Reply #16: Prices didn't go down on a lot of stuff that was offshored

[Warpy]

like Nike shoes. That's something I think even the dimmest Americans understand, that the corporate bosses are taking the labor savings and pocketing it in bonuses.

My guess is that had wages kept pace with true inflation, there would be far less demand for the sleazy crap from China that is poor quality, breaks easily, or falls apart in the wash. We know what false economy looks like now.

The only thing that stops this kind of race to the bottom we're all in is government intervention in the form of taxes at the top to provide a disincentive to greed and supported wages at the bottom to support both spending and saving.

This is at its heart a jobs and wages crisis. People pay their debts when they earn enough to do so and people avoid running up crippling debts when they're paid adequately. Only by rebuilding our infrastructure and applying government pressure to keep jobs here once they are created can we get out of this mess long term.