To the contrary, why can't Afghanistan get its economy going? Or Iraq? Or Peru?
One answer to all this, besides the very simple answer of capitalism, is CORRUPTION. Despite our Enron, Tom Delay, WorldCom, Martha Stewart et al fiascoes, America has comparatively little corruption. The rule of law prevails. Ken Lay goes to prison. Tom
Delay is forced to step down. Martha Stewart bakes cookies for the inmates.This doesn't happen in Mexico, or Iraq, or Peru. In Mexico, you have to worry about the judges, the police, and the politicians, as much as you worry about the street thugs. See Afghan Leader Losing Support. One thing I worry about, with all this illegal immigration from a non-functioning Third World country, is the gradual introduction of more corruption into our system that may someday reach a tipping point.
3 comments:
Why go all the way to Mexico, when we can use our own homegrown version here? Have a look at the Diebold voting machine issues, and the Iraqi contractors. I'm not so worried about Mexican street punks taking over as I am about the issues present in the current federal govt not being addressed. Skimming $250 from a shopkeeper is nothing compared to what Bush & Co are doing on a nationwide level.
Perhaps the biggest issue of all, as I see it, is changing the tax structure to eliminate the middle class. It's not "corrupt" in the sense that it's not illegal, but it's using the legal system to accoplish the same thing - creating overlords and serfs, with nothing in between. The middle class has been shrinking for decades. The poor are too busy keeping food on the table to fight corruption, and the rich get too much from the system to fight it. The middle class is the buttress against reinstating the feudal system, and it's disappearing by attrition.
Thank you Thomas for your insightful comments. I agree that the middle class is in danger in America, but in my opinion it is due to two phenomena--globalization with its consequent outsourcing, and again massive immigration. For the economy, rich or poor, the less taxes the better.
As far as globalization goes, and outsourcing, I doubt this tide can be stopped. The internet and advanced communcation have helped mankind, but also made it so easy to outsource.
As far as immigration, all sorts of trades, and contractor positions, no longer pay a living wage--because their wages have been driven down.
So, you're right. There goes the middle class.
Interesting site. Useful information. Bookmarked.
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