Inflation, real income, and politics Moved from: Interesting Articles Relating to EVs

[Carla618]

Anybody can sue anybody. I tried to get to the articles, but the only thing I found was that some of the people using the Amazon platform were balking at having to follow the rules that Amazon had set up in order to use the platform. So how is that criminal?

The Federal Trade Commission isn't just "anybody".

 

[mpruet]

My point is that I never brought up SF or NY, as you said I did. When I said it wasn't me, you replied, "Really?"

You don't respond to posts. Instead you post a screed about financial investing. Completely off topic. Invest money if that is your thing. Not everyone is interested. You are not wrong for doing so. Others are not wrong for NOT doing it.


https://time.com/5663465/labor-day-union-history/

Oh yes you did bring up SF or NY, and that was what I responded to.

 

[Carla618]

As a business owner you have to adapt. And if your margin needs to be a certain amount to make the numbers work then do be it. I would wager that not one person that pushed for a $20/hr for fast food works here is planning on opening a fast food business in California. And if I open a business, it's up to me what I want my margins and profit to be. I might fail if I'm taking too much, but it's my call. Unintended consequences, again.

Oh yes you did bring up SF or NY, and that was what I responded to.

View attachment 35128

 

[mpruet]

The Federal Trade Commission isn't just "anybody".

The FTC was issuing the law suit on behalf of other clients. Try actually reading the posts. And it’s not yet gone to trial.

 

[Carla618]

When I was discussing services, not income. But thanks for finding it Why was that in a reply to Bullfrog? lol.

 

[Carla618]

The FTC was issuing the law suit on behalf of other clients. Try actually reading the posts. And it’s not yet gone to trial.

oh boy. To quote you: "Anybody can sue anybody." You said it. Not me.

I am done with these games. Have fun!

 

[bullfrog !]

Didn’t we already determine the average household was without much if any savings and one medical bill or mechanical breakdown away from going bankrupt? Also didn’t we determine many nomads were on the road because of high housing costs? Hasn’t it also been established high housing costs or lack of entry level housing are preventing first time buyers from buying and building equity? As stated there are always individual exceptions and fringe groups but seems to me that the number of people that are successful is no where as large a group as those that aren’t. For examples look at small businesses failure rates, number of evictions and trends in income disparity. As far as politics go members of Congress need to reflect the desires of the majority of the people, compromise and get results. I’m amazed at the number of elected politicians that have refused to do so even though they could have passed bills that helped their constituents and expect to stay in office just because of their party affiliation. Vote out those that voted against or impeded the bills that have passed or could have been passed that benefit you and your communities for goodness sake!

 

[Gr8ful]

Keep beating that Dead Horse!
We need a "Beating the Dead Horse" Emoji

 

[Happy Camper]

Keep beating that Dead Horse!
We need a "Beating the Dead Horse" Emoji

 

[WanderingRose]

Y'all are arguing in circles.

 

[rruff]

Yea, but simply manufacturing in itself will lead to over stocked inventory if there is no means to consume those goods. So I still consider the flow as being a critical part of the picture.

The means of consumption comes from the buying power of consumers. Instead of all the productivity gains going to the wealthy owners of capital, they need to be shared with workers. In fact the optimal (total GDP) and stable long-term solution is for worker compensation to rise at the same rate as productivity increases, same as profits. This is in aggregate of course.

When profit gains outstrip wages, you end up with an excess of capital, looking for something to "invest" in. Since production and consumption are lagging, the excess mostly inflates the value of assets, like RE and stock, and precarious financial instruments. This is an unstable situation, and the cause of the GD and collapse we saw in 2008.

The changes to policies that started ~1980 have mostly allowed the oligarchs to take a bigger share of our economy, while still avoiding a crash. They are leaning hard on debt and finance to keep the ball rolling... which is obviously a transient thing... not sustainable. They've also gone global, allowing them to profit from the rise in consumption in developing countries. The US made China what it is, BTW... and Japan before that, and S Korea, Taiwan, and a bunch of others to a lesser extent. Their fast rate of growth came at the expense of the US middle class.

 

[mpruet]

^^^^^
When Regan first said “Trickle Down”, I laughed because it’s fairly obvious that the production of goods is worthless without the consumption of those goods. Balance is critical.

 

[bullfrog !]

Wonder if there are many intelligent people left in Congress that ever find time to debate issues that matter to all the country like we have here. Maybe form committees to try and solve real problems doing what is best for the majority of the people instead of those that donate the most. I see studies and hear bills introduced but have seen very few pass into law. Guess we need to elect people that know at least how to count! Lol!!!

 

[mpruet]

^^^
Wonder why you need to wonder… ;-)

 

[Carla618]

The means of consumption comes from the buying power of consumers. Instead of all the productivity gains going to the wealthy owners of capital, they need to be shared with workers. In fact the optimal (total GDP) and stable long-term solution is for worker compensation to rise at the same rate as productivity increases, same as profits. This is in aggregate of course.

When profit gains outstrip wages, you end up with an excess of capital, looking for something to "invest" in. Since production and consumption are lagging, the excess mostly inflates the value of assets, like RE and stock, and precarious financial instruments. This is an unstable situation, and the cause of the GD and collapse we saw in 2008.

The changes to policies that started ~1980 have mostly allowed the oligarchs to take a bigger share of our economy, while still avoiding a crash. They are leaning hard on debt and finance to keep the ball rolling... which is obviously a transient thing... not sustainable. They've also gone global, allowing them to profit from the rise in consumption in developing countries. The US made China what it is, BTW... and Japan before that, and S Korea, Taiwan, and a bunch of others to a lesser extent. Their fast rate of growth came at the expense of the US middle class.

Count the number of countries that sacrificed lives and infrastructure (even their environments) to make the U.S. what it is.

S. American countries and many in the Middle East. Now Ukraine. War and destabilization are very profitable for the industries in the business.

 

[rockloper]

We need to learn how to disagree civilly, again. Both sides are much farther to the edges then I would like, and act like they have all the answers and the opposing side has none. Both sides aren't really pushing a democratic agenda as we've known it over the decades. To them compromise is death.

So yeah, I'd rather take the 15% at each edge of the left and right and cut it away.

Then we could have normal thinking humans get something accomplished. As it is. They are mostly acting like children. And not well behaved ones at that.

Where are the 15% on the left passing or stopping legislation?

 

[Carla618]

Where are the 15% on the left passing or stopping legislation?

Excellent point

 

[rruff]

A $100 sitting in a drawer is only worth $100. But if that $100 is used to pay a plumber, who then uses it to purchase some slacks from a merchant, who then uses it to pay an electrician, who then uses it to buy some bread from a baker, who then uses it to buy some flour from a store, which then uses it to purchase flour from a farmer, who then uses it to buy seeds, etc. Well, then that $100 has in effect become worth much more than just $100, it could easily end up being worth several thousands of dollars. I think that’s also why the depression was so bad. There really wasn’t any less money, but because of fear, the flow of money slowed down, especially when the banks started failing.

I urge you to really ponder the part I bolded.

True the money sitting in a drawer is not in circulation, however it is $100 of value in potential, ie savings. One way of another, it will eventually be put in circulation. And once it is spent, it doesn't multiply and turn into several thousand $$$! $100 of value is merely changing hands.

Money is just a thing we use to measure value. A convenience that makes it much easier for us to make exchanges for goods and services. There isn't any magic multiplication going on!

 

[Gr8ful]

I may be wrong but I think Happy Camper is saying in many things the extreme people are the 15% on either side of most issues & like a bell curve if you take the 30% extreme away you're left with the 70% that can & will compromise & hopefully come to agreement. HC correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[mpruet]

I urge you to really ponder the part I bolded.

True the money sitting in a drawer is not in circulation, however it is $100 of value in potential, ie savings. One way of another, it will eventually be put in circulation. And once it is spent, it doesn't multiply and turn into several thousand $$$! $100 of value is merely changing hands.

Money is just a thing we use to measure value. A convenience that makes it much easier for us to make exchanges for goods and services. There isn't any magic multiplication going on!

Maybe I should have worded it a bit better. A $100 when in circulation can result in the purchase of thousands, which is why I keep emphasizing ‘the flow’. Money in itself is worthless, it’s just a medium of exchange. And with the growth of credit and debit, money is rapidly being replaced by electrons etched on a disk. It’s really nothing more than book-keeping. It’s the circulation of those ‘electrons’ (i.e. the transitions of our credit/debit ) that allow us to trade for things of actual value.