Who's making money these days?

[waveflyer]

Ok yip- everything relative in your world?
the facts/data remain- those who acquire their money are taxed at 15% and only if they sell- those who earn an income are taxed above 34%+ state-
The rich have used their ability to lobby to gain that advantage and use it across the board to gain leverage over income earners-
The gap is growing between the rich and everyone else- both groups are getting smaller -
How long do we let it continue?

 

[waveflyer]

Sure there are folks doing well. Folks that are government connected. 7 of the top 10 highest earning counties not surprisingly are bordering Washington DC. Good wages, pensions, outstanding benefits. All on your dime! If you want to do well, get in tight with the Government.

Get real. That's such a cop-out.

There is a propaganda machine out there that wants you to be pessimistic about the govt -
Because in a government, of the people, for the people, by the people- Government IS our power-

Unless we can be convinced not to use it.

 

[WMUSIGPI]

You are probably a communist homosexual riddled with class envy. To answer your question....

Jobs which are not subject to overseas competition and require a high degree of skill.

Short of perhaps a few highly classified military based jobs, I don't think any job meets that description anymore.

 

[pilotyip]

Ok yip- everything relative in your world?
the facts/data remain- those who acquire their money are taxed at 15% and only if they sell- those who earn an income are taxed above 34%+ state-
The rich have used their ability to lobby to gain that advantage and use it across the board to gain leverage over income earners-
The gap is growing between the rich and everyone else- both groups are getting smaller -
How long do we let it continue?

Back to square one, what do we do about these "Evil Rich" people? Kill'em, tax them into moving to another country, or just say the gov't needs your money therefore we will take it all. BTW Who are these rich people, is POTUS BO a rich person? A lot of people consider you and I rich people even though I have never made over 100K/yr in my life.

 

[JetFumes]

Back to square one, what do we do about these "Evil Rich" people? Kill'em, tax them into moving to another country, or just say the gov't needs your money therefore we will take it all. BTW Who are these rich people, is POTUS BO a rich person? A lot of people consider you and I rich people even though I have never made over 100K/yr in my life.

You seem to want to stay with the relativistic theme. OK, I'll define middle class for you. I would say that middle class is defined as the ability to buy a moderate house, a car or two, depending on the needs of your family, send your kids to a decent school, have a least one vacation a year, retire with confidence, and do it all on ONE INCOME, not two. I think everyone would agree that at least one person at home is good for the kids, which gets back to that family health and friends theme. I'm not saying that one person should always stay home per se, just that the ability to do that is there. Discuss.

 

[pilotyip]

You seem to want to stay with the relativistic theme. OK, I'll define middle class for you. I would say that middle class is defined as the ability to buy a moderate house, Discuss.

Define moderate home, 800 sq ft, 1400 sq ft, 2400 sq ft 4000 sq ft, what is a middle class decent home? You sound upper middle class to me.

 

[JetFumes]

Define moderate home, 800 sq ft, 1400 sq ft, 2400 sq ft 4000 sq ft, what is a middle class decent home? You sound upper middle class to me.

Really....your just sending out flamebait, right? Did you read the whole post? The size of the moderate house would depend upon the family size, wouldn't it? I think most people can determine whats small, average or moderate, and large. But hey, maybe all us pilots should just be happy we don't all live in grass huts, or wallow around strung out and on the street... After all, there's not much difference between the average pilot and some strung out addict, right?

 

[NuGuy]

Bankrupting those MBAs and most of Wall Street is well within the power of every American.

Move your money to Credit Unions, and take all of the money and close out your 401k. Don't invest money in any mutual fund, instead save it, start a business or invest locally. Don't buy insurance from any company that isn't a "mutual" company.

If most of middle America did this, Wall Street, as we know it, would collapse and the DOW would be at 2-4,000. All of those funds would fold, and those same MBAs would be out serving lattes Starbucks instead of making megabucks. Those few managers that remained would actually have to work for their money, instead of having it direct deposited every 15th and 30th from Joe and Jane Smith.

The occupy crowd is pissing and moaning about the casino taking their money. It's all within our power to change.

Nu

 

[pilotyip]

Really....your just sending out flamebait, right? Did you read the whole post? The size of the moderate house would depend upon the family size, wouldn't it? I think most people can determine whats small, average or moderate, and large. But hey, maybe all us pilots should just be happy we don't all live in grass huts, or wallow around strung out and on the street... After all, there's not much difference between the average pilot and some strung out addict, right?

No flamebait, just an unanswered question. Still no answer on house size, and yes most pilots who have been in this trade for 10 years live in decent houses. A Fed Ex Capt probably thinks he is middle class in his 5,000 sq ft house on his 20 acre horse farm. The Communter Captain probably thinks he is middle class in a 1400 sq ft house in a 40 year old sub. BTW After all, there's not much difference between the average pilot and some strung out addict, right? other than they are both very happy?

 

[check six]

Gap between rich and poor

Waveflyer,

You claim the gap between rich and poor is growing and that the rich are conspiring against the poor to keep it that way.

Sure games are played all the time by people who own and run businesses to set it up so they always win. I am sure OPEC does that. When the price of gas at the pump is $5 a gallon, the US starts building electric cars etc. (they increase supply and bring the price down). When the price of gas at the pump is $2 a gallon, opec cuts supply to bring the price up so their profit comes up.

But there is still a ton of opportunity in this country. I have been an engineer for awhile. Made a good living at it and added to it by investing in big oil. That allowed me to fly for fun and get an ATP. So when big oil raises the price of gas at the pump, I pay a little more for gas. But the price of the stock goes way up and I make a net gain.

I have many engineer friends who came from poor backgrounds and got an engineering degree. Then went on to make a fortune. Like in the millions of dollars. No one gave it to them. They earned it.

So the United States is still the land of opportunity for poor people. It is still a country of meritocracy vs. aristocracy.

I used to fly at a 135 company. The guy who owned it was a major airline captain. So he has made a fortune in that business instead of just crying about how bad the airline has treated him.

Check Six

 

[Daytonaflyer]

The occupiers are occupying the wrong street.

I fear we are going to have to go over the cliff before mainstream gets the message that the government CANNOT save you.

The government has caused all of these problems...it is well established by real economist....note...real economist do not appear on FOX/CNN or write columns for the New York Times.

Why is the middle class failing and the rich geting richer....that's very simple...the rich have majority of their wealth in performing Assets...the middle class and below have all/most of their assets in cash, depreciating Assets, or government subsidized Assets. If the value of cash is depreciating over time then someone with 100% or nearly 100% of their wealth in cash is going to get poorer. If cash/near cash is only 10% of your wealth and the value of performing assets (Subway sanchwich shops, factories, retail stores, etc.) keeps up with inflation (as assets generally do) then you will get richer relative to the middle class.

Additionally, the middle class americans have most of their assets in depreciating things (cars-probably on credit to...35,000 for an asset worth 30,000 that goes down by double digit percentages a year) and homes that were purchased at too high prices because of government subsidies...so for a middle class american the value of their cars are falling, the value of their homes are being artificially propped up by the federal government that is less and less able to afford to keep the music going, and the rest (the cash) is being diminished by the federal government because they keep printing more and more money.

Why? There is no mystery and it has nothing to do with Wall Street.

Seriously? So you're saying that the pay cut and the work rule changes that will reduce my pay by $50,000 this year are because I don't have all my money in appreciating assets?
Because I'm pretty certain it has very little to do with that and if our management would stop trying to cut our pay, benefits, and retirement at every turn, I'd probably have a lot more money to invest in those so-called "appreciating assets".
The wealthy business CEO's are the problem, the Republican party has enabled them for decades, and that's the real problem.

 

[N311HK]

Just another example:
http://www.thepostgame.com/commentary/201112/hruby-tuesday-miami-marlins-occupy-mlb


The richest people are those without morals

 

[xray678]

Really....your just sending out flamebait, right? Did you read the whole post? The size of the moderate house would depend upon the family size, wouldn't it?

I would disagre with you. I don't care if you have 1 kid or 6 kids, a moderate house depends on your income, not your family size.

Good luck getting a bigger house because you have a bigger family. If you can only afford a 3 bedroom house, your kids better have bunk beds.

 

[Junkflyer]

So NuGuy you'd like the stock market to collapse and put everyone out of work so the rich guys have to sell coffee? All the people with 401k's would lose their retirement and unemployment would spike into the double digits to teach a few guys a lesson. Tax revenue would drop and make even less people pay for running the country. Seems to be a little short sighted.

 

[dragontamer]

Get real. That's such a cop-out.

There is a propaganda machine out there that wants you to be pessimistic about the govt -
Because in a government, of the people, for the people, by the people- Government IS our power-

Unless we can be convinced not to use it.

Wave, my brother. I am real. Propaganda machine? No. Just have my eyes open, that's all. Do you really think Government is not too big, too wasteful? It is sucking the spirit and $$ out of this country by over regulation and spending on a bureaucracy that is out of control. It has promissed much more than it can deliver. Americans need to look to themselves, their families and their own immediate communities/church rather than the STATE. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...es-in-america/2011/09/23/gIQABPl50K_blog.html

Read Atlas Shrugged -- Great book.