August 30, 200719 yr What a state we live in , the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. If only we could find a way where everyone could be rich and no one would live in poverty.
August 30, 200719 yr What a state we live in , the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I agree. It indicates that I live in a capitalist rather than a communist society.:thumb:
August 30, 200719 yr I agree. It indicates that I live in a capitalist rather than a communist society.:thumb: How does the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer indicate capitalism. This is true mostly in countries where the ruling elite have oppressed the workers and have gained control of the major means of production. Sound pretty communistic to me and looks a lot like the USSR of the post WWII era.
August 30, 200719 yr How does the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer indicate capitalism. This is true mostly in countries where the ruling elite have oppressed the workers and have gained control of the major means of production. Sound pretty communistic to me and looks a lot like the USSR of the post WWII era. It indicates capitalism, since under its very nature, capital (aka money) can be used to make more money. It is always very unlikely for those who don't have capital to catch up to those that do on a large percentage scale.
August 30, 200719 yr How does the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer indicate capitalism. This is true mostly in countries where the ruling elite have oppressed the workers and have gained control of the major means of production. Sound pretty communistic to me and looks a lot like the USSR of the post WWII era. Also Karl, the argument that you just used can be taken directly out of the Communist Manifesto. "The rich control the means of production and oppress the poor." Our poor in this country are some of the most overweight people in the world. The horrible oppression of it all.
August 30, 200719 yr Also Karl, the argument that you just used can be taken directly out of the Communist Manifesto. "The rich control the means of production and oppress the poor." Our poor in this country are some of the most overweight people in the world. The horrible oppression of it all. Or the party elite control the means of production and oppress the poor. Which was communism.
August 30, 200719 yr Or the party elite control the means of production and oppress the poor. Which was communism. No doubt. It was communism. Communism was also not providing incentive for production maximization, new discoveries, and so on. That incentive is profit.
August 31, 200719 yr No doubt. It was communism. Communism was also not providing incentive for production maximization, new discoveries, and so on. That incentive is profit. Thank all of you for re-inforcing my point - what we have looks like communism. The american dream doesn't exist for a large # of people. 1% of the people in the country control 97% of the wealth - that is not capitalism where everyone has a chance to make money!! BTW - the poor are overweight in this country, not because they have too much to eat, but b/c they cannot afford to eat healthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables are much more expensive than processed foods and generally more expensive than fast food. If that is all that you can afford to purchase then that is what you are going to eat and it is not going to be a balanced diet. The poor are poor in this country b/c we have given in to the notion that everyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make without any help from anyone - and those that need help are simply fat and lazy. We have created systems that make it hard to make it and it is a sin that we live in this wealthy country and allow people to be without health care a decent living conditions and healthy food. A SIN.
August 31, 200719 yr Not to downplay the level of poverty,( I know it exists and I see it everyday) but I was surprised to see the poverty line for a family of four is more than 21k per year. That, in a rural area, is a modest, but liveable, wage. My sister raised two children on no more than $15,000 a year as a beautician. By the time, she was remarried, she sold her house that she had bought on that salary for $90,000 (that is a nice home in the rural areas) and had paid it down to wear she only owed $40,000. She refused free/reduced lunches. She had her own garden and canned everything. She made do and her kids did not want for much of anything. Poverty at this level, if you are smart about it does not mean you are desolate.
August 31, 200719 yr Thank all of you for re-inforcing my point - what we have looks like communism. The american dream doesn't exist for a large # of people. 1% of the people in the country control 97% of the wealth - that is not capitalism where everyone has a chance to make money!! BTW - the poor are overweight in this country, not because they have too much to eat, but b/c they cannot afford to eat healthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables are much more expensive than processed foods and generally more expensive than fast food. If that is all that you can afford to purchase then that is what you are going to eat and it is not going to be a balanced diet. The poor are poor in this country b/c we have given in to the notion that everyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make without any help from anyone - and those that need help are simply fat and lazy. We have created systems that make it hard to make it and it is a sin that we live in this wealthy country and allow people to be without health care a decent living conditions and healthy food. A SIN. Wrong. I have come from a very poor background. You can still pull yourself up, if you use the resources available through your education. Those that need help quite often have been put in that position through their own poor descisions. Those who haven't put themselves in that position are very rare. Capitalism is designed so that few posess the bulk of the wealth. It is socialism and communism that beg for redistribution. The poor in this country are overweight because they eat Too Much, and don't get Enough Exercise due to their daily habits. Basically, for the same reason that anybody in this country is overweight. Unhealthy foods don't cause obesity if taken in moderation with exercise.
August 31, 200719 yr Wrong. I have come from a very poor background. You can still pull yourself up, if you use the resources available through your education. How presumptious! You can't say someone is WRONG in this. You paint everyone with a pretty broad brush. Many living in poverty are CHILDREN! Those that need help quite often have been put in that position through their own poor descisions. Those who haven't put themselves in that position are very rare. You are a snob. Not everyone is poor because of a poor choice. You need to get out among the poor you claim to have spawned from and hear their stories and see their struggles. Capitalism is designed so that few posess the bulk of the wealth. It is socialism and communism that beg for redistribution. So you're a proponent, then, of an aristocracy. Basically that's what you have in your comment above. You have a class system, and in those classes, wealthy people control the wealth of everyone else. The poor in this country are overweight because they eat Too Much, and don't get Enough Exercise due to their daily habits. Yeah, like working 2 or 3 jobs, raising kids, etc. Basically, for the same reason that anybody in this country is overweight. Unhealthy foods don't cause obesity if taken in moderation with exercise. The lowest cost foods are high in fat, calories, and preservatives. For a family of 4 living on $21K or less you have grocery decisions that include processed foods, meats higher in fat, and boxed and canned foods full of preservatives. Hamburger Helper goes a lot further than Filet Mignon. Fresh vegetables and fruits are out of the budget for many, if not most. Lean cuts of beef? Forget it! You need to get off your high horse or go live in Cuba with all your riches.
August 31, 200719 yr How presumptious! You can't say someone is WRONG in this. You paint everyone with a pretty broad brush. Many living in poverty are CHILDREN! You are a snob. Not everyone is poor because of a poor choice. You need to get out among the poor you claim to have spawned from and hear their stories and see their struggles. So you're a proponent, then, of an aristocracy. Basically that's what you have in your comment above. You have a class system, and in those classes, wealthy people control the wealth of everyone else. Yeah, like working 2 or 3 jobs, raising kids, etc. The lowest cost foods are high in fat, calories, and preservatives. For a family of 4 living on $21K or less you have grocery decisions that include processed foods, meats higher in fat, and boxed and canned foods full of preservatives. Hamburger Helper goes a lot further than Filet Mignon. Fresh vegetables and fruits are out of the budget for many, if not most. Lean cuts of beef? Forget it! You need to get off your high horse or go live in Cuba with all your riches. Do you really think I am wealthy:laugh: ? No, I am middle to lower middle class. I do not however blame someone who is wealthy for me not being wealthy. I also do NOT expect them to give me what they have. I will earn my Own money and pay my Own bills through my Own merit. I don't think that fits in Cuba, I think it fits in a capitalist system. If I don't have money for things I want, it is nobody's fault but my Own. How SNOBBY is that?
August 31, 200719 yr I would like to note that there is a disparity between the distribution of wealth and the distribution of income in this nation.
August 31, 200719 yr The lowest cost foods are high in fat, calories, and preservatives. For a family of 4 living on $21K or less you have grocery decisions that include processed foods, meats higher in fat, and boxed and canned foods full of preservatives. Hamburger Helper goes a lot further than Filet Mignon. Fresh vegetables and fruits are out of the budget for many, if not most. Lean cuts of beef? Forget it! You need to get off your high horse or go live in Cuba with all your riches. Ramen noodles 195 calories 7g fat 10 cents a meal
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