m0002a wrote:Trip wrote:I don't like how capitalism destroys the middle class.
It wasn't captilism that destroyed the middle class, it was technology that has made manual labor less valuable than it used to be (and only economic if performed offshore). Or call it "Revenge of the Nerds."
There's truth to this in the long term but not so much in the present.
What's happening in Europe & colonies is free trade has shipped capital to countries where labour is cheaper. Transnational capitalists seek out maximal profit for personal gain, not in service of any state. Presently they seem to be molding the world into a global state, an Orwellian nightmare I'm sure.
Furthermore mass immigration is pouring in, immigration of the unskilled who cannot fill the high tech demands you mention. They can only lower the wages of unskilled professions - too much supply of workers. We're not taking in Chinese immigrants but Turks in Europe and Mexicans in the US. These are unskilled people. (Note: I'm not making a racial comment here). Adding to this, the immigrants are different ethnically (in identity, not making a racial comment here), so ethnic tensions are rising to crisis levels, which is frightening. For some reason, we're not supposed to mention this last bit, but it is significant since we're not interchangeable cogs. And it's blacks and Mexicans in the US who are hit hardest since they presently make up a larger percentage of the unskilled.
Were this capital outflow and unskilled worker inflow not the case, there would be more capital in Europe & colonies and a stronger middle class (which would adjust as the economy replaced outdated jobs), especially in the US which, contrary to popular belief, indisputably pushes an America-last policy. The US government acts for the transnational corporations, not for America.
Capital flowed out of the US to build Soviet Russia, out of Britain to build NS Germany, out of the US to build Japan, and it's flowing today into China. Only a madman would claim otherwise. The miracle of these developing states is they offered higher profits, discouraged consumption, and encouraged investment.
To contradict what I've said somewhat: we're also seeing large numbers of skilled workers entering via colleges (they tend to stay in the US) and work visas (e.g. Microsoft). These combine with the decreasing amount of capital to lower skilled worker jobs.
This global development is leading to a high concentration of wealth among global plutocrats. Such a path of development is not ideal I fear. We might argue the US and Europe are too wealthy, that they ought to pursue free trade somewhat to export their wealth. However, if such is agreed upon, at again the loss of US standard of living, it should be done without enriching such an elite who do not deserve to rule us people of the world. Rule should surely be more decentralised.
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In an increasingly high tech society, more things are needed. One might think people would choose leisure, e.g. pursuits of art or childrearing. Instead, higher demands of consumption and projects (mix of consumption, research, and investment) seems to be where the excess labour, resources, and capital flow. And with higher demands on the talented few, those with the ability to manage and design such tech acquire labour bargaining power and thus wealth. Those who lack such ability though can still offer service such as gardening, food service, etc. Such jobs wouldn't pay as low as they do today were it not for mass immigration which again increases the supply of unskilled workers.
It is capitalists who push for free trade. It is capitalists who push for mass immigration (e.g. Tyson Foods has long been a major advocate).
In a right society the virtuous, the "natural aristocracy", would rule. In our society, the greedy and immoral rule: those who'll do anything for money. Admittedly skills are also needed, but there's nothing that would reward morality. As a result, we have wars and such, which are profitable for some. Put the wrong people in power, and you get an evil society. I don't say this as if there's an easy solution, but such is at least the problem: we're ruled by a distant elite of strangers who have little motive to act for the greater good. "Capitalism", as we call it, inevitably leads to this. And so, I reject capitalism.
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North Koreans, btw, are included in this trade bill. Apparently they'll build parts of these cars for sale in the US at wages of 25-38 cents an hour.
Some in here will see that as good (better than starving), some bad (exploitation & possibly the wrong way to develop).