The risk of income inequality

[Andylusion]

Good point I never even thought of it that way.

But if Walmart and McDonalds have republicans defending their low wages then Walmart and McDonalds encourage their employees to get on welfare then we are adding more and more people to the awful welfare that republicans supposedly hate.

Not understanding they are promoting and encouraging the environment that will create bigger govt.

Again, Walmart can't just pay more, or McDonald's. If Walmart becomes more expensive than other stores that pay less, then Walmart goes out of business, and all those 2.2 Million people they employ, are out of work.

Is that better? Same with McDonald's. And by the way, Walmart pays more than most other places.

See, you seem to get this idea that companies have magic money trees that pay wages. They don't. Every single penny that a company has to pay employees, comes from customers.

Are you willing to pay $20 for a burger at McDonalds? Because that's what it's going to cost to pay Employees $20 an hour.

Look at Norway. McDonald's in Norway pays about $15 an hour.

That's a McDonald's menu from Norway. Notice the price. About $16 for a big mac.

That's how that works. No business can pay employees more money, than the customer is willing to pay for the product or service.

We're not going to McDs to pay $20 for a burger. Thus the McDonald's either closes, or replaces workers with robots.

Is that better? Either way, the workers are unemployed.

How much government welfare and food stamps, are they going to get when they are earning ZERO from being unemployed? Your minimum wage would make the situation much worse, not better.

So our largest corporations can't afford to pay their workers enough to not collect some kind of welfare. Meanwhile all the brilliant execs make millions and millions of dollars. Henry Ford these guys are not. And thanks to this welfare collection the government keeps growing and growing.

So those of you who are cheerleading for the rich, how do you stop the government from growing? How do you balance the budget? Conservatives used to be for small government, but it looks more and more like your just for making the rich richer.

None of that makes any difference to what I said.

The fact is, you can't pay an employee more money than the customer is willing to pay for the product or service.

All that bull crap you spewed about 'our companies can't blaw blaw blaw henry ford blaw blaw', doesn't change that.

It's true anywhere in the world. If you go to France, the customers are not willing to pay so much for a burger, to pay employees tons of money. So they replaced workers with Kiosks.

McDonald's orders 7,000 touchscreen kiosks to replace cashiers - Neowin

The economic truth, doesn't change because you have some ideology you want to hold to.

You can either accept it, or remain ignorant. You choose. But it doesn't change reality either way.

 

[KNB]

Why do corporations HAVE to raise prices to pay higher employee wages?

Wal-Mart profits billions. Wal-Mart can raise wages and simply profit a few less billion. They still profit in the billions, just not as many billions. And their employees won't need as much government assistance.

What is the rationale for raising prices? Only to sustain high profit margins. Nothing more.

Wal-Mart, McDonald's, JC Penney, etc., can all afford to pay their employees more without raising prices.

 

[Geaux4it]

Why do corporations HAVE to raise prices to pay higher employee wages?

Wal-Mart profits billions. Wal-Mart can raise wages and simply profit a few less billion. They still profit in the billions, just not as many billions. And their employees won't need as much government assistance.

What is the rationale for raising prices? Only to sustain high profit margins. Nothing more.

Wal-Mart, McDonald's, JC Penney, etc., can all afford to pay their employees more without raising prices.

Because they can afford to? The CEO's have an obligation to their stockholders and for that, they must manage the bottom line.

But more importantly; is just because, as you say, they can afford to pay more in salary- why should we expect them to do so?

-Geaux

 

[Rozman]

Why do corporations HAVE to raise prices to pay higher employee wages?

Wal-Mart profits billions. Wal-Mart can raise wages and simply profit a few less billion. They still profit in the billions, just not as many billions. And their employees won't need as much government assistance.

What is the rationale for raising prices? Only to sustain high profit margins. Nothing more.

Wal-Mart, McDonald's, JC Penney, etc., can all afford to pay their employees more without raising prices.

Why does government pull in so many millions of dolllars in taxes....
Why can't they cut taxes then cut spending?

 

[OnePercenter]

I can't decide if that was the stupidest thing or the funniest I have seen here recently.

You don't understand what happens when you put hundreds of millions into the economy per month? Really?

But it won't. That's the point. You don't grasp that your solution WILL NOT put hundreds of millions into the economy. If we thought it would, then you would have a point. But it won't. You are ignoring other factors that would counter the money put in.

People are not going to invest into the economy unless there is profit to be made. Your position would make profit nearly impossible. Thus there will not be any hundreds of millions of investment into the economy.

Hundreds of millions per month in middle class spending won't help the economy? Not to mention a sale tax revenue spike, FICA spike, increased personal tax revenue spike, the Feds can reduce the state payments because they won't need it, every employer can afford health insurance for their workers which would dramatically reduce uninsured costs, inflation would be ZERO since costs of good and services wouldn't increase, sales of product would increase. Get it yet? Middle class spending keeps the economy healthy.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Why do corporations HAVE to raise prices to pay higher employee wages?

Wal-Mart profits billions. Wal-Mart can raise wages and simply profit a few less billion. They still profit in the billions, just not as many billions. And their employees won't need as much government assistance.

What is the rationale for raising prices? Only to sustain high profit margins. Nothing more.

Wal-Mart, McDonald's, JC Penney, etc., can all afford to pay their employees more without raising prices.

Why does government pull in so many millions of dolllars in taxes....
Why can't they cut taxes then cut spending?

Think about this the next time you drive across a bridge. Fighting to turn America into a third world country isn't a solution.

HELL NO to cut, slash and fuck. Yes to efficacy and reduction of waste.

I am tired of you tea party losers handing elections to the democrats!

 

[Brain357]

Again, Walmart can't just pay more, or McDonald's. If Walmart becomes more expensive than other stores that pay less, then Walmart goes out of business, and all those 2.2 Million people they employ, are out of work.

Is that better? Same with McDonald's. And by the way, Walmart pays more than most other places.

See, you seem to get this idea that companies have magic money trees that pay wages. They don't. Every single penny that a company has to pay employees, comes from customers.

Are you willing to pay $20 for a burger at McDonalds? Because that's what it's going to cost to pay Employees $20 an hour.

Look at Norway. McDonald's in Norway pays about $15 an hour.

That's a McDonald's menu from Norway. Notice the price. About $16 for a big mac.

That's how that works. No business can pay employees more money, than the customer is willing to pay for the product or service.

We're not going to McDs to pay $20 for a burger. Thus the McDonald's either closes, or replaces workers with robots.

Is that better? Either way, the workers are unemployed.

How much government welfare and food stamps, are they going to get when they are earning ZERO from being unemployed? Your minimum wage would make the situation much worse, not better.

So our largest corporations can't afford to pay their workers enough to not collect some kind of welfare. Meanwhile all the brilliant execs make millions and millions of dollars. Henry Ford these guys are not. And thanks to this welfare collection the government keeps growing and growing.

So those of you who are cheerleading for the rich, how do you stop the government from growing? How do you balance the budget? Conservatives used to be for small government, but it looks more and more like your just for making the rich richer.

None of that makes any difference to what I said.

The fact is, you can't pay an employee more money than the customer is willing to pay for the product or service.

All that bull crap you spewed about 'our companies can't blaw blaw blaw henry ford blaw blaw', doesn't change that.

It's true anywhere in the world. If you go to France, the customers are not willing to pay so much for a burger, to pay employees tons of money. So they replaced workers with Kiosks.

McDonald's orders 7,000 touchscreen kiosks to replace cashiers - Neowin

The economic truth, doesn't change because you have some ideology you want to hold to.

You can either accept it, or remain ignorant. You choose. But it doesn't change reality either way.

Ok well you completely ignored my questions. I guess taxing the rich is the only way to balance the budget then?

 

[Brain357]

Why do corporations HAVE to raise prices to pay higher employee wages?

Wal-Mart profits billions. Wal-Mart can raise wages and simply profit a few less billion. They still profit in the billions, just not as many billions. And their employees won't need as much government assistance.

What is the rationale for raising prices? Only to sustain high profit margins. Nothing more.

Wal-Mart, McDonald's, JC Penney, etc., can all afford to pay their employees more without raising prices.

Because they can afford to? The CEO's have an obligation to their stockholders and for that, they must manage the bottom line.

But more importantly; is just because, as you say, they can afford to pay more in salary- why should we expect them to do so?

-Geaux

Sounds like we need to creative incentives for them to do so.

 

[KNB]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cESgOg269e8]Immortal Technique Rich Man's World (1%) Lyrics on screen - YouTube[/ame]

 

[alan1]

There was a time in this country where you graduated school, learned a trade and got a job with a major corporation and you were set for life
If you were lucky, you got a union job with good benefits. You could work 40 years with the same company and when you retired you had a good pension with health benefits.

Now workers are on edge. They don't know if they will have a job in six months. They accept jobs rather than careers. No benefits, no security, no future. Don't like it....there is the door. Collective bargaining is a thing of the past. You are on your own

One false step and you are destitute

That was back when CEOs made 20x the average worker. Now they make over 270x the average worker to do the same job. Now they ship jobs over seas and cut benefits, sticking the government with the bill.

Oddly enough, I've never seen a container at a shipping port that was labeled "Jobs", have you?
Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Siemens, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Samsung, Hyundai and others all have plants in the USA. Do you complain about those companies that "Now they ship jobs over seas..."? Or is it a one way street for you?

 

[LeftofLeft]

The big myth about income inequality that just won't die - The Week

Modern life is fraught with very expensive risks lurking around every corner. A sudden illness or accident could render you disabled and unable to work. A recession or economic restructuring could render you unemployed and render the skills you've spent your life learning useless. Reaching old age with inadequate savings could mean living your golden years in poverty.

Many societies have created robust social insurance systems to protect their populations from these kinds of risks. The U.S. has done so as well, but to a much lesser extent. Because social insurance in the U.S. is so inadequate, it is incumbent upon people to self-insure against these risks. That means they need to have enough wealth to draw upon as a cushion if they end up facing hard times. But here's where the social contract fails: When the bottom half of the country owns basically none of the country's wealth, they can't self-insure themselves against these risks. Instead, they must lead a relatively perilous life in which one misstep or mistake could wreck them and their families.

Income Inequality is a global problem. The USA is the popular destination of all who seek opportunity. Must be Capitalism. That is why, above all, I am a Capitalist, not a Socialist. That said, limited Socialism is good.....why would anyone want more Socialism only to cede and cement a truly 1%?

 

[Samson]

When income inequalities persist, violence ensues.

I suppose you're point is that whining about income inequality on a message board is a peaceful pastime.

 

[Brain357]

There was a time in this country where you graduated school, learned a trade and got a job with a major corporation and you were set for life
If you were lucky, you got a union job with good benefits. You could work 40 years with the same company and when you retired you had a good pension with health benefits.

Now workers are on edge. They don't know if they will have a job in six months. They accept jobs rather than careers. No benefits, no security, no future. Don't like it....there is the door. Collective bargaining is a thing of the past. You are on your own

One false step and you are destitute

That was back when CEOs made 20x the average worker. Now they make over 270x the average worker to do the same job. Now they ship jobs over seas and cut benefits, sticking the government with the bill.

Oddly enough, I've never seen a container at a shipping port that was labeled "Jobs", have you?
Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Siemens, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Samsung, Hyundai and others all have plants in the USA. Do you complain about those companies that "Now they ship jobs over seas..."? Or is it a one way street for you?

Are you saying a huge amount of our manufacturing hasn't been moved over seas? I don't get your point.

 

[rightwinger]

Why do corporations HAVE to raise prices to pay higher employee wages?

Wal-Mart profits billions. Wal-Mart can raise wages and simply profit a few less billion. They still profit in the billions, just not as many billions. And their employees won't need as much government assistance.

What is the rationale for raising prices? Only to sustain high profit margins. Nothing more.

Wal-Mart, McDonald's, JC Penney, etc., can all afford to pay their employees more without raising prices.

Profits are up...what should we do?

1. Increase dividends......good idea
2. Raise the salary of the CEO......he deserves it
3. Increase employee pay......fuck em

 

[alan1]

That was back when CEOs made 20x the average worker. Now they make over 270x the average worker to do the same job. Now they ship jobs over seas and cut benefits, sticking the government with the bill.

Oddly enough, I've never seen a container at a shipping port that was labeled "Jobs", have you?
Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Siemens, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Samsung, Hyundai and others all have plants in the USA. Do you complain about those companies that "Now they ship jobs over seas..."? Or is it a one way street for you?

Are you saying a huge amount of our manufacturing hasn't been moved over seas? I don't get your point.

Change your user name to Brian instead of Brain.
The USA is the second largest manufacturer of products, second only to a country with 3-4 times our population. Pissing and moaning about manufacturing over seas is ridiculous. It's almost as if you think no other country in the world should have manufacturing. Well guess what, they do, and it takes a country 3-4 times the population of the USA to exceed our manufacturing capacity.
Get the point now?

 

[alan1]

Profits are up...what should we do?

1. Increase dividends......good idea
2. Raise the salary of the CEO......he deserves it
3. Increase employee pay......fuck em

Become a CEO and change that practice.
Yer smart, what's holding you back?

 

[Brain357]

Oddly enough, I've never seen a container at a shipping port that was labeled "Jobs", have you?
Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Siemens, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Samsung, Hyundai and others all have plants in the USA. Do you complain about those companies that "Now they ship jobs over seas..."? Or is it a one way street for you?

Are you saying a huge amount of our manufacturing hasn't been moved over seas? I don't get your point.

Change your user name to Brian instead of Brain.
The USA is the second largest manufacturer of products, second only to a country with 3-4 times our population. Pissing and moaning about manufacturing over seas is ridiculous. It's almost as if you think no other country in the world should have manufacturing. Well guess what, they do, and it takes a country 3-4 times the population of the USA to exceed our manufacturing capacity.
Get the point now?

So I guess you think losing jobs is a good thing? You like more people on welfare and the government growing? I guess you'd be ok with us being the #2 economy in the world too? No I don't get it.

 

[Brain357]

Profits are up...what should we do?

1. Increase dividends......good idea
2. Raise the salary of the CEO......he deserves it
3. Increase employee pay......fuck em

Become a CEO and change that practice.
Yer smart, what's holding you back?

He'd have to know the right people to do that. Not easy to get in that group. Most are probably born into it.

 

[rightwinger]

Profits are up...what should we do?

1. Increase dividends......good idea
2. Raise the salary of the CEO......he deserves it
3. Increase employee pay......fuck em

Become a CEO and change that practice.
Yer smart, what's holding you back?

So CEOs are only looking for the benefits of stockholders and themselves

As usual....the workers are fucked

The reason trickle down never works

 

[auditor0007]

Does the increased font size help with your feelings of inadequacy? Please point out where I advocated violence.

YOu may not have suggested a violent uprising, but you would condone it.
BTW, are you unsatisfied with your career?

No, actually, I don't condone violence. I'm stating a fact, that's it. Information is not advocacy. When the income inequality becomes too great, violence is the result. Let history be your guide.

I happen to love both my careers, my previous one in the military and my career now, thanks for asking.

What they don't understand is that under our system, violence will not be necessary. If we create too many poor because of stupid economic policy, then eventually there will be so many in the lower rungs that they will vote people into power who will make changes. When that happens, we will see a major shift in taxation so that the super wealthy do not benefit as much as they have, and more opportunity will open up for everyone.