John,
Somehow our society has to get back to the idea that we are only as good as the bottom 20% are doing. It's just fine to have very rich folks, but it's not fine to have very hard working folks that can't support a family.
I never heard of the bottom 20% theory you mention. The real problem with the bottom 20% is 2 fold: they are not really working, and they are not families (may be partially a cause and effect).
But, I think you are right about, say over 10%, under 30% who may be working and supporting a family is still challenging.
Somehow, we have to get back to the idea that we're all in this together... that the janitor at the factory is contributing, and deserves a decent life.
On principle that he is a US citizen? In that case, why cheapen it by giving the citizenship to people who can't speak English, know nothing and share little of the culture? Why spend billions of dollars on illegal immigrants?
Ok, let's say that a privilage of being a US citizen buys you a middle class standard regardless of market pay for the job he holds (if he does have a job). At the same time, there are billions of people outside of the US, who are, BTW, more deserving (measured by knowledge, skills, discipline, work ethics) who live way below the standard of living of US janitors. What is the justification for that? How long can the US afford to sustain this disparity? Global trade is a valve that makes it hard to sustain.
Right now, the thinking is that that janitor is only worth the lowest cost it takes to replace him. He's a part, not a person with a family.
As I already mention in another post, all private employers operate in a market place, that allows the pay to be only that. No amount of good will on part of the employer can change that.
So I'm not sure how this evolves; maybe we are doomed to an increasingly polarized society. A dark ages with the land owners and the surfs.
Well, something maybe something like that, but a much more meritocratical one, where the currency is knowledge and abilities, not land.
But before we settle to something stable like that, I think we will deal with a lot of upheaval resulting from billions of Chinese, Indians and residents of former communist block, who have been freed from the socialist shackles, who are score well on the merit scale, and are hungry to gain the living standard appropriate for their abilities on the meritocratic scale.
Joe |
