Questions that need answering.

[MrFun]

1) How long can mass-exportation of jobs continue before American companies have created a long-term economic crisis for United States? Or are we not already in a long-term economic crisis?

2) Why are real wages in United States not keeping pace with cost of living?

3) If we want Americans to stop buying medicine from Canada, then doesn't it make sense to lower medicine prices here in United States?

4) Why are we still in the longest period of political status quo in the history of United States? The last political realignments occured in: 1790s, 1830s, 1860s, 1890s, and finally, 1930s.
The previous political realignments lasted 30 to 40 years -- right now, we are more than 70 years from the last political realignment. Why is this??




Thanks for any meaningful insight, or thoughts on these.

[Flip McWho]

1) Maybe you are already in a long term economic crisis, so long term it doesn't really show up? Seriously, what do you mean mass-exportation of jobs? I'm having a slow day and can't figure that one out. Sorry for being a pain.

2) Real wages never do keep up. People usually live beyond their means. Companies only pay more when they are forced to usually. So the wages won't increase untill (one L or two? for untill?) the workers complain enough. Mostly I think it has to do with inflation. I'm trying to remember 6th form economics. Something to do with inflation rising faster than wages can keep up. Something like that. (I think)

3) Yeah it does make sense to lower prices in the states. Maybe it's more expensive in the states to make the medicine and the Canadians can make it cheaper therefore sell it cheaper. You could either lower prices or make it illegal to buy medicine in canada, both would work .

4) God knows. Maybe it's cause the political status quo at the moment is suiting most people.

[Harry Tuttle]

1) I'll make the argument that the less technical, mass producing jobs - data entry, basic programming, automobile manufacturing - are being replaced in the U.S. by jobs more complicated and of a higher technical skill. For instance, as before in the 1950's, most companies didn't look for individuals with an education past high school. Nowadays, a Bachelors isn't enough most of the time. So, I'l make the leap and say that the jobs in the U.S. are being replaced by jobs that require a higher skill level.

2) They are. Stop buying a bunch of crap. Your parents made do with a black and white TV (even that might be a stretch) and a crappy refrigerator. No one spent money on $200 game consoles back in the "good old days". Time magazine had an article last month that explained how are perception is warped because we actually live better, on a whole, than we did in the past.

3) Economics. Just wait for it. The drug companies will start to feel it soon enough.

4) I would say that because the standard of living is so high, that the country is no longer filling up the empty frontier, and the fact that advances in communication has allowed for a greater understanding of our world. Plus the population is smarter and more informed than it ever was.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Harry, those are very insightful answers and I agree with most. That Time magazine article sounds very interesting. Maybe I'll search it out .

[orange]

4) Why are we still in the longest period of political status quo in the history of United States? The last political realignments occured in: 1790s, 1830s, 1860s, 1890s, and finally, 1930s.
The previous political realignments lasted 30 to 40 years -- right now, we are more than 70 years from the last political realignment. Why is this??

That's actually a question I've been wondering a lot about, myself, lately. Seems odd, doesn't it?

[OzzyKP]

what happened in 1890s?

[JohnT]

4) Why are we still in the longest period of political status quo in the history of United States? The last political realignments occured in: 1790s, 1830s, 1860s, 1890s, and finally, 1930s.
The previous political realignments lasted 30 to 40 years -- right now, we are more than 70 years from the last political realignment. Why is this??

This is an odd question. Are you telling us that we are the same ideologically as we were 70 years ago? I find that a bit hard to believe. I would say that the country went through a realignment around 1980.

I'm not too sure what happened in the 1830s (are you referring to Jacksonian democracy?), but the other dates (except for 1790) are instances where political (1860's) or economic (1890's, 1930's) crises's occurred.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Harry Tuttle


4) I would say that because the standard of living is so high, that the country is no longer filling up the empty frontier, and the fact that advances in communication has allowed for a greater understanding of our world. Plus the population is smarter and more informed than it ever was.

Wait -- you're saying that the past political realignments were based on ignorance??

I thought that these past political realignments either ocurred because at the time, the electorate was dramatically expanded, or there was enough of a compelling crisis to create a political realignment.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
what happened in 1890s?

Panic of 1893, a 5 year Depression.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
what happened in 1890s?

Republican party had renounced its platform of racial equality -- a result from a long-drawn process that began with end of Reconstruction in 1877.

The issue over the currency of United States.

The agrarian crisis.

I have not done enough reading on the specific history of these political relaignments, so I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable can fill me in.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Wait -- you're saying that the past political realignments were based on ignorance??

I think what he is saying is that the current lack of political realignment is because not only is the population more informed, but the parties as well, so are able to head off any potential realignment.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by JohnT

4) Why are we still in the longest period of political status quo in the history of United States? The last political realignments occured in: 1790s, 1830s, 1860s, 1890s, and finally, 1930s.
The previous political realignments lasted 30 to 40 years -- right now, we are more than 70 years from the last political realignment. Why is this??

This is an odd question. Are you telling us that we are the same ideologically as we were 70 years ago? I find that a bit hard to believe. I would say that the country went through a realignment around 1980.

I'm not too sure what happened in the 1830s (are you referring to Jacksonian democracy?), but the other dates (except for 1790) are instances where political (1860's) or economic (1890's, 1930's) crises's occurred.

BASICALLY, yes -- in 1930s, the Democratic party began its liberalization under Roosevelt, reversing its strong stance of states' rights over federal government. That is still the ideology of the Democratic party today, since this realignment.

[Harry Tuttle]

Originally posted by MrFun


Wait -- you're saying that the past political realignments were based on ignorance??

I thought that these past political realignments either ocurred because at the time, the electorate was dramatically expanded, or there was enough of a compelling crisis to create a political realignment.

No, I'm talking about the stress and change that was going on in the country during those times. And really I don't get your meaning of "realignment". If anything it was war, nation building, or economics that started any sort of upheaval in the political structure of the country: 1790 Independence, 1830 expansion, 1860 civil war, 1890 rebuilding of the south and outside expansion, and 1930 finally the great depression.

[MrFun]

Harry -- I agree with you on your reasons you stated for realignments.

[Harry Tuttle]

ok, cool