Yeah, and when I post a ridiculously biased video on the thread, feel free to criticise it.
Who's "you guys?" I'm British and I live in Asia. I've got as much at stake here as, I don't know, and Indonesian person posting on a fansite of a British football club.
It's worth mentioning that covid caused a huge increase in inequality and a huge transfer of wealth to the rich in every country, meaning that every country has seen a massive inflation, and a huge increase in public debt, which results in lots of tax money having to go for paying that off rather than providing services.
My working hypothesis is that income distribution has a lot to do with it.
How has wealth distribution in the US changed over time? | USAFacts
The highest-earning Americans have increased their share of wealth over the past three decades, while the middle class has been losing its share.usafacts.org
From the quoted article:
"The 60% of income earners between the top and bottom quintiles — commonly referred to as America’s middle class — have seen their share of wealth diminish since 1990. Over the past three decades, this group’s share of total wealth fell to 26% from 37%."
Without having studied this issue in any detail whatsoever, my perception is that populism is on the rise globally because the distribution of wealth has become so imbalanced that the majority of voters are rightly upset and demand change. Populist governments won't address the imbalance - but their leaders promise to do so and feed on the unrest that income inequality generates.
I'm a big believer in free-market capitalism and that government should avoid mucking with companies insofar as possible. Income inequality, IMO, should be addressed through a system of taxation, raising the minimum wage, etc.
Should my hypothesis prove correct, then we're in a quandary here in the States. Dems that want to increase taxes and redistribute wealth that way, or even to increase the minimum wage... whatever - are demonized by Republicans and so even if such policy changes might work, the populists won't put them into place.
saw one yesterday where a 20 year old college student said she voted Trump because "he didn't ban abortion and instead he handed that choice back to state level "
This book was warning about this 15 years ago.
Ah yes, because when I'm getting my freedoms taken away by the government, it's really important to know that it's a slightly more local government.
That's a true statement.... Also, granting that I didn't see the video you watch, I have strong sense that you've misunderstood her point.
This book was warning about this 15 years ago.
Not just better on average, but better for the rich too.
What facts did Democrats rely on? I mean over the election period there was more than enough documenting of lies from both sides of the debate.
There is a lot of truth here.
Well yeah, it sort of works for one generation, maybe two, but once you get your first generation of rich kids, it's suddenly no longer based on merit but who your daddy was, what school you went to, and how much was in your trust fund. Once you have a generation of people who can live on the proceeds of money they've invested rather than the work they've done, this idea of inequality incentivising work disappears. Not completely. There'll always be the odd person who breaks through. But the more unequal things get, the more you're having to spend your wages paying off the mortgage of someone significantly richer than you, rather than saving for your own mortgage, the less of an incentive you have to work hard. And this is where you get a whole generation of people saying 'fuck it,' from the anti-work movement to Trump voters.
You didn't answerthe question, and now you say you have avoided finding out but you still felt sure enough to imply by voting for Trump you were voting against "Them".
Don’t worry. Trump is a climate change denier. We’re close to the 2% average increase that was declared the point of no return decades ago.
Trump inherited his money and he has been banckrupt six or seven times
Yeah, but what a businessman. I mean … you’ve seen The Apprentice, surely.
I didn’t say that. System failure. It was Foggy, I think.