Productivity Paradox and the American Middle Class

[GGT]

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...be-saved/8600/ :

The financial crisis of 2008 was global, but job losses hit America especially hard. According to the International Monetary Fund, one of every four jobs lost worldwide was lost in the United States.

Might have been where that earlier 'factoid' came from, even though I got the number wrong and referred to it as unemployed instead of jobs lost.

Zero new jobs in August, folks!


And the fiction that we are all in this together is a further impediment. We have a serious employment problem in the United States that is not a product of economic cycles, but changing economies and global commercial system knit together by technology that privileges capital and only rewards labor if you are in the emerging world. There is an underclass (a word not much used in America since the 1960s) of tens of millions of people in the United States who are on the short end of that stick. Unless that is specifically acknowledged and addressed, “jobs creation” is likely to be a will-o’-the-wisp.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...ng-market.html

Deeper down the rabbit hole....

[GGT]

I dunno, why doesn't GGT have a penis? Because being born without a penis is part of her genetic disorder. Why don't governments have an incentive to increase productivity? Because it's in the nature of governments.

No dear, women are perfect without a penis, so it's not a "disorder". Governments aren't "disorders", either. No matter how much you protest. Governments have incentives to be both productive and efficient, to best represent The People and their tax dollars. When there's a failure, it's not because government is bad, but people IN government positions have failed in governing.

What does the government produce? And what business model/pricing structure does the government employ to turn a profit off of its products?

Well, our governments "produce" quite a bit, actually. Especially when federal and state coordinates for the greater good of our United States. Interstate highways, Intercoastal Waterways, National Parks and Wildlife reserves, regional and International airports, standards for public health (CDC and those mandatory vaccinations for measles ) and food safety, national standards and reciprocity for education.

Freedom of mobility with continuity, that's what government "produces". One driver's license and one HS diploma can take us from coast-to-coast. We can transfer between public schools from any state, in any grade, and not have to start fresh in 1st grade. Everything from our state K-12 graduation, to universities and accreditation "produces" a coordinated effort we'd be hard pressed to find from any private entity.

We all use the same money/currency. We have protections of our US Constitution and SCOTUS when state laws and constitutions may disagree. That "produces" a unified approach, where our freedoms aren't restricted within our nation's borders. It's not perfect, and things like marriage and sexual behavior are still being debated between state legislatures. But I'd say, overall, our governments can "produce" quite a bit when it comes to protecting our Liberties.

[agamemnus]

I believe it's actually 41,000 jobs because the Verizon workers' strike in Massachusetts was counted as jobs lost.

[CitizenCain]

No dear, women are perfect without a penis, so it's not a "disorder".

It's not the presence of a vagina and lack of a penis that's the disorder part. It's the inability to logic and reason and essentially use the brain as more than skull-stuffing that's the disorder part. It just so happens that this, like the beneficial lack of a penis is a trait of the same underlying disorder more commonly referred to as "female."

Don't take it hard, though... lots of men, unafflicted by the genetic disorder of femaleness also don't have a functional neural cortex, and they're also burdened with the presence of a penis. So it could always be worse.

Governments have incentives to be both productive and efficient, to best represent The People and their tax dollars.

Yes, and in that vein, the sky is red, my shit smells like roses and the economy is controlled by job deities and market fairies.

Well, our governments "produce" quite a bit, actually. Especially when federal and state coordinates for the greater good of our United States. Interstate highways, Intercoastal Waterways, National Parks and Wildlife reserves, regional and International airports, standards for public health (CDC and those mandatory vaccinations for measles ) and food safety, national standards and reciprocity for education.

Freedom of mobility with continuity, that's what government "produces". One driver's license and one HS diploma can take us from coast-to-coast. We can transfer between public schools from any state, in any grade, and not have to start fresh in 1st grade. Everything from our state K-12 graduation, to universities and accreditation "produces" a coordinated effort we'd be hard pressed to find from any private entity.

We all use the same money/currency. We have protections of our US Constitution and SCOTUS when state laws and constitutions may disagree. That "produces" a unified approach, where our freedoms aren't restricted within our nation's borders. It's not perfect, and things like marriage and sexual behavior are still being debated between state legislatures. But I'd say, overall, our governments can "produce" quite a bit when it comes to protecting our Liberties.

None of which are actually produced by the government, or have any economic value.

And, there's more than just that wrong with your post, and other factual errors, but why bother correcting those?

Really, just... j00s and such.

[GGT]

You can't have it both ways, Cain. You can't say our government doesn't or can't "produce" certain environments, but turn around and blame teh evil gummint for "producing" only bad environments.

[CitizenCain]

Dammit, learn to read, woman.

[GGT]

Dammit, learn to read, woman.

What? I've read your posts. I disagree with your premise that government can't "produce" anything of economic value. Maybe it's part of my "cognitive disorder", but I'll remind you that this is what congress is fighting about, and hitting a philosophical and paralytic brick wall: government as part of the problem, or government as part of the solution. Congress is bipolar and polarized, but I don't think the US citizens are. I think most people just wants congress to do their damn work and work for the nation.

I believe government can "produce" environments that foster mobility and continuity between our 50 states and territories. I believe state and federal government can work together, with the private sector, to get us back on the path of growth and prosperity. And I believe that anti-gummint ideologues are demagoguing our way toward national failure and looming third world status.

What do you believe?

[CitizenCain]

I believe I've been very clear, and you're doing that thing you always do where you ignore the actual discussion, misuse words and parlay your general misunderstanding of the issue at hand into some completely unrelated and uninformed diatribe.

To whit:

[by economic definition]

[emphasis added, for the hard of reading. ]

[GGT]

Hard of reading, that's actually LOL.

Gee, sorry if I missed some ACADEMIC ECONOMIC DEFINITION, between your penis-vagina-skull-stuffing-rose-scented-craps or j00 jokes, Cain. More LOL fodder.

So, what were we talking about, again? Oh yeah....jobs, the middle class, productivity, changing global economies. And the role of government (aka teh evil gummint) vs freeee markets. Who has the power, who will win, can they work together or are we destined to be victims of their fight to the bitter end?

Sounds like a new comic book or action movie. Too bad real life and real people are at stake here.