Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

TBF

(31,922 posts)
97. On raising the boats ~
Mon May 11, 2015, 08:35 AM
May 2015

I should probably write an OP on this, but I will try to be succinct here. We can't raise them ALL because some are already too high. What we need to do is level out the boats a little. We can pull down the billionaire boats a bit, and redistribute some of the good stuff (shelter, food, health care) to all folks globally.

In other words, it makes no sense for certain individuals to own multiple palaces globally while others live in tents. There is a way to do this peacefully and that is called re-distribution. If we are going to have global "trade" agreements they must be subject to some sort of global policing, and a way to stabilize the boats is to impose a global "tax".

There is really no way around this. The Hillary Clinton and Barack Obamas of the world will "stabilize" by bringing folks DOWN to a low common denominator. This allows the billionaires to remain untouched (those same billionaires who coincidentally pay their outrageous speaking fees ...). Until we decide a little more parity is in order we are going to be subject to their whims.

Yep... And We Were Warned... WillyT May 2015 #1
.... madfloridian May 2015 #2
Yes....we were warned, bvar22 May 2015 #133
K&R! marym625 May 2015 #3
K&R CharlotteVale May 2015 #4
She's very good at what she does, but what she does is very, very bad. NYC_SKP May 2015 #5
She likes conversations. Jackpine Radical May 2015 #9
A buck is all it needs to be to make that claim that she's for an increase. NYC_SKP May 2015 #11
She's blowing smoke 840high May 2015 #48
Well, you can't raise the other countries standards of living......... socialist_n_TN May 2015 #6
+1 - Let's keep on repeating this - It's a rigged game. erronis May 2015 #109
TPP part starts at 8:00 in, 40% of world trade, it's going to save women, she says. NYC_SKP May 2015 #7
"it's going to save women" WTF ...holy twisted link sausages Batman! L0oniX May 2015 #13
"Better jobs, higher wages, better working conditions, including for women, migrant workers, others" NYC_SKP May 2015 #14
I eagerly await all those new jobs working 16 hours a day 7 days a week for $1.35 a day. L0oniX May 2015 #18
Plus she's wrong LittleBlue May 2015 #34
Thanks for mentionng that. madfloridian May 2015 #141
Don't worry. Global warming will lower ALL our standards of living soon enough. n/t Binkie The Clown May 2015 #8
I'm afraid you're right. SusanCalvin May 2015 #23
Great post. Couple of things. It's a farse that if the so-called Free Trade agreements lower our rhett o rick May 2015 #10
Hey ...as long as the slave owner looks pretty or runs in the proper circles... L0oniX May 2015 #17
I remember that. madfloridian May 2015 #21
"Nike sweatshops, Asia, the 1990s-onward" SMC22307 May 2015 #62
Beat me to it. tazkcmo May 2015 #113
All Too True cantbeserious May 2015 #12
K&R MissDeeds May 2015 #15
Big K&R! Enthusiast May 2015 #16
European countries do more to help the Third World through trade and does it without damaging pampango May 2015 #19
/\_/\_This right here_/\_/\ Scuba May 2015 #89
You still have an overseas job? B Calm May 2015 #95
Other than the Peace Corps, I never have had an overseas job. What kind of question is that? n/t pampango May 2015 #111
Precisely this! ^ wendylaroux May 2015 #126
Couldn't even bring myself to watch the video for minutes I'll never get back. Hillary is on track libdem4life May 2015 #20
Hey Mad-F - you are way wrong on this one . . FairWinds May 2015 #22
I should have said they CLAIM to raise living standards... madfloridian May 2015 #24
Yep. For the corporations and the superrich. SusanCalvin May 2015 #27
It's a race to the bottom. n/t Exilednight May 2015 #25
K & R. The Investor Class is doing fine from the system and is already rationalizing appalachiablue May 2015 #26
Something is wrong with that man. madfloridian May 2015 #44
It's not even about raising others standards..... daleanime May 2015 #28
Exactly. They only CLAIM to raise the standards. They only make themselves richer. madfloridian May 2015 #30
It is mostly about exploiting anybody and anything for profit, like it's always been except appalachiablue May 2015 #50
Amen..... daleanime May 2015 #51
Stop The TPP!! AzDar May 2015 #29
What if the agreement actually does correct the deficiencies of past agreements? kristopher May 2015 #31
Why should I blame the poor in other countries? They are victims like our own poor. madfloridian May 2015 #32
Because you explicitly said that? kristopher May 2015 #36
And if it doesn't work as it should? madfloridian May 2015 #38
Yeah, that is the meat of the issue, isn't it? kristopher May 2015 #40
Even that is essential vaporware, the "deal" is that China will continue to escalate emissions for TheKentuckian May 2015 #106
You couldn't be more wrong. kristopher May 2015 #115
If I couldn't be more wrong then you will point out how what I stated is inaccurate. TheKentuckian May 2015 #132
I have seen remarkable changes tennstar May 2015 #122
What's more, the 1% owns a lot of our party also. madfloridian May 2015 #33
I agree. Carper is my senator and he is owned by the banks. kristopher May 2015 #37
May I quote a University Distinguished Professor of Education at Michigan State, Yong Zhao madfloridian May 2015 #39
Yes, I'm aware of that movement in Asia. kristopher May 2015 #45
K&R JEB May 2015 #35
How has your "lifestyle" taken a hit from trade? And why shouldn't we care about people in other Hoyt May 2015 #41
One can "care" about those in other countries.... madfloridian May 2015 #42
Our country is not being brought down to "their" level. Honest to god, this sound Tbaggerish to me. Hoyt May 2015 #43
Ha, never been accused of being a teabagger before. lol madfloridian May 2015 #46
that's one of the tactics being used ibegurpard May 2015 #55
I find it hard to take some of those remarks seriously. madfloridian May 2015 #77
Wages and wealth for the middle class and poor have declined drastically the past 25-30 years, Elwood P Dowd May 2015 #53
their excuse is that its inevitable ibegurpard May 2015 #56
So to keep your lavish lifestyle, we can't help people in poor countries with trade. Hoyt May 2015 #57
Do you know who just said something similar? ibegurpard May 2015 #59
Thanks for that. madfloridian May 2015 #67
"Unbelievable. But not from him." Correct. closeupready May 2015 #129
What a strange thing to say. madfloridian May 2015 #60
It's not at all hard to respond ibegurpard May 2015 #64
And Tbaggers are opposed to helping furiners, like you guys. Hoyt May 2015 #69
Most elected Baggers are on YOUR side. Keep that in mind as you throw accusations. DisgustipatedinCA May 2015 #103
I'm talking the tbaggers on the street. Hoyt May 2015 #107
I bet. Being a greedy American is hard to rationalize . Hoyt May 2015 #68
And there you have it madfloridian ibegurpard May 2015 #71
Are you poor? I've said there are lots of things we need to do for poor. Hoyt May 2015 #73
.... madfloridian May 2015 #142
Yes, those greedy bastards making $8.50 an hour at Wal Mart or Dollar General Elwood P Dowd May 2015 #72
they obviously don't appreciate how good they have it ibegurpard May 2015 #74
No those who think trading among ourselves and screwing the poor in countries like Vietnam, Hoyt May 2015 #75
So our standard of living goes down ibegurpard May 2015 #78
Has your standard of living gone down? Has it ever occurred to you that Hoyt May 2015 #80
You get your own house in order first before worrying about fixing someone else's house. Elwood P Dowd May 2015 #79
And you are just parroting the xenophobic tbaggers. Hoyt May 2015 #81
Everybody against another fake free deal is now a xenophobic tgagger. Elwood P Dowd May 2015 #82
And xenophobic tbaggers agree with you. Hoyt May 2015 #83
And this scum agrees with you. Elwood P Dowd May 2015 #84
Obama, Deval Patrick, Brookings, etc., disagree with you. Hoyt May 2015 #105
Are you trolling? You have taken the side of the Republicans on this one. DisgustipatedinCA May 2015 #104
And, you have taken the side of ignorant, xenophobic Tbaggers. Hoyt May 2015 #144
Have you been to Vietnam? know anything about the economy there? Jesus Malverde May 2015 #143
Their GDP is better than ours. LMAO. When you have nothing, a few dollars is a big percentage Hoyt May 2015 #145
I take it you haven't been to Vietnam recently Jesus Malverde May 2015 #146
It's still poor, very poor. And closing the TPP door on them won't help. Hoyt May 2015 #147
Ah pity one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Jesus Malverde May 2015 #148
Kenya, Malaysia, etc., are growing fast too. But not in absolute terms. Hoyt May 2015 #149
Wingnut canard and a logical fallacy. HughBeaumont May 2015 #91
Excellent response! Thank you! LongTomH May 2015 #128
I cannot help but think this is the G. H. W. Bush New World Order made flesh. Enthusiast May 2015 #92
You think doing nothing is going to help? Hoyt May 2015 #99
Doing nothing would be preferable to handing the corporations even more power over our lives. Enthusiast May 2015 #100
Strawman fallacy LongTomH May 2015 #130
No, sitting back and doing nothing will disadvantage us long-term. You'll be sleeping on straw. Hoyt May 2015 #131
Argument by assertion also, Argument from adverse consequences LongTomH May 2015 #134
And you've offered absolutely nothing of value regarding the issue under discussion. Hoyt May 2015 #135
Paul Volcker, years ago, 1979. Ikonoklast May 2015 #94
I've had the same thoughts in my mind for years StarzGuy May 2015 #47
...^ that 840high May 2015 #49
you haven't said near enough, StarzGuy Skittles May 2015 #54
the people say it "helps developing nations" are the ones benefiting from pimping our jobs offshore Skittles May 2015 #52
It helps poor people in rich countries to subsidize rich people in poor countries n/t eridani May 2015 #90
VERY WELL SAID Skittles May 2015 #121
Please spread the meme--thqnks n/t eridani May 2015 #137
It should anger you ibegurpard May 2015 #58
You can see the effects very quickly too. Puzzledtraveller May 2015 #61
others for the record nationalize the fed May 2015 #63
That last video is amazing. nt. polly7 May 2015 #66
Thanks for those videos. madfloridian May 2015 #70
K&R! n/t Michigan-Arizona May 2015 #65
And it all ends up in the pockets of the oligarchy AgingAmerican May 2015 #76
Another OP hit out of the park! haikugal May 2015 #85
. stonecutter357 May 2015 #86
. stonecutter357 May 2015 #87
From a 2009 article in the NYT: ohheckyeah May 2015 #88
This is the gist of it. kentuck May 2015 #101
Yep and ohheckyeah May 2015 #124
Now that is a very scary statement. Bookmarking that link. madfloridian May 2015 #120
You're welcome. ohheckyeah May 2015 #123
I'm past the anger stage, Alkene May 2015 #93
Corporate Democrats are licking their chops at the chance to ship millions of jobs to Vietnam whereisjustice May 2015 #96
On raising the boats ~ TBF May 2015 #97
We can't compete with third world shantytown dwellers who are forced to work for pennies mb999 May 2015 #98
I'm taking your word for it on this free trade shit, DU. redruddyred May 2015 #102
The logic of these massive trade deals is exactly backwards. DirkGently May 2015 #108
Well, if that were really the reason, it wouldn't be without merit. malthaussen May 2015 #110
It's a finite planet The2ndWheel May 2015 #112
"simply being an American isn't going to get you anything. We're not special." madfloridian May 2015 #116
Exactly The2ndWheel May 2015 #118
It is very sad because we could use our trade to lift all boats. raouldukelives May 2015 #114
2006 Obama knew there would be "losers" in a "globalized economy." Not be "bloodless" process. madfloridian May 2015 #117
So if he knew then that Free Trade was a scam d_legendary1 May 2015 #119
we works for THEM now Skittles May 2015 #127
According to the scumbag Darrell Issa... americannightmare May 2015 #125
Well... madfloridian May 2015 #140
K & R !!! Thespian2 May 2015 #136
KICK NYC_SKP May 2015 #138
We should do like Canada - charge royalties. kentuck May 2015 #139
Huge K&R "Don't insult our intelligence." woo me with science May 2015 #150
If this was even the case nadinbrzezinski May 2015 #151
K & R ...and reposting that video of Hillary. It's important we hold her feet to the fire on TPP. L0oniX Jun 2015 #152
Kick. Luminous Animal Jun 2015 #153
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Trade agreements lower Am...»Reply #97