Just watching Bartiromo and the MJ crew wringing their hands and gnashing their teeth

[Skidmore]

over the disappearing American middle class. Their angst is so touching. While someone on that panel did point out that now the super-rich/rich and the working poor/poor are becoming the de facto class structure of this nation, not one person on that panel suggested that the wealthy have some sort of responsibility to the nation. Rather, for them, it was a trade problem and an education problem. We need to be able to sell to the nations (eg. China) where products can be produced cheaper. Idiots. How can you sell something to the people who produce them? If people produce something, that is an internal market.

And another thing, not one person on that panel seemed to understand that their free market model has a lot to do with the loss of industry in this nation. Not a single one of them made a connection between cheeerleading the exportation of whole industries to the loss of income for American familes. Instead, Bartiromo says we need to educate the people for new jobs. I don't know about you, but I have a sum total of 4 degrees, all of which are useless now, and I don't have the money to train again.

What is wrong with these people?

We need to start taxing the wealthy. This BS that it takes capital away to invest in industry is just that, BS. They aren't investing here now. They just aren't. They take their businesses overseas and treat this nation as an entertainment district.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. The fact that they NEVER get that there is a crisis over healthcare

is ones first clue of how out of touch they are.

I once heard Rush Limbaugh musing about why didn't people just pay medical costs out of pocket like he does.

[AllentownJake]

2. Don't worry they broke to Tiger and his Pre-nup as soon as possible

[AndyA]

3. The wealthy have had over 8 years of Bush tax cuts. And what did that get us?

More jobs?

More investment in America?

Did the Bush tax cuts bring anything of value to the typical American worker?

The answer to all is no.

We lost jobs. The tax cuts didn't increase investment other than additional vacation homes and yachts for the CEOs of the big companies.

And even in the midst of one of the most serious financial meltdowns in decades, the hyper wealthy still felt entitled to their bonuses and perks. That shows how serious the disconnect is between these people and everyone else. And we expect them to understand they need to do something other than stick money in their personal accounts?

These people are arrogant, shallow, and uncaring. They've got theirs and they don't want to share it with anyone.

And the people on MJ depend on the goodness of these wealthy people, so they aren't going to poop where they eat, so to speak.

[OneGrassRoot]

4. I wonder how -- as far fetched as it seems -- a voluntary tax....

or contribution or whatever by the wealthy class could be promoted? Shit, maybe just for healthcare alone, a fund could be set up and this new tax on the wealthy could be targeted to go into this fund.

Doing it legislatively is a clusterfuck. Maybe wealthy peeps like Oprah and Buffet and others, even though I know they already give to nonprofits or have their own nonprofit, may want the legacy of contributing very directly to healthcare in America.

But there is then the same old challenge of who manages this healthcare fund and how it's implemented. If they were in favor of showing that government CAN work effectively, to get rid of that Reagan meme, they could stipulate that a government program only, not private insurer, will manage this fund and manage healthcare.

Continuing to ask we little people for donations here, there and everywhere is like getting blood from a turnip. A handful of the richest people could essentially create something akin to Universal Healthcare in this country by pooling their resources for this purpose.

Maybe I'll ask them.

:)

[NC_Nurse]

5. They are cheerleaders of Wall St. Nothing more, nothing less. They don't deal

in realities. They are not real journalists. They are more often than not WRONG about the markets, the economy, and how the world is changing.

Better to watch the clips on the Daily Show later when John calls them out for their stupidity.

[CTyankee]

6. didn't have a chance to watch...besides, Maria gets on my nerves bigtime.

A question: did ANYONE mention the decline of labor unions? betcha they didn't, unless it was to turn it all into the labor unions' FAULT...

[Skidmore]

13. I thought it was funny that she didn't want to discuss Tigers woes since she

was caught in an affair with some mogul a couple of years ago.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. Every person on the panel is in the top 10th percentile.

:think:

[hatrack]

10. Try top 1%

When I hear about Chris Matthews (by way of example) and his estate on Nantucket, I know exactly where in the long run, if the screw turns enough times, he's going to come down in his "reporting".

Doubly so for everyone on CNBC and everyone on Morning Ho.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Yep. $250K+

[natrat]

8. the corruption runs so incredibly deep

[BeyondGeography]

9. The owners and their lackeys in top management have been grinding their employees for decades

When it got harder to make a buck (i.e., when other countries like Japan, Germany, China, India and others reconstituted their economies), they took it out of the hides of the rank-and-file and kept rewarding themselves. Or they cut trade deals that reduced the number of good paying jobs here and protected corporate profits. The pain has been disproportionately distributed, to the point where even the Money Honey notices "something is wrong." But they'll never blame their bosses. Dishonesty is what fucks us in the end more than anything.

[TomClash]

11. I'll add a few more points

Workers have to have a much greater say in production and benefit from that production.

The Dollar must weaken considerably, especially against the Yuan.

Capital gains tax rates should be at least on par with the income tax.

[Hubert Flottz]

14. Not only do they, "They take their businesses overseas"

They use our tax dollars to help them move out of the country and set up shop abroad.

The Free Traitors are ignoring the bleeding of jobs just like they want to ignore the responsibility for the environmental disaster they have helped to create. The Mega-Corporations and their mouthpieces on TV are always ready to muddy the water and to poison the well. Always working to pass the cost and all the blame too, on to the consumer.

[Blue_Tires]

15. um...what would THEY know about middle-class life?

[Johonny]

16. but I've seen panels with middle class

that repeat the same thing. That to me is the sad part. You have a class in America arguing for it's own destruction, thinking the things they are campaigning for are positive economic positions. I don't get it.