3.5 Million Homeless - Uncontrolled Capitalism at its Finest

Just last year, the national poverty rate rose to include 13.2% of the population. 1 in 7 people were at risk of suffering from hunger in the United States. In addition, 3.5 million people were forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelters or cars.

Who is Homeless and Why? The homeless population includes people from all walks of life:

1. In the U.S., more than 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year.
2. 35% of the homeless population are families with children, which is the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.
3. 23% are U.S. military veterans.
4. 25% are children under the age of 18 years.
5. 30% have experienced domestic violence.
6. 20-25% suffer from mental illness.
www.studentsagainsthunger.org...

The lie that Uncontrolled Capitalism will provide enough jobs for everyone, trickle down BS.

In addition to the total 16.7 million Real Unemployed Persons at June 30, there are another 4.6 million workers who, while also saying they want jobs, have not looked for work in the past twelve months.

Solely because they haven’t looked, these workers are not included among the marginally attached workers; if included, then June’s Real Unemployment Rate of 10.5% increases to 13.1%, each figure still twice or more than twice the official BLS rate of unemployment of 5.3%.
www.unionofunemployed.com...

As Washington trumpets last month’s drop in the unemployment rate (6.3 percent), it has quietly moved more than 988,000 Americans into the “not participating in the labor force” column.....

The BLS defines a family as “a group of two or more people who live together and who are related by birth, adoption or marriage.”

In 2013, of the estimated 80,445,000 families in the United States, in 20 percent – or 16,127,000— of them none of the members was employed.
www.rt.com...

Gallup defines a good job as 30+ hours per week for an organization that provides a regular paycheck. Right now, the U.S. is delivering at a staggeringly low rate of 44%, which is the number of full-time jobs as a percent of the adult population, 18 years and older.
www.gallup.com...

Unless someone can show me how Uncontrolled Capitalism is going to provide 21.3 million jobs, does anyone still think the homeless are to blame for their situation?

Unless you think some people are worthless something must be done.

It is my opinion, the only way to fix this is to Control Capitalism with a wage and wealth cap. If we limited wealth disparity with a maximum wage of $250,000, this alone would encourage mega corporations to hire more people. And the excess tax revenue collected from those currently making over $250,000 can be used to create federal job programs like FDR did in the past.

Obama’s proposal is that people who have income of $1 million or more per year should be required to pay a minimum tax rate of 30 percent.

"And if we do that, then it makes it affordable for us to be able to say for those people who make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families do, then your taxes don't go up," Obama said.

Under current law, many high earners pay significantly less than 30 percent if their income comes from investments instead of earnings.
www.politifact.com...

A wage cap of 250,000 will impact only 2% of the workforce, while potentially benefiting the other 98%.

It is time that the millionaire wage earners are brought down to reality, and the excess money used to create more middle class jobs, like was promised in trickle down economics.

The corporations will never decrease profits until we the people demand a wage and wealth cap.

Stop dreaming of the lifestyles of the rich and famous and start paying attention to reality. There are not enough jobs for us to eliminate the homeless and welfare, and there NEVER will be in an uncontrolled system.

A truly Controlled Capitalist Government has NEVER been attempted. I am not advocating Communism, simply a more controlled capitalist approach. Isn't it time we try something NEW?

The problem is not "Capitalism".

It's big government that thrives on 100% authoritarianism.

originally posted by: xuenchen
The problem is not "Capitalism".

It's big government that thrives on 100% authoritarianism.

How so? Can you give specific examples of what you're referring to?

a reply to: Gryphon66

I'll let the OP Member reply first.

In order to know what "uncontrolled capitalism" would actually do, we would have to actually have it. We don't. What do think all the regulatory agencies and bureaucracies do? Sit on their thumbs and surf porn all day? ... Don't answer that.

Look they don't just sit there. They exist to impose rules on business (i.e. capitalism). These rules and regulations exist to keep capitalism from being "uncontrolled." This was done for our safety and to keep the phenomena you point out above from occurring. If it isn't working, then maybe imposing more rules might be a further exercise in insanity ... you know doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

What we have created through our government/business oversight marriage is called crony capitalism or maybe a corporatocracy. But since the government power structure is so heavily involved in keeping the little guys out of the markets to the advantage of the few and deciding who the winners and loser will be, I don't think we've gone all the way over yet into corporatocracy.

But it most definitely isn't uncontrolled capitalism. Most people wouldn't know that if it came up and bit them.

originally posted by: xuenchen
a reply to: Gryphon66

I'll let the OP Member reply first.

Why, my question is directed at you.

You stated unequivocally that the problem is "big government that thrives on 100% authoritarianism."

What is that? What are some examples of that? How do you know that unbridled capitalism is not at fault in any of the 3.5 million cases of homelessness referred to by the OP?

Just a simple question; you were so adamant, I'd really like to know what you're talking about!

a reply to: ketsuko

Before Regan corporate profits were controlled, and we actually enforced the Sherman Act.

Since Regan nearly every financial law written has provided more wealth for the top 1% and less for everyone else. Large corporations are paying literally no taxes, and the wealthy avoid taxes by making sure it is all considered investment income.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Would you be happier if I said nearly uncontrolled capitalism? Give them a few more yesrs and we can throw away the nearly.

Add. - No they don't sit around doing nothing, they make sure to take bribes, excuse me, campaign contributions, and create more laws to aid the 1%.

originally posted by: xuenchen
The problem is not "Capitalism".

It's big government that thrives on 100% authoritarianism.

I am not sure what your point is.

But deregulation of banking, and tax brakes for the Elitist has ensured they have enough money to buy their candidate of choice.

a reply to: ketsuko

So, for example, you're in favor of returning to the days of rancid meat products offered for sale? Drugs that haven't been tested for efficacy or toxicity? Vehicles that are built to zero standards?

I'm trying to understand the market that you're promoting here ...

originally posted by: Isurrender73

originally posted by: xuenchen
The problem is not "Capitalism".

It's big government that thrives on 100% authoritarianism.

I am not sure what your point is.

But deregulation of banking, and tax brakes for the Elitist has ensured they have enough money to buy their candidate of choice.

And all that is big government.

originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: ketsuko

So, for example, you're in favor of returning to the days of rancid meat products offered for sale? Drugs that haven't been tested for efficacy or toxicity? Vehicles that are built to zero standards?

I'm trying to understand the market that you're promoting here ...

Yes, please yes reduce this to hyperbole. I was responding to the OP who claimed this was unrestrained capitalism. It is far from unrestrained.

a reply to: Isurrender73

I think their are to many variables to those statistics to blame capitalism...

Hell there are families crossing the border just to be homeless in America.

It is much easier to find establishments in our society to blame, before we blame ourselves for our positions we get ourselves into..

Thru out my life speaking in my own opinionated view I have learned nothing is for free, and you MUST work for everything and try to find better positions to be in, in life..

Hell man, if I stop moving in my life to blame Society, the government, or Big corperations for my position in life I will become a loser...

That is what I have learned... I do not have time to blame anyone for my position but myself.. 9 times outta 10, it is my fault in the first place..

I think this ideology is a cop out, and a excuse people use, when they are not smart enough, or do not work hard enough to succeed in life, YET you might be right OP...

a reply to: Gryphon66

Big governments have created treaties and agreements like NAFTA and GATT.

NAFTA has cost American jobs.

Perhaps GATT also.

WTO came to be in 1995.

originally posted by: Isurrender73
a reply to: ketsuko

Before Regan corporate profits were controlled, and we actually enforced the Sherman Act.

Since Regan nearly every financial law written has provided more wealth for the top 1% and less for everyone else. Large corporations are paying literally no taxes, and the wealthy avoid taxes by making sure it is all considered investment income.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Would you be happier if I said nearly uncontrolled capitalism? Give them a few more yesrs and we can throw away the nearly.

Add. - No they don't sit around doing nothing, they make sure to take bribes, excuse me, campaign contributions, and create more laws to aid the 1%.

Now you are refusing regulations and tax code.

The tax code is different matter. I agree it needs to be simplified so that corps like GE can't loophole their way out of their domestic tax obligation which is how they avoid paying anything. However, hiking the tax rate isn't the answer. It's just another cheap feel good measure, and if the corps aren't paying now, they won't be then either or they'll be moving to another country and leaving behind their workers.

Look, the US corp tax rate is the highest in the developed world. So the problem isn't the rate; it's plenty high. THe problem is that congress again inserts loopholes into the code to pick its favored winners and losers - crony capitalism. But if you jack up the rate to 40% or higher ... let's say Bernie's wet dream of 90%. The same loophole system will still be in place and the prevailing congress will still find ways to allow their preferred winners to get out of paying their liability.

So the answer is to simplify. Take out the loopholes. A flat rate for all corps across the board along with a rate lowering to make our country competitive with other countries.

Because you said yourself - The problem isn't so much the percentage itself but that they aren't paying. So maybe a 30% rate that they all have to pay is going to be much better than a 90% rate that very few if any will end up paying. After all 90% of 0 liability is still $0.

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: ketsuko

So, for example, you're in favor of returning to the days of rancid meat products offered for sale? Drugs that haven't been tested for efficacy or toxicity? Vehicles that are built to zero standards?

I'm trying to understand the market that you're promoting here ...

Yes, please yes reduce this to hyperbole. I was responding to the OP who claimed this was unrestrained capitalism. It is far from unrestrained.

Hyperbole? You were championing the position government regulations are some kind of undue control on capitalism.

I'm just asking you to qualify that in terms of what a removal of those regulations would entail.

You seem to be suggesting that such regulations are unfairly restraining the market, or damaging it in some way, and that that limit has somehow resulted in the issues that the OP brought up.

Or are you not?

originally posted by: xuenchen
a reply to: Gryphon66

Big governments have created treaties and agreements like NAFTA and GATT.

NAFTA has cost American jobs.

Perhaps GATT also.

WTO came to be in 1995.

But no specifics of your stated "100% autocracy" in government? You don't like a few trade agreements ... I'm really confused here.

How does NAFTA, GATT, and or WTO reflect 100% autocratic government that is causing the 3.5 million homeless that OP is referring to? In what specific ways do these policies relate to a) 100% autocratic government and b) homelessness?

originally posted by: Isurrender73

But deregulation of banking...

Banking deregulation was the result of a Democratic President and a Republican Congress. What does that tell you?

The resulting state in a capitalist society is always reflective of the demands of the citizens. Our demands are malignant, superfluous, and downright greedy, so naturally there are going to be people who are on the wrong end of the stick. I don't think control or lack of it is going to change that, it is the demands that need to change.

a reply to: Bicent76

So how do we create 21.3 million jobs?

Or do you not care because you have found a way to get by?

a reply to: Gryphon66

No, I said they exist to control capitalism. In and of itself that isn't always bad. However, today they have allowed the existence of crony capitalism which IS bad because it creates the issues outlined above, and the popular perception is that THIS is "uncontrolled" capitalism.

Are you claiming that we have completely unfettered markets and business?