"And people these days don't have as much money."

[edhopper]

How many times have you read articles about sales being down on products or activities or events that add that sentence after a long explanation on why people aren't buying as much.
When will they get that that IS the reason and start reporting that that is the story (not holding my breath)
The war on the middle class that started under Reagan and has gone on unchecked, has left the vast majority of Americans with less and less discretionary cash while their day to day cost have kept rising. Movies and golf and restaurants and Ipads all cost bucks and there has been a concerted effort to make sure most of the available money goes to the top percentile of the populace, leaving the rest with left.
Of course the corporations that own the MSM won't report that because it means giving up a piece of the pie to turns things around.
They just want to tell you to buy, buy, buy while picking your pocket.

[global1]

1. It's Really A Simple Solution For All Our Problems.......

Pay people a fair wage. Provide them with jobs. (certainly an infrastructure bill would go a long way here) Let people feel good about themselves again - so the extra money that they would be making - they would feel ok to spend.

Spending any monies from fair wages (raising the minimum wage) will only come back to the economy and put more people to work. That is the engine that will get things going again. More spending. More buying. More jobs to replenish stocks. More money going into tax coffers. Wash, rinse, repeat. That is what will move this country again.

Why companies want to keep bleeding the public dry is beyond me. Once the public is spent - these companies that are bleeding us dry will run dry as well. Don't they realize that. I just don't get it. I wasn't a wiz in economics back in my school days - but even I understand this concept.

[Orsino]

3. A Citizen's Wage.

An economy with fewer and fewer jobs means more and more people who will never, ever be able to get a job.

If money = speech, and speech is a right, then let's complete the fucking syllogism and ensure that no citizen ever has to live at or below the poverty level.

[edhopper]

4. Greed is a powerful drug

addicts never take into account the long term consequences. they just need their next fix.

[CountAllVotes]

2. Zero percent interest rates will do that to a Nation ...

and the good old USA is proof of this fact.

I'm not making any large purchases as I have no money to make "large purchases" with.

Thanks for nothing from a one time member of what was known as the "middle class".