This is certainly a factor but I think even if we got rid of taxes and regulations and unions and minimum wage laws the 3rd world nations would still be able to produce goods for significantly cheaper. Even with a reduced cost of doing business our cost of living would price us out of being competitive. I think we need to consider that the consumer is also to blame. We want more stuff than we need and we want it cheaper so we can buy more. Many people aren't willing to spend the big money on the better product. If you needed a new blender would you buy the $60-80 made in china one or would you buy the $400 made in USA one? When was the last time you ever bought American made shoes?

And if we got rid of all of those things we would have more dangerous working conditions, we would have companies polluting more or making more dangerous products, etc. Consequently a union ends up being part of a free system anyway. Lets not kid ourselves, some regulations are necessary.

Exactly.

This is the point I have been trying to emphasize in this thread.  There is no perfect economic ideology.  What economic ideology a nation selects will have to be a function of a number of social, psychological, cultural, religious, political, and technological factors with the end result, an economic system that has elements of capitalism, socialism, and maybe even communism.

People really need to differentiate the lines that distinguish political control ideologies versus economic ideologies.  For example, many on this forum always associate socialism and communism with state control, while capitalism synonymous with democracy.  While these relationships may be true, they totally forget that the theoretical underpinnings of socialism and communism is the protection of the working class against the financial and corporate capitalist elites.  As I stated repeatedly in this thread, the concerns of the working class has never been a theoretical concern in the theory of capitalism.  Capitalism is about making profits for the firm and not the workers of that firm.


Kuleana

What's the correlation of all this to race baiting ?

Funny thing is that individuals are nearly completely able to prevent themselves from being arrested by simply not committing crimes. I think the biggest change needs to be done at the social level, not the police level or government level. The economic level would help some though.

It is so easy to make a video like this, mention a few facts and show a few emotional pictures and make an upsetting argument while leaving out context.


On the economic note, the video did bring up one question I have always had trouble reconciling. Jobs are lost because they have gone overseas and conservatives often talk about bringing these jobs back to America. I totally agree and often I will shell out bigger bucks for the products that are made in the USA. That being said though, conservatives are also usually for less regulation on the free market. However it is the free market that has allowed the jobs to be sent overseas. How can we be on the same side of those two issues when they seem to conflict?

Capitalism  -->  Capital -->  Capital Investment

Don't forget profits.


The concept is simple.  You invest capital goods & finances, and you get a return on your investment.

Correct.


Most US businesses are NOT big corporations, but small business.  The owners more often than not are the primary workers, toiling 7 days a week, longer than 8 hour days, and pay themselves much less in salary and benefits than most would expect.

All true, but those small business are not calling the shots when it comes to drafting and implementing government economic policy.


Their dream is to build the business so they have something to leave their spouse and children, and to hopefully retire with enough to be comfortable.

Awesome.


They employ more people nationally than the big corporations.

Debatable.


While the goal of enriching their employees makes some of them more productive, and the act of giving makes them feel good, their objectives are not being met by "giving away the store" to the employees.

Correct.


So, while the businesses do not exist to provide workers with jobs, and they do not exist to provide goods and services to the public at razor thin profit margins, they are also not there to wrok the owners to death with no return on their investment.  They often put 100% of everything they have into their operations, and often borrow when that isn't enough.  If the company goes under, they are the ones who lose everything, not the workers.

Exactly, that is why more often than not, many businesses will demand much out of their workers for little pay.


With great risk must be the opportunity for great reward.  If the workers want the same share as the owners, they too have the same freedom and opportunity to work for their dreams.

This is not the issue though.  The issue is American workers loosing all the gains made in worker well-being that were paid for in blood in the US at the turn of the 20th Century (e.g., 40hr Work Week, Benefits, etc).  Today, the standard of living for American workers is deteriorating rapidly and those capitalist ideologues are running out of solutions to reverse this trend.

Sure, anyone can start their own business.  All mass marketing pyramid schemes say the same thing.  The truth is most small businesses fail in the first five years, leaving those people to eventually be part of the working class.  With the exception of those businesses that uses the Internet, most larger successful businesses in the US were businesses that have been around for decades.


Kuleana

The truth is most small businesses fail in the first five years

4)   Small businesses have generated over 65% of the net new jobs since 1995

5)   Approximately 543,000 new businesses get started each month (but more employer businesses shut down than start up each month)

6)   7 out of 10 new employer firms survive at least 2 years, half at least 5 years, a third at least 10 years and a quarter stay in business 15 years or more

^^^ Absolutely right, mauidog.

Not all businesses are run by the corporate elite and bankers.

Correct, but the ones that exert control over government policy are them.


Many small business owners put up their own capital at risk and work harder than a typical employed FT or PT worker.  And when they are able to grow, they create jobs for others who were not willing to take a risk.

To take from them to give to those that do not work is pretty much the same as robbery.

I agree.  Small fledgling businesses should be given a tax-free window to operate for at least the first three years so they can truly establish themselves in their respective markets.  Once established, they should pay a progressive tax that takes into account what industry they are operating in, what communities do they operate in, how many people they employ, as well as total revenue earned.  Alas, this progressive idea would be deemed socialism and, therefore, would not see the light of day.


Kuleana

Do we have to explain everything to you?  Please try to keep up with the previous comments ....     

Yeah. That's the post that took this off-topic. Thanks for the reference.

It was a good discussion about race baiting in America with good videos from Hvy, 78, and Q until It took an economic, non-race baiting situation in America turn.

 A lot of members seemed interested In the posted topic.

I'm not saying your folks discussion is not interesting, just not on point with the OP.

And anyone can start a new thread for a new topic.

JMO. 

My Bad.
I was trying to be civil, non-attacking to anyone and articulate.

Thought I read something you wrote previously about thread jacking being rude and disrespectful to the entire forum.

I was just interested in the original post.
Still am actually.

And I promised 2A  I wouldn't get into this little kid sh*+ again.   

The fact of the matter is that if you want to do something, if you REALLY want to do something, you are going to do it by overcoming any barriers to accomplish your goals.