The Stagnant Working Class

[Bofferbrauer2]

Fallawful said:

NightlyPoe said:

Then why are you still misunderstanding it?

Up until like the very end when it takes a couple pot shots, it's pretty much focused on what is a common complaint:  That the working class is not keeping up while showing that the conditions are constantly improving.  People don't see how their lives are improving at such a rapid rate.

That conclusion is basically correct.  I'm sure you want to add some nuance that it could be better still, but the basic point is solid.  Things are getting better and they always have been getting better.  The feeling of being "left behind", which is not necessarily a liberal idea, in fact such populism is a major factor in the Trump coalition, is, as a whole, incorrect.

I'll tell you what. I agree: the lives of the working class has indeed improved. The majority of the population in the West no longer lives in abject poverty. 

So what? What's the next logical question? 

But here's the kicker to that: Capitalism wasn't the reason for this, but social reforms. If it all went like the capitalists would have wanted to, we'd still be like during the industrial revolution, without any worker protection laws, safety regulations, and the like. Only leftists of all kind taking actions against the companies gave them any power and voice, and ensured that the workers got their share of the profits, too.

And don't think I'm advocating for communism or the like, I just point out that either end of the spectrum is totally flawed and the general public will get screwed either way if society goes too far into one political direction.

Only a healthy mix of both capitalistic and socialistic laws ensure that both employers and employees thrive, and the government too by the way. And that healthy mix is missing in the US, being way too far on the capitalistic side and screwing over both the general public and the government.

Or, in just one picture:

For those who don't understand the implication, it's because the Republican party supports a trickle-down scheme. It's supposed to give more to the working class by taking less taxes from the rich, so the rich could give more to their workers. But what rich person would willingly do so if that person's totally honest? They also believe that this would make them invest more money back into the economy by creating new companies and thus jobs, but the large majority of millionaires rather sit on their money or just invest in the financial markets. Either way, just a tiny amount of that tax cut trickles down to the workers, and the end results are rising inequalities and governmental debts.