Borrowed from Facebook. Message to the Tea Party...

[turk]

I'm consistent.

[Amskeptic]

Statistics show we will be "less rich" in the future. I do have a problem with that. See, I have been exposed to "definitely rich" probably more than most "less rich"s, and understand viscerally, morally, ethically, sensibly, intellectually, that there is no good goddamn reason on Earth that some 2% of the self-proclaimed superior capitalist giants should hoard 25% of the nation's wealth as they claim that paying their historically fair share of taxes somehow "kills jobs". But that's just me.

I'm taking this on. This is fundamental to the idea of America put forward by the founders. First off, how to define "less rich". I presume you mean the stats showing a disparity between top and bottom, thus less rich. In my experience, the spectrum in between has indeed gotten the benefits of the technological advances seen in the last 70 years.

Human nature being what it is, you will not find human beings who take comfort in the fact that their 1992 Chevy Citation has better brakes than the Chevy Straight 6 of 1933.

That the current poor and lower middle class is in actuality doing better than the middle class of 1962, is not going to mollify the anger nor reduce the intrinsic unfairness and immorality of the current growing inequity.

As importantly, the reasons for the current inequity are more dangerous than in the past. In the past, it was understood that America was building a modern society and though not all were getting pulled up equally, the direction was up.

Now we have people going *down*. Educational competence, expected lifespan, infant mortality, income, wealth, retirement portfolios, included.
As the markets like to talk about "perceptions" as a driver of the stock market, "perceptions" are also powerful forces behind people's dreams and dismays. The danger of social instability is not going to be mitigated by the ubiquitous availablility of plasma TVs.
Colin

[turk]

Human nature being what it is, you will not find human beings who take comfort in the fact that their 1992 Chevy Citation has better brakes than the Chevy Straight 6 of 1933. [...]
The danger of social instability is not going to be mitigated by the ubiquitous availablility of plasma TVs.
Colin

LOL.. Okay. Well, I see yer point. I think there are good points in both ideological camps regarding social stability. Happy Thanksgiving.