here.

It's easy to blame business and corporations, but think about it.

All businesses and corporations aren't greedy, corrupt bastions of evil.

Businesses and corporations follow profit period, that is their purpose. They will flow whatever direction profit takes them. If it is profitable to bring jobs back from overseas they would do it. If it is profitable to ensure only rightful workers are working then they would ensure everyone is legal to work.

This is why the Government is failing us... The Government makes it more profitable to have all the manufacturing overseas, the Government looks the other way when illegals are hired and at much lower wages. The Government dumps a trillion dollar stimulus that does nothing and we just see everything cost more. The Government spent 6 years failing to get us out of a recession, it should have lasted 1 year, and so companies tighten their belts by not hiring. The Government forces a flawed health care program on everyone, so businesses and corporations following their profit and put everyone on part time work....

a reply to: Xtrozero

NAFTA. Forced health care, etc are indeed major factors. There is no denying that.

a reply to: Chadwickus

I don't think two years would make a difference. In order for 1968 minimum wage to be equal to $8.xx an hour our dollar would have had to gain in value substantially. Although the dollar has been on the rise recently the purchasing power for the common person has not increased. Prices are still rising not declining.

The online CPI calculator still says 1968 minimum wage is equal to 10.88 dollars per hour.

A simple solution is to become more self-reliant. Corporations simply feed on basic human needs. When you can produce such things for yourself, the demand for corporatism becomes less and less. Simple life hacks can produce these things easily as well. Bartering is an underrated trade.

originally posted by: beezzer

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: beezzer

Can't really disagree there.

Its better late than never.

I was going to antagonize you a little just for fun but i decided against it!

Just being straight up here.

It's easy to blame business and corporations, but think about it.

All businesses and corporations aren't greedy, corrupt bastions of evil.

You lumped businesses and corporations in the same sum, they are not the same anymore. Businesses? no they are necessary for populated society. Corporations? yes, they are bastions of evil, they run globally nowadays, and continuing to go unchecked, the only "business" you will be able to own (if any at all) will be a franchise of sorts.