Persistence of the American Dream

[MikeD]

Wait, do you expect us to read a dissertation of 550 pages in retirement?

That is approx 1 page per week of dissertation...

 

[Fedup]

My comments were purely from a retirement perspective. I still think it is/will most likely be less stressful than the USA in the long run. I know a lot of Brits & Canadians, that are seriously contemplating moving home and a few more adventurous types are considering overseas.

Stressful? Why? I thought you have Medicare now.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Stressful? Why? I thought you have Medicare now.

DW has 5 years to go. And Medcare suppliments are no cakewalk. I am almost at the point where I do not want to deal with it anymore.

 

[NW-Bound]

Her Solutions: page 469-470

Not in any particular order

2) Universal Basic Income

12) Create Federal Jobs guarantee to all Americans over 18 with a liveable wage and free benefits

These 2 things stick out to me.

Is a job guaranteed to everyone, even when he/she does not want to work? Does he/she have to do anything beyond showing up to get paid? Some people will need a lot of pay to even show up, particularly as they already get their universal income.

 

[Fedup]

These 2 things stick out to me.

Is a job guaranteed to everyone, even when he/she does not want to work? Does he/she have to do anything beyond showing up to get paid? Some people will need a lot of pay to even show up, particularly as they already get their universal income.

Good catch. Tell that to the MR Mustachio crowd and they will give you their best emoji here, I was going to say something else, but I’m trying to refrain myself.

 

[NW-Bound]

If you want reinforcement of your notion, look no further than CNN:

The Canadian Dream?

I have visited Canada numerous times, but unless one truly lives in a place he does not really know. On one occasion, in Toronto, I talked with an immigrant, and upon learning that I was an engineer, he commented that US engineers were better paid than their Canadian counterpart, and I sensed some envy.

So, I told my earlier travel experience to entertain, and it was not meant to make any comparison. The point was that determined workers can do well in many places.

 

[brett]

I believe that the larger,more fundamental issues are the access to, and the increasing cost of health care as a percentage of GNP and as a percentage personal income/personal financial risk.

Plus the chronic under funding of the public school system and the increasing cost of post secondary education. It has been suggested that this cost, has and is. increasing so rapidly that it will soon be beyond the reach of many families and individuals.

These are two of the basic requirements for a healthy, changing economy that has a relatively prosperous middle class.

Many of those middle class jobs will never be coming back as the definition of work and the workplace continues to evolve.

 

[ERD50]

From that summary, I can get behind this one:

7) All elections to be funded by government and private contributions to be banned

Some system where if you get the required signatures to be on a ballot, then the government provides a website for each, with a basic outline to convey information for voters. The gov would also provide for an equal number of printed sheets, that would be available at libraries post offices, etc. Maybe a limited number of mailings. X hours of TV/radio format. Some limited amount of free-form information for anything that doesn't fit a preset format.

That would be far better than millions of $ of attack ads that we get hit with. It would put candidates on a far more even playing field.

-ERD50

 

[Fedup]

I have visited Canada numerous times, but unless one truly lives in a place he does not really know. On one occasion, in Toronto, I talked with an immigrant, and upon learning that I was an engineer, he commented that US engineers were better paid than their Canadian counterpart, and I sensed some envy.

So, I told my earlier travel experience to entertain, and it was not meant to make any comparison. The point was that determined workers can do well in many places.

I think Canada comes very close to US in terms of opportunity and such. I met many Sikhs on my trip to Banff who were very please with their opportunities in Canada. The only thing bad about Canada is the weather.

 

[Huston55]

I think Canada comes very close to US in terms of opportunity and such. I met many Sikhs on my trip to Banff who were very please with their opportunities in Canada. The only thing bad about Canada is the weather.

One word for you...Victoria!

 

[candrew]

These 2 things stick out to me.

Is a job guaranteed to everyone, even when he/she does not want to work? Does he/she have to do anything beyond showing up to get paid?

I knew plenty of colleagues that made careers out of just showing up, looking busy and creating a bit of noise.

 

[Fedup]

I knew plenty of colleagues that made careers out of just showing up, looking busy and creating a bit of noise.

Hey, that’s the American Dream,isn’t it. One of my brothers is doing exactly that. Show up and answer emails for his big boss. That’s why he doesn’t care to retire early. What’s for? If he retires, he has to put up with his wife full time, the only break he gets is when he goes to restroom as my acupuncture’s husband often told me.

 

[Winemaker]

Her Solutions: page 469-470

Not in any particular order
1) Universal Health Care - Medicaid for all
2) Universal Basic Income
3) Every Baby born is given a baby bond at birth to buy a house or use for educational expense when they turn 18
4) Universal child care for all children under 5 pay based on income free at certain income limits
5) Universal Child allowance - government payment for the life as a child to offset the cost of raising a child
6) Significantly increase top income tax rate - she mentions 70-90% earlier in the article
7) All elections to be funded by government and private contributions to be banned
8) Eliminate voter ID declare election days a national holiday and allow automatic registration
9) Free college tuition at all public institutions
10) Eliminate social security tax gap
11) Ban companies the right to purchase their own stock
12) Create Federal Jobs guarantee to all Americans over 18 with a liveable wage and free benefits
13) Allow every American from age 22-33 the right to research a dissertation at the University of Michigan to study the ongoing benefits of the other 12 solutions - Ok I made this one up

These look like a list of demands to destroy any government's dream, let alone the American one.

 

[Huston55]

Although I admire her determination to complete a PhD, I think her dissertation has marginal value. However, I do have views in bold on the list of “solutions.” YMMV

Her Solutions: page 469-470

Not in any particular order
1) Universal Health Care - Medicaid for all. Agree with Universal Healthcare
2) Universal Basic Income Disagree w/ this simplistic approach
3) Every Baby born is given a baby bond at birth to buy a house or use for educational expense when they turn 18 Disagree; need to address the cost/supply side instead
4) Universal child care for all children under 5 pay based on income free at certain income limits Agree
5) Universal Child allowance - government payment for the life as a child to offset the cost of raising a child Agree with limited support; like Germany’s Kinder Geld
6) Significantly increase top income tax rate - she mentions 70-90% earlier in the article Disagree
7) All elections to be funded by government and private contributions to be banned Agree with anything that reverses Citizens United
8) Eliminate voter ID declare election days a national holiday and allow automatic registration Agree; eliminate all barriers to voting
9) Free college tuition at all public institutions Partially agree; need to increase access & lower cost
10) Eliminate social security tax gap Agree
11) Ban companies the right to purchase their own stock No opinion
12) Create Federal Jobs guarantee to all Americans over 18 with a liveable wage and free benefits I support a CCC/WPA style approach with a focus on infrastructure. [Note: this would qualify for “Responsibility” Item #1 below]
13) Allow every American from age 22-33 the right to research a dissertation at the University of Michigan to study the ongoing benefits of the other 12 solutions - Ok I made this one up

Now that we’ve addressed the “rights & privileges” side of the citizenship equation, let’s discuss the “responsibilities” side.

1. Mandatory National Service: 2 yrs for every citizen btwn the ages of 18-26, served in the military, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, etc. This would also be a prerequisite for some benefits.
2. Completion of National Service would become a prerequisite for service in national politics.

 

[Winemaker]

Regarding #12, many public employee unions have complained about any CCC, WPA or even work detention programs for law breakers in the tri-state area.

 

[aja8888]

These look like a list of demands to destroy any government's dream, let alone the American one.

No, no....it's perfect! Everyone will be working for the government and will also get a basic stipend. What could go wrong here? (full employment for those who want to work)

We wouldn't have to worry about greedy corporations and the "rich" as they would all leave the country. And with free healthcare, the doctors would be working for the government-owned hospitals which would be free to go to.

All that would be required is to have a money printing machine in the government offices to hand out the greenbacks. That's easy as I'm sure China or another world power would be able to supply a printing press for free.

 

[NW-Bound]

I think Canada comes very close to US in terms of opportunity and such. I met many Sikhs on my trip to Banff who were very please with their opportunities in Canada. The only thing bad about Canada is the weather.

On the other hand, there are also stories about discrimination.

The wife of one of my colleagues was a surgeon from Canada. She used to be a resident of the Quebec Province, and although she was fully bilingual, she was from an English-speaking background. She claimed to be discriminated against by the French-speaking majority because of her background, hence she migrated to the US and was happier here.

Here's another anecdote. In the early 80s, I talked with an immigrant during a business trip to Montreal. She was studying to be a dentist, and kept failing some tests. She told me the examiner finally told her that she should give it up, and that there was no way he could pass her, so that she could have a job that the natives needed.

Now, the above stories could have been exaggerated. However, in my RV trek to the Canadian Maritimes a couple of years ago, I talked with the locals and saw that the racial tension was still very present there. Whatever the reasons, that was not good.

 

[imoldernu]

It was 1945... and right after my mom's birthday on April 12, when she took me aside and told me:

"Bobby, You're only 9 years old, but some day, you could grow up to be President."

A troubling time, but one I'll never forget.

 

[NW-Bound]

No, no....it's perfect! Everyone will be working for the government and will also get a basic stipend. What could go wrong here? (full employment for those who want to work)...

Want to work? Nah, you only have to pretend to work.

About college tuition, I don't think there's anybody who does not say that it is outrageously high (unless you work at a university or college). But to have the government picking up the tab, no matter what the school charges, is a dumb idea. It will be just like the medical cost we have right now. Just bill everything to the government, and you don't have to worry whether the charges or services are worth the money.

The real question is not who is paying, but what the money buys.

 

[Fedup]

These look like a list of demands to destroy any government's dream, let alone the American one.

It maybe Venezuelan dream.

 

[pj.mask]

I'm skeptical and would love for you to share the details. Are these doctors U.S. citizens? Are the services performed in the U.S. or abroad?

The article I read some time ago discussed successful US doctors incorporating a business in a tax haven, contracting to that business for small salary while the bulk of income is untaxed until desired use. Kind of like being able to put $500k of your $1mill salary in 401k. Heck, that corporation could even own a boat or plane. That corporation could buy a property in the US.

But I’m sure that sort of thing sounds impossible. Kind of like if some shot company (let’s just throw out Apple or google) were to incorporate and have their IP owned by I dunno.. Ireland..

 

[pj.mask]

No, no....it's perfect! Everyone will be working for the government and will also get a basic stipend. What could go wrong here? (full employment for those who want to work)



We wouldn't have to worry about greedy corporations and the "rich" as they would all leave the country. And with free healthcare, the doctors would be working for the government-owned hospitals which would be free to go to.



All that would be required is to have a money printing machine in the government offices to hand out the greenbacks. That's easy as I'm sure China or another world power would be able to supply a printing press for free.

Where would the “rich” go exactly? Would they move to Europe to be taxed more? What about China to die in pollution (wait, aren’t the rich Chinese moving to USA/Australia/Canada?). Your argument is that if we increased tax here people would move to higher tax areas or move to lower developed areas with lower tax?

I don’t think anyone is proposing free healthcare. I do think there is a lot of savings from taking out insurance (and the profit motives) and the negotiating power of the government when they negotiate for everyone (not just over 65). If I think about what I pay now in tax and insurance - I imagine it would cost similarly for tax under universal insurance. Or are you sad that people won’t be able to turn someone else’s life/death decision into a second Ferrari?

I remember watching a documentary on this cancer drug. They documentary crew went to China to see the cost of raw material vs the $60k/year cost several families were facing. I remember the supplier gave them a sample for lab verification worth a couple million at US pharmaceutical prices.

I’ve been to India and Russia and was able to buy prescriptions over the counter through a pharmacy cheaper than I can buy sudaphed here. I don’t know why we are subsidizing all these other countries with our high drug prices.

I don’t understand why you think healthcare will cost more (‘have the print money’) when every nation that has universal healthcare seems to spend wayyyy less than the US? What is this based on? And comparison that only looks at government spending and ignores the private contributions (insurance premiums and direct costs for use)?

 

[kcowan]

I have visited Canada numerous times, but unless one truly lives in a place he does not really know. On one occasion, in Toronto, I talked with an immigrant, and upon learning that I was an engineer, he commented that US engineers were better paid than their Canadian counterpart, and I sensed some envy...

A good friend moved from Toronto to the US. He could not believe his good fortune. Fortunately he invested the substantial extra after tax income that set him up for life (after buying lots of toys). And he and his wife became American citizens. Now retired for many years in Plano Texas.

(Lucky thing because he was working for Nortel.)

 

[GravitySucks]

It was 1945... and right after my mom's birthday on April 12, when she took me aside and told me:

"Bobby, You're only 9 years old, but some day, you could grow up to be President."

A troubling time, but one I'll never forget.

In 1963 a bear told me I was the only one that could prevent forest fires. That's way too much stress for a 5 year old.

 

[pjigar]

(Lucky thing because he was working for Nortel.)

LOL!! I have a friend who survived 8 rounds of layoff at Nortel and every round of layoff prepared him for his turn. He was smart enough to setup a side business which was fully operational by the time his turn came.