Part of the problem in the US is that there is an ever widening gap between the "Haves" & the "Have-not's". This has been brought on (along with other things) by the loss of higher paying jobs to low paying overseas countries such as Mexico, the Philippines, China, & other countries.
I don't believe that. The liberal press always likes to quote that, they have quoted that for all my life, every time they get the chance, I simply don't believe it.
I do agree that this is necessary for a company to stay competitive by keeping manufacturing costs down. A lot of people have a problem with that but, I do not as it is a fact of manufacturing survival.
Right, unless they keeps costs down, and be competitive, there are not jobs for anyone, on or off shore.
But, the end result is we now have a higher percentage of people working in the service industry such as McDonalds for next to nothing. We now have a much higher percentage of the population that can no longer afford the same luxuries that our parents could.
I disagree. The problem as I see it is that these people leave home and IMMEDIATELY expect to lieve like their parents did, whichout earning it. It took me many years to feel like I can live like I want to, it took hard work and sacrifice. It was hard to get that down payment for my first home, but I did without and saved and did it. Now we offer low interest loans for first time home buyers, so they don't have to struggle (and guess who pays for this? Me). They want to have cable tv, and a car, and go out to eat, and a Playstation, and a cell phone, and then complain about how hard it it so hard get a house.
These people can not afford a new car at any price.
If they won't work hard enough or smart enough to earn the money, then they don't deserve a car.
This is why the used car market is booming which also drives up the price of used cars. These same people also have little to look forward to as far as retirement is concerned.
Either did I, so that's why I've saved and saved and saved to I will have some thing when I retire. I will never feel bad for anyone that never saved and then lives in poverty during their senior years.
Again, their parents probably had a better retirement then they will. This is also why there is a health insurance crisis in the US today; a very large percentage of the population simply can't afford the extremely high cost of health insurance.
I disagree, I maintain that most are NOT WILLING TO SACRIFICE to purchase it. They are not willing to give up their Playstations, and big screen tv's and cell phones..... (see the list above).
These same people are hard pressed to afford a new home of any kind (one reason apartment rentals are way up).
I disagree. I recently heard that personal home ownership is at the highest level in American history.
You couple this to the fact that few companies no longer make any real effort to keep people long term; many people jump from job to job never building up a pension or having any long term health insurance that they can depend on.
I've jumped from job to job, and earned a healty pay increase each time, which pays for my health insurance and my retirement savings.
The remaining jobs are the high paying ones (usually in the tech industry) that employs a much smaller percentage of the population then does the service industry. To them, spending $30.000 - 40,000+ on a new car or $180,000+ on a new home is not a problem.
RIGHT, because THEY EARNED IT. They WORKED for it.
I don't know what the answer is
I do. Eliminate almost all welfare programs, and the ones that remain, must validiate the need. We just give out money, we never ask if they are "needy" because they are stupid (which is what I believe in most cases).
To be on welfare (food stamps, heating bills assistance, the list goes on and on) used to be shameful, now it's and "entitlement". No wonder so many prefer to take rather than pay their way.
I am so sick and tired of earning my living and then being force to pay for all the lazy people who won't work and pay their own way in life.