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MFrohike

(1,980 posts)
21. Sigh
Thu Oct 9, 2014, 02:13 AM
Oct 2014

1. Your fight against the pie is bad sophistry. At any given point in time, there exists an aggregate amount of goods and services, denominated in dollars here in the US, that is given the designation "income" because it is tracked as it flows to individuals and entities. When you argue that the pie doesn't exist, you are arguing that we can't add up total amount of income in the country. Yes, that is really your argument. I call it bad sophistry because you continually fixate on the words used instead of the ideas behind them.

You claimed that no group can take a share of the national income. Yet, you used the designation "the rich" in the sentences preceding this claim. You don't get to have it both ways. It's clear that you understand, and share, the commonly accepted delineations of American society. It's also clear that you're attempting to obscure those delineations by trying to obscure their common meanings in order to advance your arguments. Essentially, your argument is that America consists of atomized individuals, each pursuing his or her own maximal economic gain. Thatcher was wrong when she said it and so are you.

2. Your definition of income mentioned what one produces. In plain English, that means labor. Labor can be mental or physical, so your asides about coal miners and software engineers are pointless. Your definition did not include investment income. Go back and read it. You may have meant something else, but that is not what you wrote.

3. Reagan was elected in an electoral vote landslide, not a popular vote landslide. Clinton was re-elected in a three-way race while taking less than half of the popular vote. Gore squeaked out a victory in the popular vote.

If you're going to quote me, read what I actually wrote. You emphasize Reagan and Clinton, yet you ignore the cases that disprove your point. If your assertion can't withstand the slightest bit of contrary evidence, it's false.

4. Yeesh. Seriously, you're going to rehash what I wrote with an emphasis on the part that makes your arguments look better? How about you account the ever-increasing financialization of the economy? Maybe quantify that bald assertion on the "massive" contributions from increased productivity? You didn't make an argument, you tried to piggyback off mine.


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That was the goal of Reaganonomics from the very start deutsey Oct 2014 #1
Isn't that a scary graph? dixiegrrrrl Oct 2014 #3
This is NOT an accident. hifiguy Oct 2014 #7
Oh, shush! It's all good. Just eat your peas (if you can afford them) and wait for the trickle. Tierra_y_Libertad Oct 2014 #2
But what exactly is IN that trickle, I wanna know. dixiegrrrrl Oct 2014 #5
This is where "trust" comes in. We must trust our wise politicians are doing it for our own good. Tierra_y_Libertad Oct 2014 #6
HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!! WillyT Oct 2014 #4
Right click on that graph madokie Oct 2014 #8
I think that is hot linking and we are not to do that? dixiegrrrrl Oct 2014 #9
I used to use tinypic dot com Fumesucker Oct 2014 #12
Hey, thanks for that.... dixiegrrrrl Oct 2014 #15
Didn't know that madokie Oct 2014 #14
Misleading IMO Centrist1984 Oct 2014 #10
Those "golden economic times" are not remembered as that onethatcares Oct 2014 #13
Capitalism is biting Donald on the ass... dixiegrrrrl Oct 2014 #16
Majority of population didn't see it that way though Centrist1984 Oct 2014 #17
No MFrohike Oct 2014 #18
Well Centrist1984 Oct 2014 #19
Sigh MFrohike Oct 2014 #21
Response Centrist1984 Oct 2014 #22
This message was self-deleted by its author 1000words Oct 2014 #23
The Post-Keynesian Conference will be Live Streamed. Octafish Oct 2014 #11
This message was self-deleted by its author 1000words Oct 2014 #20
K&R liberal_at_heart Oct 2014 #24
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»the rich aren’t just grab...»Reply #21