Income Inequality?

[Sparko]

It's how the market works ideally. But say these companies agree, explicitly or implicitly, that they will all sacrifice wages for increased ROI. Then you'd start to see wages stagnate while executives and investors continued to increase their wealth. You might even see wages decline while the top 1% (which holds the most investment) increased their wealth. The market can and has worked like that, too. And it's exactly the trend we've seen over the past few decades and is, indeed, the driving force behind increasing economic inequality.

And you want to talk theoretically? Why would a competitor want to agree with another competitor to sacrifice wages and keep them the same, if they can pay slightly more wages and gain an advantage over their competitor? Could it happen? Maybe, but we do have antitrust laws here too to prevent such collusions. IT is far more likely that a competitor would pay more to get the workers from their rivals and gain not only the knowledge of their business model, but cause their competitor to lose business. Usually if salaries top out for a position or business it is because the business market can't sustain higher wages without losing sales.

[Darth Executor]

It's how the market works ideally. But say these companies agree, explicitly or implicitly, that they will all sacrifice wages for increased ROI. Then you'd start to see wages stagnate while executives and investors continued to increase their wealth. You might even see wages decline while the top 1% (which holds the most investment) increased their wealth. The market can and has worked like that, too. And it's exactly the trend we've seen over the past few decades and is, indeed, the driving force behind increasing economic inequality.

They don't need to agree on anything, you just need more workers than there are jobs and then they can pay you less because you have nowhere to go. Both sides are ignoring basic economics for the sake of blind devotion to outdated political ideology (in conservatives cases) and the treasonous desire to destroy their fellow countrymen (in liberals cases).

[Sparko]

They don't need to agree on anything, you just need more workers than there are jobs and then they can pay you less because you have nowhere to go. Both sides are ignoring basic economics for the sake of blind devotion to outdated political ideology (in conservatives cases) and the treasonous desire to destroy their fellow countrymen (in liberals cases).

But the Democrats can just create more jobs, right?

[Darth Executor]

But the Democrats can just create more jobs, right?

I rest my case.

[Sparko]

I rest my case.

Did you get paid a fair wage for it?

[Darth Executor]

Did you get paid a fair wage for it?

I got paid what every lawyer should get paid.

[Cow Poke]

It's how the market works ideally. But say these companies agree, explicitly or implicitly, that they will all sacrifice wages for increased ROI. Then you'd start to see wages stagnate while executives and investors continued to increase their wealth.

Except, of course, for this lil' ol' thang called "competition", Sam.

You might even see wages decline while the top 1% (which holds the most investment) increased their wealth. The market can and has worked like that, too. And it's exactly the trend we've seen over the past few decades and is, indeed, the driving force behind increasing economic inequality.

So, what's your solution? Have you laid that out, yet?

[Cow Poke]

But the Democrats can just create more jobs, right?

Sure, just hire more people to do less work, requiring other people to do the work that the people you hired to do the work are doing inefficiently.

[Cow Poke]

Sam, do you haz one of them thar fancy chart thingies that shows how efficient government workers are?

[Sparko]

Sure, just hire more people to do less work, requiring other people to do the work that the people you hired to do the work are doing inefficiently.

You are silly. They just charge us more taxes, then use the taxes to pay people to do road construction work (stand next to an orange barrel and smoke cigarettes all day)

[Bill the Cat]

You are silly. They just charge us more taxes, then use the taxes to pay people to do road construction work (stand next to an orange barrel and smoke cigarettes all day)

That's what they meant by "shovel ready". The shovel was to lean on so they wouldn't fall down.

[Littlejoe]

Except, of course, for this lil' ol' thang called "competition", Sam.
So, what's your solution? Have you laid that out, yet?

What would be wrong with limiting CEO and top executive pay to a multiple of an average workers pay? 10x or 20x? When a CEO makes $30 mil a year and the workers are pulling down $12 an hour, it's not hard to see who's going to get rich in this scenario.

The fact is, that America rises and falls on it's middle class. The rich don't buy enough stuff to fuel the engine that is the American economy...it's fueled by a middle class with enough discretionary income. I would hate for America to go back to the "I owe my soul to the Company Store" era of American history. But that's what pure unchecked capital/free enterprise results in. Greed too often makes those at the top unconcerned for those earning those millions for them.

[Sparko]

What would be wrong with limiting CEO and top executive pay to a multiple of an average workers pay? 10x or 20x? When a CEO makes $30 mil a year and the workers are pulling down $12 an hour, it's not hard to see who's going to get rich in this scenario.

The fact is, that America rises and falls on it's middle class. The rich don't buy enough stuff to fuel the engine that is the American economy...it's fueled by a middle class with enough discretionary income. I would hate for America to go back to the "I owe my soul to the Company Store" era of American history. But that's what pure unchecked capital/free enterprise results in. Greed too often makes those at the top unconcerned for those earning those millions for them.

Would you like it if the government capped your pay? Once you reached your cap, would you bother to continue to strive for better performance? Or would you sit on your butt and say "well I can't make anymore, so I might as well just sit here and keep just doing my daily job." - isn't that what you have been complaining about in the first place? That the company has effectively capped your pay and you don't like it so you are looking for another job?

[Spartacus]

Sparko, do you work just because you get paid, or (at least in part) because you take pride in producing something worthwhile by the sweat of your brow?

[Sparko]

Sparko, do you work just because you get paid, or (at least in part) because you take pride in producing something worthwhile by the sweat of your brow?

Both. If I didn't have to work to make a living, I would find other things to do with my life that were satisfying.