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The first half of the article, focused on a factual assessment of the state of the American labor market, is accurate and informative. However the author proce
by jbarciauskas 16y ago
The first half of the article, focused on a factual assessment of the state of the American labor market, is accurate and informative. However the author proceeds to assert, "Well, the globalism and "free trade" that our politicians and business leaders insisted would be so good for us have had some rather nasty side effects." Very little effort is made in establishing the causal relationship between free trade and the difficulties facing the American labor market.
Certainly there's no reason that this should be unique to the US - Canada and Western Europe face the same challenge, but it doesn't seem that the middle class in those countries is shrinking at the same rate. One common alternative hypothesis, the lack of an aggressively redistributive tax system and social safety net, is not discussed.
- kiba 16y agoI am curious. Just what is the middle class?
- rphlx 16y ago> it doesn't seem that the middle class in those countries is shrinking at the same rate. Do you have a source for this? I think Western Europe's middle class is facing a lot of pressure too due to immigration. Not sure about Canada. > One common alternative hypothesis, the lack of an aggressively redistributive tax system Dude, people on welfare are not middle class. At least not for long.
- cdavid 16y agoRedistributive tax system and welfare are not the same thing at all.
- _delirium 16y agoScandinavian-style social safety nets and redistributive taxes aren't designed to just put people "on welfare" indefinitely, but aim to make it easier to live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle, both by providing public goods that people don't have to pay for themselves, and by subsidizing educational/etc. opportunities. For example, Denmark provides free health care, free child care, free education (incl. university), free job-training and continuing education programs, etc.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]