• @givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    18411 months ago

    Because this isn’t a strong economy…

    The rich are making money, but they’re just hoarding it

    So amount of money in circulation keeps decreasing, and prices keep increasing because in capitalism if a company isnt increasing profit margins, the stock price isn’t going up. And they finally figured out calling corporate greed “inflation” means around 2/3s of the country will accept it

    Either we drastically raise taxes soon, or shits about to get really really bad.

    Very few people will just sit back and calmly starve to death

    • @rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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      1011 months ago

      The 2/3 of the country can generally be fooled to believe anything.

      However, just raising taxes in this case may have some similarity to extinguishing fire with a burnable substance.

      You have to raise some taxes (say, on realty ownership, and some other possessions, and in general discourage possession of wealth without circulation) and lower some other taxes (say, anything taxing a transaction, I’m really not familiar with the way taxes work in USA, but in Russia plenty of taxes in hard numbers simply discourage economic activity). The goal should be increasing the actual inflation (not a good or bad thing per se). That’s if you are right about the cause, which I’m in doubt about TBF.

      • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        1211 months ago

        In the US income taxes are different at different income levels and corporate taxes are separate entirely. We can absolutely raise taxes without raising them on lower income people.

        And yes several studies over the last couple decades have shown that US money is going up and not coming back down.

        • @rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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          -311 months ago

          Differentiating income levels is another thing.

          I’m talking about encouraging people to put in use as much as possible of what they own, which means that making interaction cheaper via lowering some taxes is important to do not only for the “lower income level” people, actually it’s most important for the “rich”. That’s the candy part of encouraging economic activity, and the boot part would be taxing properties (should be done carefully, or, say, large realty companies are going to be less affected than individual owners with only their apartment\house, which would be a complete failure).

          • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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            411 months ago

            That’s trickle down. You just described what we’ve been trying for the last 60 years. And in that time the only thing that’s happened is the wealthy take their tax breaks and hold on to it. They don’t create more jobs. They don’t pay their workers more. They store it in things like super yachts.

            Lowering taxes does not create more economic activity unless they were burdensome to start with. Which is not a problem American rich people and Corporations have.

            • @rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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              111 months ago

              Either you are answering something else and clicked my post by error, or you haven’t paid attention to a single word except for the “lowering taxes” parts.

              • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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                11 months ago

                I’m talking about encouraging people to put in use as much as possible of what they own, which means that making interaction cheaper via lowering some taxes is important to do not only for the “lower income level” people, actually it’s most important for the “rich”. That’s the candy part of encouraging economic activity, and the boot part would be taxing properties (should be done carefully, or, say, large realty companies are going to be less affected than individual owners with only their apartment\house, which would be a complete failure).

                This? This is the entirety of the comment, and it is the theory behind the massive tax breaks American politicians keep giving the wealthy. If you mean something else please let me know.

                • @rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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                  111 months ago

                  If you mean something else please let me know.

                  Yes, I meant what I wrote.

                  That you have to encourage circulation and discourage “hoarding”, which means that the former should be much more beneficial than the latter. For “the rich” as well.

                  “Tax breaks” are selective bullshit which shouldn’t ever happen.

    • @ImFresh3x@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      The amount of money in circulation isn’t decreasing though. Wages have increased more than inflation, almost every month in the last year. Especially for median wage/salaries.

      When they say strong economy they are talking about spending, jobs etc.

      The answer is in the first few sentences:

      Housing crisis

      • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        1111 months ago

        The recent increase in wages isn’t even a patch on the vacuum the wealthy are using. If that was even remotely true then we wouldn’t be seeing this article.

        • @SCB@lemmy.world
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          -411 months ago

          If that was even remotely true then we wouldn’t be seeing this articlle

          Did you read the article? Because it explains why

          • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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            211 months ago

            Short term holding - link

            Long term holding - link

            From the article - Food is up 25 percent along with rising rent and utilities.

            I’m not sure you understand what economists mean by circulation. Money is going up and not coming back down. It has been doing this for decades. The more money that gets trapped at the top and put into the stock market means less money for the working class as a whole. While that sounds like some commie shit, it’s really not. Because the working class is the major demand generator in a capitalist economy. Economists want to see that money making the rounds through the entire economy because anyone left out of circulation will impact demand over the long term (and by the time it’s a short term problem you’re looking at a demand crisis which usually results in pitchforks).

            Now we need to talk about rent in the economic way. That profit a monopoly extracts because the market is not competitive enough and it can charge more without providing more value. Land/house rent going up is the classic. That’s why the two words are the same. But other necessities are often seen in history as well, including food and utilities as also mentioned in the article. This is relevant because the world recently figured out that the inflation of the last couple years was actually greed and not cost push. They literally just figured out they could use it as an excuse to raise prices well beyond what was necessary. Of course that’s not a surprise to anyone who listened to CEOs publicly telling their stockholders they were doing it.

            So when you assert that it’s not a problem with circulation because rent went up. I have questions about you understanding the economic meaning of those words. The primary means of rent seeking behavior have gone up and wages already were not keeping up. Nobody cares if wages beat inflation last month. We need them to beat decades worth of inflation and stagnant wages. We need 47 trillion dollars back from the wealthy leeches who did nothing more than raise prices and pay their workers less.

            • @SCB@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              Now we need to talk about rent in the economic way. That profit a monopoly extracts because the market is not competitive enough and it can charge more without providing more value. Land/house rent going up is the classic.

              Just an FYI, you’re using all of these terms incorrectly.

              We need 47 trillion dollars back from the wealthy leeches

              And your lack of understanding is why you say silly things like this.

              Perhaps don’t go on at length as if you know about a topic when your only exposure to said topic is internet forums.

  • @EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world
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    10411 months ago

    A strong stock market is not a strong economy. The economy is the flow of money exchanging hands, which is down because people are paid less than ever compared to the cost of living. This leads to starvation.

    • @TheHog@feddit.uk
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      -511 months ago

      Hahaha, if you think the stock market is strong at the moment you haven’t been paying attention. I would recommend spending a little time looking into what happened with gamestop in Jan 21 and why.

  • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Hey NBC, an economy that’s not providing the basic necessities for working families is not a strong economy. No matter what the pretty graph says.

    • @1847953620@lemmy.world
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      911 months ago

      iT’s NoT a ReCeSsIoN (because we don’t like you having a word to call it, so we’re the ones who get to redefine it however we wish)

      • @EatATaco@lemm.ee
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        -411 months ago

        The definition wasn’t redefined. You just always heard the rule of thumb and thought that was actually the definition. Like, let’s be honest here, have you ever even taken an economics class outside of HS? When you learned how it’s actually determined, instead of thinking “I’ve learned some nuance and I will incorporate this into my future conclusions” you rejected it and concocted some conspiracy to explain it.

        • @Krauerking@lemy.lol
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          211 months ago

          But even in academic circles it is an arbitrary definition that is usually agreed upon by consensus. It’s holistic, not a firm science and it’s like that because economics is not actually about actual mathematics but is about humanity studies and trying to predict the emotional feelings of people with money to spend. There is statistical stuff you can use to help but a farmer in 1875 has done better on predicting markets than most modern degree holders.

          • @EatATaco@lemm.ee
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            011 months ago

            It’s not arbitrary. It’s just that, as you note, a nuanced question without a simple answer. The “two quarters” thing is just something that we tend to see with every recession. But there are a lot of other things we tend to see too: unemployment rising, consumer spending retracting, income dropping, industrial output retracting… and we didn’t see any of the other factors that we’ve seen previously.

            It would have been one of the weirdest “recessions” we’ve ever seen, that bucked numerous other recession indicators. . .all in favor of two quarters of negative GDP growth. How does that make any sense?

            • @Krauerking@lemy.lol
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              211 months ago

              Expecting everything to be the same is silly. History rhymes, not repeats, so whatever this period could be called is hard to say. But consumer spending is down. Sorta. People are spending less now but the market now is back to “stable”. There is over employment from income not raising to match inflation so it’s like people got pay cuts. Industries are also rapidly declaring bankruptcy.

              It’s weird now. Sorta like a Frankenstein recession one that is not and is still shambling but seems to be held together by stitches and random corpses thrown together.

              This period will definitely be talked about in economics because it’s certainly something new that couldn’t have existed before without the very global economy. Maybe it will turn more traditional or go back to normal but it’s definitely not a full well and fine economy at the moment.

              • @EatATaco@lemm.ee
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                011 months ago

                I absolutely agree that it’s weird and it’s not fine right now. All I responded to was the oft-repeated and false claim that they changed the definition of recession, and then attributed that to some conspiracy theory to silence them.

                It will absolutely be talked about, but just as likely as how it was a huge win for the fed if the soft landing happens, and that appears more and more likely at this point.

                • @Krauerking@lemy.lol
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                  211 months ago

                  I guess that is fair. I’m just not that against it when people think it feels like a recession to them. The brunt of this soft landing is not even. It really does feel like it for a lot of lower class people being laid off or struggling to find work. I know of whole warehouses that have closed up in the last year or 2.

                  So for them… They are in a recession. My point is that it’s a term that has no solid definition. It’s truly arbitrary to the person who is making the claim and on a global level it might not be happening but in smaller sectors it feels like hell.

                  But that person did say that they changed the definition when it really just doesn’t have one other than agreed idea of what it should look like. And based on what we all classically think of as a recession this ain’t it. And thinking it’s a conspiracy against us and not just wealth classes being completely unsynced is a bit silly, even if I want them to use their voice to complain.

                • @1847953620@lemmy.world
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                  111 months ago

                  I’m not saying “they changed the definition”. I’m saying “too many things about the way this term is gatekept from general use are flawed, and done for political gain sometimes, the average discussion of what is happening right now being one of them”. It depends on the context whether a more academic definition standard should be expected, and even then it’s not as straightforward as whoever is trying to shut down its use likes to pretend, and so perhaps a less-important hill to die on than whatever discussion is happening at that point in time."

      • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Not if it keeps going like this. The rich will find out really quickly that they have nothing more than funny bits of colored paper and a gentleman’s agreement with a Bank’s internet server. Strong economies start from the bottom up and die from the bottom up. Catering to the top has always been a recipe for disaster.

    • @eestileib@sh.itjust.works
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      3511 months ago

      It’s a great economy if you’re already rich.

      Since all elected officials are either rich or grabbing everything they can to become so, they can’t understand what it’s like for people on minimum wage or a fixed income.

      We need more attention on stats like “what percentage of people have zero savings”, “what percentage of the median worker’s income is consumed by basic expenses”, “how many people didn’t eat yesterday”…

    • @sawdustprophet@midwest.social
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      2411 months ago

      I remember reading another factor is that food which people donate is often expired, nearly expired, or undesirable and unlikely to be used before it expires, so often ends up getting thrown away anyway.

  • BandDad
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    5411 months ago

    In a household of four with two full time incomes (both teachers, so take that with a grain of salt), we are at the point that the food budget is the only thing left to cut. We have canceled any subscriptions, cut all other spending, and often skip lunch/breakfast or eat Ramen noodles to save the bulk of our money for the kids and feed them better. I’m sick of beans and rice, BTW. Due to the nature of our jobs and the outside of school hours (which we are compensated for), side hustle is not an option. We would like to actually be present and part of our kids lives. I keep getting told “it gets better,” but the stress of making the bills and feeding the family is relentless, and that says a lot since we are way more fortunate than most. We need change.

    • @OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca
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      2811 months ago

      “It gets better” is just a bullshit comment to keep you complacent. It doesn’t get better unless we make it better.

    • @lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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      11 months ago

      two full time incomes (both teachers, so take that with a grain of salt)

      Sorry but they counts as one income tops. It’s shameful how little teachers are paid. I hope you and your family find a better situation somehow.

    • Skeezix
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      -611 months ago

      There is often change. But it never gets better. It has never gotten better and it never will.

      • @vivadanang@lemm.ee
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        511 months ago

        factually inaccurate. look man, I’m a cynic, but saying the New Deal didn’t improve people’s lives is bullshit.

      • @fosforus@sopuli.xyz
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        11 months ago

        Almost everything is better for almost everybody now compared to 100 years ago. It obviously requires systematic efforts and economic growth, but it’s just as obviously possible.

  • @Wooster@startrek.website
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    5311 months ago

    Utilities have also been on the rise, and this year Ortigoza isn’t planning on turning on the home’s heater, even with temperatures dipping into the 30s at night. Instead, she plans to wear extra clothes around the house and bundle her daughter in blankets.

    I just want to say… Don’t do that.

    If you want burst water pipes, then that is how you do it.

    Instead, let your house drop to uncomfortably cold temperatures, but with still a buffer above freezing. The thermostat is only accurate for wherever it’s placed in the house. It’s not able to tell you what temperature your pipes are at the distant ends of the house.

    If you’re going to turn the heat off at below freezing, then you need to empty your pipes first, and no one is going to do that.

    But yeah… I felt I needed to get that out of the way first.

    Anyway, wages and unemployment are getting ‘better’, but that means very little if it’s still not a living wage.

  • brothershamus
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    5311 months ago

    You mean how can some people barely survive while others have millions or even, wtf, billions? NBCnews? That’s your question?

    Boy that’s a question right there NBCnews. Yessir a real head-scratcher. Hmm! Boy howdy, the mind reels at what could be the cause of such a huge imbalance in our society. I suppose we’ll just never FUCKING KNOW.

  • @paddirn@lemmy.world
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    4911 months ago

    It’s a strong hoarding economy, the rich and ultra-rich are hoarding wealth and companies are raising prices for everyone else to feed their insatiable demands for profit. There’s nothing strong about this economy for the majority of people.

  • @MisterFrog@lemmy.world
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    4811 months ago

    Same reason I hate it when the housing market is described at “strong” in Australia? In what way? Is the market providing housing for all who need it? No?

    Then it’s weak and I’ll have none of this “strong” housing market bullshit.

    • @SCB@lemmy.world
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      -211 months ago

      The housing market being strong means homes are selling. Homes selling means prices rising.

        • @SCB@lemmy.world
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          -411 months ago

          It’s not a euphemism, you’re just not the person benefiting from the strong market because you are not currently a homeowner.

          • @MisterFrog@lemmy.world
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            211 months ago

            It’s not benefitting anyone who buys a house (me included…) to live in either, only those who will sell for a profit.

            We’re tying up money where it provides no value beyond the actual utility of the house (what it costs to build, maintain, the location etc).

            It would be much better if that money were invested in businesses, which actually provide value to society.

            Instead, we’re stuck with literal decades of debt, or stupidly high rent.

            It abosultely is a euphemism for the vast majority (including home owners).

            • @SCB@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              It’s not a euphemism because it is describing actual, literal market conditions. You won’t benefit from every strong market. Business owners do not benefit from a strong labor market. Freight brokers do not benefit from a strong driver market.

              Tight and loose markets are a pretty basic concept man. There’s no language wizardry going on here.

  • @quams69@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    The economy isn’t strong, for one. Rich people getting richer isn’t indicative of a healthy economy. The entire working class can barely afford their god damned groceries, 40 hours a week isn’t even enough to live on for most people.

    The economy is dogshit right now. Fuck these corpo ghouls.

    • @GiddyGap@lemm.ee
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      411 months ago

      The economy is dogshit right now.

      It’s not so much the economy that’s dog shit as it is the policies regulating the economy that are dog shit. Better redistribution of wealth would go a long way to alleviate the economic inequality of the US economy.

      Of course, that would require implementing policies that many, especially conservatives, are not willing to implement.

  • @Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    3711 months ago

    Good economy: Rich people get much richer. Poor people stay poor despite the good economy.

    Bad economy: Poor people pay to keep rich people rich, despite the bad economy.