Real Wages Pre-Federal Reserve, Pre-Income Tax
"In the United States, according to the data afforded by the census returns for 1850 and 1880, the average wages paid for the whole country increased during the interval for these years by 39.9 per cent...According to the investigations of the Massachusetts Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average advance in general wages in that State from 1860 to 1883 was 28.36 per cent...A careful investigation instituted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for Connecticut of the comparative wages paid in the brass, carpet, clock, silk and wooden industries of that State in 1860 and 1887, and the comparative cost of the necessaries of life to the operatives at the same periods (see report for 1888), gave the following results: average advance in the wages of males about forty-three per cent, and of females fifty-seven per cent; decline in the price of staple dry goods thirty-nine per cent; of carpets, thirty-six per cent; increase in the average price of groceries and provisions, ten and a half per cent. 'There was an average advance in the retail price of such kinds and cuts of meat as are common to the market reports of both dates of thirty-three percent.'"
---David Ames Wells, Recent Economic Changes, p. 409
Real wage increase over 25-30 years: roughly 30-60%
Post Federal Reserve Bank, Post Income Tax
Average hourly wage, 1971: $3.67
Average real wage, Sept. 2008: $18.17
CPI Sept. 1971: 40.8
CPI in 2007: 208.49
Average real hourly earnings, Sept. 1971: 3.40 /40.8 = .08333
Average real hourly earnings, Sept. 2008 18.17/ 208.49 = .08715
Increase: over almost 40 years: 4.6%
Can flat real wages since 1971 be due to income tax policy, when there was no income tax in the 19th century and real wages grew 20 times faster?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
David Ames Wells on Socialism
"There is...an explanation in no small part of what to many has seemed one of the greatest puzzles of the time--namely, that with undoubtedly greater and increasing abundance and cheapness of most desirable things, popular discontent with the existing economic condition of affairs does not seem to diminish, but rather to greatly increase. And out of such discontent, which is not based on anything akin to actual and unavoidable poverty, has originated a feeling that the new conditions of abundance should be further equalized by some other methods than intelligent individual effort, self-denial and a natural, progressive material and social development (the actuality of which is proved by all experience); and that the state could, if it would, make all men prosperous; and therefore should, in some way not yet clearly defined by anybody, arbitrarily intervene and effect it. And this feeling so far as it assumes definiteness of idea and purpose, constitutes what is called socialism."
---David Ames Wells, Recent Economic Changes, New York, D. Appleton and Co., 1891.
Unfortunately for Progressives and socialists like Walter Weyl, efforts to use the state to redistribute wealth in pursuit of "equity" have engendered the following. Division of society into more sharply defined classes than ever before due to Federal Reserve, income tax and other innovation-destroying government controls; the creation of segregated inner cities marked by chronic unemployment; inflation; an increasingly elite wealthy class that lives off investment but does not produce value; and the migration of industry to foreign shores in place of the rapid innovation characteristic of the laissez-faire period of American history. The spirit of envy; of something for nothing; of greed for a handout from the state rather than self-discipline as the source of wealth has destroyed this country's future.
---David Ames Wells, Recent Economic Changes, New York, D. Appleton and Co., 1891.
Unfortunately for Progressives and socialists like Walter Weyl, efforts to use the state to redistribute wealth in pursuit of "equity" have engendered the following. Division of society into more sharply defined classes than ever before due to Federal Reserve, income tax and other innovation-destroying government controls; the creation of segregated inner cities marked by chronic unemployment; inflation; an increasingly elite wealthy class that lives off investment but does not produce value; and the migration of industry to foreign shores in place of the rapid innovation characteristic of the laissez-faire period of American history. The spirit of envy; of something for nothing; of greed for a handout from the state rather than self-discipline as the source of wealth has destroyed this country's future.
Explosive Berg v. Obama Developments
Jim Crum just forwarded this from Judah Benjamin of Texas Darlin
I direct you to America's Right…where Jeff Schreiber has devoted all of his spare time to looking at the case. (Thank you beyond measure, Jeff, I don’t know where you get the time and energy. You are a hero, and Republican, or not, I hope you end up as Chief Justice.) Go to Jeff’s site, I don’t care if he’s a Republican, he’s the man who is in contact with the Court and with Berg and who breaks the news the minute it comes out.
Berg has struck back with a Procedural bombshell!
A motion requesting an immediate order deeming his request for admissions served upon Barack Obama and the DNC on September 15 admitted by default, and
B) A motion requesting an expedited ruling and/or hearing on Berg’s motion deeming the request for admissions served upon Obama and the DNC admitted.
These motions are based on Rule 36 of The Federal Code of Civil Procedure. This Rule, it seems, states that “a party upon whom requests for admissions have been served must respond, within 30 days, or else the matters in the requests will be automatically deemed conclusively admitted for purposes of the pending action.”
Needless to say, Obama and the DNC have NOT made any Legal admissions, or answers to the allegations, at all since September 15th, at least none of which Berg is aware and he should be if they have.
If Judge Surrick grants these motions, Barack Hussein Obama II is, at least temporarily, neither eligible for the Office of POTUS nor a Citizen of the United States, in Law.
Follow the legal developments here and here.
I direct you to America's Right…where Jeff Schreiber has devoted all of his spare time to looking at the case. (Thank you beyond measure, Jeff, I don’t know where you get the time and energy. You are a hero, and Republican, or not, I hope you end up as Chief Justice.) Go to Jeff’s site, I don’t care if he’s a Republican, he’s the man who is in contact with the Court and with Berg and who breaks the news the minute it comes out.
Berg has struck back with a Procedural bombshell!
A motion requesting an immediate order deeming his request for admissions served upon Barack Obama and the DNC on September 15 admitted by default, and
B) A motion requesting an expedited ruling and/or hearing on Berg’s motion deeming the request for admissions served upon Obama and the DNC admitted.
These motions are based on Rule 36 of The Federal Code of Civil Procedure. This Rule, it seems, states that “a party upon whom requests for admissions have been served must respond, within 30 days, or else the matters in the requests will be automatically deemed conclusively admitted for purposes of the pending action.”
Needless to say, Obama and the DNC have NOT made any Legal admissions, or answers to the allegations, at all since September 15th, at least none of which Berg is aware and he should be if they have.
If Judge Surrick grants these motions, Barack Hussein Obama II is, at least temporarily, neither eligible for the Office of POTUS nor a Citizen of the United States, in Law.
Follow the legal developments here and here.
Barney Frank Aims to Soak All Who Can Pay; Mairi Is Angry (and she's not gonna take it anymore!)
Contrairimairi just forwarded this video :
Mairi writes:
Good Ole Barney........if BO gets elected with THIS albatross hanging around his neck, then I am VERY, VERY afraid for the America we know and love.
In his exchange with O'Reilly, Barney refused to accept ANY responsibility for his part in the Market collapse. I ask you......after we saw a republican Senator dragged through the press and courts for "pussy-footin'" in restrooms, why do we NOT see Barney tarred, feathered, and run out of Washington on a rail for his part in concealing the dirty dealings of his homosexual partner's part in nearly destroying America?
Intead, Barney states that there are plenty of rich people still out there to drain of MORE tax dollars. He's already planning a "hit" on them in the near future.
I am so angry I could scream!
I WISH John and Sarah would widen the horizon on what DOES make a difference in this campaign! They barely skirt the edges of what is important. Contrary to the MSM, these topics are not "angry, hate speak"......they are the FACTS! Like it or not!
We saw the poll results start climbing for McCain/Palin when they bagan challenging BO on his relationship with Ayers. Then.......they switched focus and began focusing almost solely on "Joe the Plumber". Well.......Joe is great, but Americans are still angry........I am still angry........and John and Sarah are still the best outlet for our voices to be heard when it comes to BO's "allegiances".
They state just a few of the facts about BO's "neighbors", and then leave us hanging. WHY haven't they come forward with the correspondence and tax records that PROVE BO and Ayers shared an office for at least three years? Do you think most Americans will ever find out? HOW.......WHERE.......? If people are not savvy enough to know how to find the info online, it just might as well remain a secret.
In recent discussions with acquaintances, I have found VERY FEW of them know many of the recently surfacing facts. They don't know Farrakhan referred to BO as the "Messiah". They don't know BO and Ayers shared an office in Chicago for at least three years..........many don't even know there are lawsuits filed demanding proof of citizenship.
I have to tell you, I am REALLY frightened. As much as conservative blog sites are trying to avail people of the facts, there are still far too many Americans who just don't know.........for that alone, there is no way we can expect a "fair election". If Americans widely knew some of these facts, I think we would be looking at a whole different set of polling numbers.
I appreciate all the hard work that conservative bloggers do to get out the message, but John and Sarah are still the best bet, and I hope more people will visit their campaign sites and continue pressing them to carry our message.
Mairi writes:
Good Ole Barney........if BO gets elected with THIS albatross hanging around his neck, then I am VERY, VERY afraid for the America we know and love.
In his exchange with O'Reilly, Barney refused to accept ANY responsibility for his part in the Market collapse. I ask you......after we saw a republican Senator dragged through the press and courts for "pussy-footin'" in restrooms, why do we NOT see Barney tarred, feathered, and run out of Washington on a rail for his part in concealing the dirty dealings of his homosexual partner's part in nearly destroying America?
Intead, Barney states that there are plenty of rich people still out there to drain of MORE tax dollars. He's already planning a "hit" on them in the near future.
I am so angry I could scream!
I WISH John and Sarah would widen the horizon on what DOES make a difference in this campaign! They barely skirt the edges of what is important. Contrary to the MSM, these topics are not "angry, hate speak"......they are the FACTS! Like it or not!
We saw the poll results start climbing for McCain/Palin when they bagan challenging BO on his relationship with Ayers. Then.......they switched focus and began focusing almost solely on "Joe the Plumber". Well.......Joe is great, but Americans are still angry........I am still angry........and John and Sarah are still the best outlet for our voices to be heard when it comes to BO's "allegiances".
They state just a few of the facts about BO's "neighbors", and then leave us hanging. WHY haven't they come forward with the correspondence and tax records that PROVE BO and Ayers shared an office for at least three years? Do you think most Americans will ever find out? HOW.......WHERE.......? If people are not savvy enough to know how to find the info online, it just might as well remain a secret.
In recent discussions with acquaintances, I have found VERY FEW of them know many of the recently surfacing facts. They don't know Farrakhan referred to BO as the "Messiah". They don't know BO and Ayers shared an office in Chicago for at least three years..........many don't even know there are lawsuits filed demanding proof of citizenship.
I have to tell you, I am REALLY frightened. As much as conservative blog sites are trying to avail people of the facts, there are still far too many Americans who just don't know.........for that alone, there is no way we can expect a "fair election". If Americans widely knew some of these facts, I think we would be looking at a whole different set of polling numbers.
I appreciate all the hard work that conservative bloggers do to get out the message, but John and Sarah are still the best bet, and I hope more people will visit their campaign sites and continue pressing them to carry our message.
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