Thread: The American people were played for suckers II

Originally Posted by YetiMan

I think you missed my original point.

I think we missed each others.

I agree with your basic ideas of fairness, and wanting there to be less of the uber poor and less of the uber rich.

I am a realist though, and I know that there will always be people on top, and there will always be people on the bottom. A lot of the people that end up on the bottom, end up there because they just can't compete in society.

Of course not everyone can succeed at their goals. But, in this country everyone has the opportunity to succeed at their goals. Most actually fail, but at least they had the opportunity to try. Of course, bad decisions, bad luck, and any number of random things can happen to keep someone from their goals. My point is that in many countries, the opportunity is not even there. Can't you understand that? Don't you understand that is why we have illegal immigration? Again, we are one of the few places on the planet, where an uneducated illegal immigrant from a low caste family can become successful and live a good life.

Originally Posted by Elkhound Odin

I think you need to add about 20% or 30% to your 50%. I think the lazy out number the determined by 4:1.

You might be right, my wife recently had a patient that was blinded because the ICU nurse was lazy and failed to perform basic protocols, the overnight result, was uncomplicated unilateral retinal detachment(s). I’m sure everyone can provide other examples of incompetence and laziness but on average, you are wrong, because American workers are the world’s most productive, followed by the Irish, though productivity is rising fastest in China and much of the rest of Asia.



Over a longer period of time (1979-2007), American manufacturing workers had higher average annual gains in productivity (3.9%) than all countries except for Taiwan and Sweden during that period. The results are similar in other sectors as well.

Recently, productivity increased 6.6 percent in the nonfarm business sector during the second quarter of 2009 as unit labor costs fell 5.9 percent (seasonally adjusted annual rates). In manufacturing, productivity increased 4.9 percent while unit labor costs rose 0.2 percent.

Productivity and Costs

The simple fact is, that American's work harder than workers in most other countries, yet people like Downbound Train are completely susceptible to the "welfare queen" arguments made by their demagogue overlords.

I agree with your basic ideas of fairness, and wanting there to be less of the uber poor and less of the uber rich.

Captain Obvious here, to point out the fact that this is an argument for Obama's health care plan. It may not be perfect. It may be scrapped for failure to control costs, but it's basic premise is to install fairness into a bloated and defeated system.

Originally Posted by stupendous man

Captain Obvious here....

I thought you were Thtupendouth Man?

Triage,
I wasn't speaking strictly of GNP productivity, I was pointing out the inherent laziness of the individual person, especially in the US where opportunity for success is the greatest in the world (success defined as reaching full individual potential - be it money, power, fame, # of friends on facebook, whatever).

How many people are smart or talented, but never reach their full potential because they don't want to put in the effort? I'd say it's 4:1 in favor of the lazy, whiners.

Originally Posted by doughboyshredder

I think we missed each others.

likely. I guess that's why we're in here blathering about politics, wearing our own asses as hats.

Considering the unlimited nature of potential, its hard to see how it works as a relative measure. Clearly, anyone who believes they have reached or are approaching full potential are not to be trusted, for they have no way to prove their case. They just fall back on meritocratic rhetoric, and apparently there is no merit in labor.

Schwing! My buddy's father's partner company. Looks like I will get to drive the thing after all.

doughboy, you still don't get it. Yeti does. All of life is not striving to get to the top. Nor did I say I did not get given opportunities. I saying that if I want to stay able bodied, I have no choice but to take them, and be a good corporate lacky. I don't know if you noticed, but this forum is best personified by the people who live to ski, not the people who live to work.
Yes, I understand that the insurance lobby is writing the health care bill. Apparently, you missed my posts about how Obama's not that liberal and this bill will have no teeth.
read between the lines, I'm trying to justify my right to be a ski bum.