The retail apocalypse is creating a 'rolling crisis' that is rippling through the US economy

[Xolodno]

47. Yeap.

But allow me to parlay another factor. The retail implosion could have gone slower and more tapered if income inequality wasn't so freaking bad here. Bet a lot of high up management promoted voting GOP, donated, argued for tax cuts, etc. Congratulations numb-nuts, you just shot yourself in the foot.

UBI of course will be decried as "welfare for all the lazy people and mooching off of my tax dollars!". No matter how much I explain to friends and relatives who tout that, a changing economy and automation will make this necessary, they refuse to believe it.

The only way I have been able to get a message into their thick skulls is to stop accepting they are rational and intelligent enough to understand some basics of economics and appeal directly to their base emotions.

So I tell them "have you ever worked with or hired a lazy good for nothing? And you want to push these people into the work force which will hamper companies progress and make things more costly for you? Or cost you that bonus because your division didn't hit its goal because one person refuses to do anything more than they are required to? Or cost you that promotion because your unit doesn't out perform? You really want MORE of them working around you? You really want to be the only guy who goes the extra mile for your job? The poverty amount they get on welfare is a lot cheaper than the cost to you if they were in the workforce...or worse, they decide to start robbing your house. Let the hard workers excel rather than saddle them with dead beat workers. Plus cutting off welfare also hurts the people who do need it"

That always seems to work. It's sad I have to go that route, but, some "hard workers" really can't see past their own nose.