Inequality means you get screwed.
Large gaps in educational achievement and racial divides all make the reduction in inequality difficult. The poorest states in the USA are Montana, Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia and most of these are Red states or considered Republican non-union, but right-to-work states. The Republicans will tell you wage slaves that inequality is desirable. Inequality gives wage slaves the incentive to work harder and invest. But at some point, which is where we are now, the inequality of income and wealth becomes so wide as to harm society.
When most all the economic gains go to the top; the wage slaves and everyone aspires to join the top percentage, but they no longer have the purchasing power to keep the economy going. Moreover with the small number at the top 1 percent making most of the investment decisions the economy will go up and down. Also, with the 1 percent gains more wealth they also gain more political power in a disproportionate amount, which they can game the system by lower taxes and regulations.
But in the long run this degree of inequality harms even the wealthy over the time. Just the inequality of education for the wage slaves will end up costing the 1 percent loses in production. The wealthy would do better in a society whose members readily join together to solve problems than one rife with dissention and conflicted, yet collaboration is difficult. Then people feel the game is rigged against them and that no matter how hard they work, they still can’t get ahead.
But it seems that there might be a tipping point. Walmart is changing leadership and there is movement on the wages—some wages have even made it to the $15 an hour rate and Germany went to $11.55, California to $10 an hour, but mostly it is still being slow walked. However, the tide is turning and it will be better for all.
Lastly, Obamacare is starting to work at the chagrin of the GOP!
Yes, they are coming for us. Workers need to have one another’s backs because no one else will. Neither the broader labor movement nor the Democratic party are prepared to meet the urgency of this moment. So it’s going to fall upon the rest of us to mount a real resistance against Trump’s authoritarian takeover. We’re going to have to get our hands dirty. I don’t care if you have a good, well-paying union job and you are in the middle class now—if you see a worker being dragged out of his workplace regardless of how skilled the job and potentially taken to another country, you should be ready to be there for that worker. When I.C.E. shows up, gather around and shame them into leaving. It has worked in other places. America is sleep walking into authoritarianism, and if there’s anyone out there who is a member of a labor union that is safe—at this point— and doesn’t think this applies to them. Understand that they just haven’t gotten to you yet. They’re coming for all of us. There are ...
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