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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis alone, should be enough to to demolish the entire foundation of economic conservatism
This alone, in cartoon form, should be enough to to demolish the entire foundation of economic conservatism:
That more Democrats don't cite this more often is proof of the capture of our electoral system by corporate interests.
1) Corporate profit margins just hit an all-time high. Companies are making more per dollar of
sales than they ever have before. (And some people are still saying that companies are suffering
from "too much regulation" and "too many taxes." Maybe little companies are, but big ones
certainly aren't).
2) Fewer Americans are working than at any time in the past three decades. One reason
corporations are so profitable is that they don't employ as many Americans as they used to.
3) Wages as a percent of the economy are at an all-time low. This is both cause and effect. One reason companies are so profitable is that they're paying employees less than they ever have as a share of GDP. And that, in turn, is one reason the economy is so weak: Those "wages" are other companies' revenue.
http://www.businessinsider.com/corporate-profits-just-hit-an-all-time-high-wages-just-hit-an-all-time-low-2012-6
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This alone, should be enough to to demolish the entire foundation of economic conservatism (Original Post)
kpete
Jun 2012
OP
Make7
(8,543 posts)1. This can easily be explained...
... by the fact that President Obama is a socialist.
[font style="font-size:0.8462em;"]Wait a minute...[/font]
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)2. Americans are bred, conditioned and propagandized to accept this as normal! n/t
zeos3
(1,078 posts)3. There was another short article about this at that site.
http://www.businessinsider.com/adam-smith-our-record-high-profit-margins-are-a-sign-the-us-is-going-to-ruin-2012-6
"What's the fundamental problem? The fundamental problem is that businesses are doing great, as exemplified by those record-high profit margins. But this corporate-and-owner prosperity is not flowing through to average Americans, as exemplified by the record-low wages.
This state of affairs, sadly, is completely unsustainable. Average Americans spend most of the money spent in this economy, and consumer spending accounts for 70% of the overall economy. So the higher profit margins go, and the lower wages go, the more top-heavy the economy becomes. And eventually, if this trend continues, the revenue-growth--and profit margins--of the companies will collapse. And that will be as bad for "the 1%" as it is for everyone else."
-snip-
Check out this Smith quote from "Wealth of Nations," which was sent over by writer Moe Tkacik (follow her here):
"But the rate of profit does not, like rent and wages, rise with the prosperity, and fall with the declension of the society. On the contrary, it is naturally low in rich, and high in poor countries, and it is always highest in the countries which are going fastest to ruin."
"What's the fundamental problem? The fundamental problem is that businesses are doing great, as exemplified by those record-high profit margins. But this corporate-and-owner prosperity is not flowing through to average Americans, as exemplified by the record-low wages.
This state of affairs, sadly, is completely unsustainable. Average Americans spend most of the money spent in this economy, and consumer spending accounts for 70% of the overall economy. So the higher profit margins go, and the lower wages go, the more top-heavy the economy becomes. And eventually, if this trend continues, the revenue-growth--and profit margins--of the companies will collapse. And that will be as bad for "the 1%" as it is for everyone else."
-snip-
Check out this Smith quote from "Wealth of Nations," which was sent over by writer Moe Tkacik (follow her here):
"But the rate of profit does not, like rent and wages, rise with the prosperity, and fall with the declension of the society. On the contrary, it is naturally low in rich, and high in poor countries, and it is always highest in the countries which are going fastest to ruin."
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)4. A few more charts to add on
TeamPooka
(24,309 posts)5. As soon as Mitt and the GOP convince
everyone to work for the same wages as the workers at the Foxcomm factory in China then everything will be fine.
For them.