Income Gap

[Cancel7]

Darla, any dem not just Edwards.
Here's my break down for ya.
Universal healthcare or Nationalized medicince long overdue.
I'm very left on most things even a turbo-lib.
I'd cut the military 50% and stop attacking ever 2 bit dictator that flinches.
I would not attack the rich, or overtax them
Neither will the next dem that gets elected.
Hillary/Edwards are smart enough to know how important Wall Street is to the Nations economy and won't throw a wrench in the spokes.
Not sure about Obama but I'm hopefull he gets it.

But rolling back the bush tax cuts for the top 2% is not considered "attacking the rich" to someone like Edwards. Nor to me. Now, if we had a President who was going to cut the military budget by 50%, then we wouldn't have to worry about how we would pay for universal health care or for the social safety net, would we? But that is a radical idea Top, one might even call it a "turbo lib" idea, and guess what? No dem, other than Kucinich, is going to do, or even mention doing, any such thing. I would be all for it, but I have to live in the real world. And that leaves, progressive taxation, and that means rolling back those tax cuts.

Interesting that you would advocate cutting the military budget by 50%. That would kill the military industrial complex, so I guess we know where your stock are! Oil companies, and not military suppliers.

 

[Topspin]

you got that right oil baby.
I didn't say I wasn't left of most people on most things.
Tax cuts are a far left angry agenda item that will be dropped at the last minute to appease the leftwingnuts fanatics.
We are not undertaxed as a nation.
The gov is waisting billions in pork.
My money is on a dem whose fiscally smarter than Edwards. IE Hillary

 

[Cancel7]

you got that right oil baby.
I didn't say I wasn't left of most people on most things.
Tax cuts are a far left angry agenda item that will be dropped at the last minute to appease the leftwingnuts fanatics.
We are not undertaxed as a nation.
The gov is waisting billions in pork.
My money is on a dem whose fiscally smarter than Edwards. IE Hillary

Top, Hillary is not going to end the war. She's going to keep troops in there, permanently. I think it's admirable that you would support a woman for president, and that you think so highly of her. But you're being fooled there. And that's a shame. But you're not alone. She gives very mixed messages, and makes it very easy for one to hear what they want, so badly, to hear. I wanted to hear it, and so for a while, I did.

 

[Cancel7]

you got that right oil baby.

Top, I'm going to post a love song for you, ought to put you in a nice, romantic mood for the rest of the day. But remember, if it gets you too excited, don't be like Chris Matthews dreaming out loud of Bill Clinton as first husband, and start squirming around in your seat and moaning. Get a room!

Then one day he was shootin' at some food And up through the ground came a-bubblin' crude... Oil that is. Black gold. Texas tea. Well, the first thing you know old Jed's a millionaireThe kin folks said "Jed move away from there"Said "California's the place you ought to be"So they bundled up the truck and moved to Beverly Hills that is. Swimmin' pools. Movie stars. Well, now it's time to say goodbye to Jed and all his kinThey would like to thank you for kindly stoppin' inYou're all invited back next week to this localityTo have a heapin' helpin' of their hospitality

 

[Topspin]

LOL your parents prob told you about the bev hillbilly's.

Texas tea, that's how I afford Jethro dem new wrasslin shoes.

Hillary can and will end the war.

Don't think it's admirable of me to want a woman president. I'm pragmatic and think woman are more so.
I think we get the smart governance we go with Bill minus the shenannigans.
Of course cons will bring up whitewater the cattle futures things etc.
But hey we need comedy too.
8 more years of clintonomics
8 years of reversing the anti-science crowd.
8 years of personal libberty's restored that the buhsites rested away.

 

[Cancel7]

LOL your parents prob told you about the bev hillbilly's.

Texas tea, that's how I afford Jethro dem new wrasslin shoes.

Hillary can and will end the war.

Don't think it's admirable of me to want a woman president. I'm pragmatic and think woman are more so.
I think we get the smart governance we go with Bill minus the shenannigans.
Of course cons will bring up whitewater the cattle futures things etc.
But hey we need comedy too.
8 more years of clintonomics
8 years of reversing the anti-science crowd.
8 years of personal libberty's restored that the buhsites rested away.

Yeah, ok, I don't cry at the idea of another 8 years like we had under Bill, agreed.

It's just the war. I don't believe she will end it.

 

[TRGLDTE]

Yes Trog. I will tell you, I read a book called "The working poor" by David Shipler, and I understand your feelings on this. And there are personal choices and circumstances that contribute to the problem. The thing that I liked about this book is that Shipler did not approach the subject from the view of an ideologue and does not gloss over or ignore in any way some of the bad choices and bad habits that contribute to the condition. However, to credit only those circumstances and not societal circumstances, is also to approach the problem in an idealogical manner.

Trog, you had advantages. That you would be in the same position if you came from a family of crack addicts and high school dropouts is by no means clear.

As anyone who has ever taken differential equations can tell you (don't worry, you'll get the analogy) it's the combination of the function AND the initial conditions. Yes, I had a better set of initial conditions. That fact neither guarantees my success nor precludes others from achieving success. Had I come from those circumstances, I'd likely not have had the educational opposrtunities that I did. I'd probably be a blue collar grunt, or career military. Yes, I recognize that I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, and I'm thankful for them.

The reference to LTCM was a shot at the retarded Nobel guys from the University of Chicago who lost so much money so fast that the Feds bailed them out for fear they had rocked the market - in a very, very bad way.

 

[LadyT]

I think you can make the argument in some cases that the rich are "taking from poor". I think we're all in agreement that a large portion of the gains seen in the top 10% is directly related to a high performing market. Some of that's due to increased sales, but I think we all know that part of that high performance is due to cutting costs by outsourcing and layoffs. The top 10% are getting lovely returns while joe schmo is out of a job and retirement plan.

 

[Cancel7]

As anyone who has ever taken differential equations can tell you (don't worry, you'll get the analogy) it's the combination of the function AND the initial conditions. Yes, I had a better set of initial conditions. That fact neither guarantees my success nor precludes others from achieving success. Had I come from those circumstances, I'd likely not have had the educational opposrtunities that I did. I'd probably be a blue collar grunt, or career military. Yes, I recognize that I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, and I'm thankful for them.

The reference to LTCM was a shot at the retarded Nobel guys from the University of Chicago who lost so much money so fast that the Feds bailed them out for fear they had rocked the market - in a very, very bad way.

Oh Ok. I misunderstood what you were referring to in your post Trog.

 

[Cancel7]

I think you can make the argument in some cases that the rich are "taking from poor". I think we're all in agreement that a large portion of the gains seen in the top 10% is directly related to a high performing market. Some of that's due to increased sales, but I think we all know that part of that high performance is due to cutting costs by outsourcing and layoffs. The top 10% are getting lovely returns while joe schmo is out of a job and retirement plan.

Tiana, I didn't even think to include what has been happening with pensions, and that is a great point.

 

[uscitizen]

Retirement, and benefits have dropped dramatically. somwething like another 10% of employers have stopped giving health ins benefits in the last 7 years.

 

[Lao Tse]

LOL your parents prob told you about the bev hillbilly's.

Texas tea, that's how I afford Jethro dem new wrasslin shoes.

Hillary can and will end the war.

Don't think it's admirable of me to want a woman president. I'm pragmatic and think woman are more so.
I think we get the smart governance we go with Bill minus the shenannigans.
Of course cons will bring up whitewater the cattle futures things etc.
But hey we need comedy too.
8 more years of clintonomics
8 years of reversing the anti-science crowd.
8 years of personal libberty's restored that the buhsites rested away.

8 more years of parading environmental junk science as fact?
8 more years of the government schools monopolizing the minds of children and disallowing vouchers?
8 more years of the erosion of our gun rights?

no thanks.

 

[uscitizen]

Too bad I think Super, bush has guaranteed at least 4 years of demo rule.

We had 7 yrs so far of total Republican rule, what did they do in favor of those items ?

 

[Topspin]

Cost cutting's a factor , but only about 1/100 of the inovation and great management's size.
I will readily admit that it's way easier once your in the top 10% income and top 3% wealth level. But it's not rocket science to get here.
Actually gets easier every day.
But today people want instant gratification, and aren't willing to sock away 20% for 20 yrs.

I'll take 20 yrs of taking guns away
and 8 yrs of clinton returns and liberal social policies right now.

 

[LadyT]

I just wrote a long diatribe and lost it in never never land.

That sucks.

Anyway

Cost cutting's a factor , but only about 1/100 of the inovation and great management's size.
I will readily admit that it's way easier once your in the top 10% income and top 3% wealth level. But it's not rocket science to get here.
Actually gets easier every day.
But today people want instant gratification, and aren't willing to sock away 20% for 20 yrs.

I'll take 20 yrs of taking guns away
and 8 yrs of clinton returns and liberal social policies right now.

I totally agree with your assement of guns and social policies although however, I'm calling Bullshit on your 1/100th figure you pulled out of your ass.

I've been in finance at public companies for the last 5 years and everytime we've made budget by the skin of our teeth it hasn't been because management is innovative or sizeable. What typically happens is somewhere into the new planning cycle in the third quarter some finally realizes that we are shit up a creek. What do we do? "Re-org"/Lay-off people that have been there forever.

Circuit city announced that it was laying off experienced and well paid floor sales people on the 3/28. Look at its stock price on the 28th.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=CC&t=5d

GM has been in a shit load of trouble over the last few years. How are they rebounding?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/24/AR2006032401912.html

Face it. Wall St loves job cuts. With a click and submit you too can profit from Joe Schmo's future paycheck.

 

[Topspin]

ladyt, since you work at a finance company you should be able to follow this.

15 straignt qtrs of double digit earinings growth
record low unemployment
fortune 100 companies are rocking, even though your little finance company isn't.

Now I've been posting on the other site about cities 15,000 layoffs and several others.
Your idea is right and that might be around the corner but it hasn't been happening, so do some more research.

 

[LadyT]

ladyt, since you work at a finance company you should be able to follow this.

15 straignt qtrs of double digit earinings growth
record low unemployment
fortune 100 companies are rocking, even though your little finance company isn't.

Now I've been posting on the other site about cities 15,000 layoffs and several others.
Your idea is right and that might be around the corner but it hasn't been happening, so do some more research.

Not happening?! It happens all the time. Public companies are always cutting staff in order to surpass or meet Wall Streets expectations. I gave you three recent examples of that happening. Can you be more specific on what's not happening please?

 

[Cancel7]

Not happening?! It happens all the time. Public companies are always cutting staff in order to surpass or meet Wall Streets expectations. I gave you three recent examples of that happening. Can you be more specific on what's not happening please?

Well at least he gave you credit for "probably being able to follow this" since you "work at a finance company". So you didn't get the "Duuuhhhla, I'll type real slow so your little pea-brain can catch as much as you are capable of which will still leave you far short of understanding the spinner's genius".

 

[LadyT]

Well at least he gave you credit for "probably being able to follow this" since you "work at a finance company". So you didn't get the "Duuuhhhla, I'll type real slow so your little pea-brain can catch as much as you are capable of which will still leave you far short of understanding the spinner's genius".

LMAO "spinner's genius". I'm waiting for the resident Einstein to prove this doesn't happen. This should be a real treat.

 

[uscitizen]

Europe tops US in stock market value

By Tony Tassell

Published: April 2 2007 21:48 * Last updated: April 2 2007 21:48

Europe has eclipsed the US in stock market value for the first time since the first world war in another sign of the slipping of the global dominance of American capital markets.
~
European shares have outperformed the US, with their market capitalisation rising 160 per cent since the start of 2003 in dollar terms, said Thomson Financial. That compared with a 70.5 per cent rise for the US stock market. Over that time the euro has risen 26 per cent against the dollar.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/bf6a00e4-e14...0779e2340.html