In the 80's the entire monetary system was overhauled. It was called the republican revolution and they won. It was a redistribution of wealth from the poor to the rich and this is what we are left with.

Canada also has a tenth of the population of America but has ten times the resources. I am not sure what we have here is possible to accomplish down there. I will say it again though if you know anyone who has a trade or skill like pipe fitting, electriction, welder etc the oil business is booming. It's nothing to make over $100,000 a year here if you don't mind working long hard days. Fox news did spot on it. Google "Alberta boom" on fox. Canada is offering short term visas for these jobs.

Gotcha Kend, but I do recommend the article.

We can't ALL be entrepreneurs, some of us will have to work for someone else. The American 18th century capitalist ideal depends largely on there being a vast, unconqured frontier with virtually limitless land just for the taking. Then there was no reason for anyone not to prosper. If they didn't it was likely they just weren't adequately working their land.

Perhaps Canada - or Alberta - with its limited population and tremendous territory more resembles such a society. In the U.S. the less populous western states, e.g., Alaska, Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, the Dakotas, etc. tend to be more of what I call the "entrepreneurial intolerance" or "impatience" with working people - or with those who work for someone else - whereas, the more populous eastern states are more lefty leaning, approaching socialism in their thinking.

Maybe.

I wasn't being snarky, I really feel sorry for people in those projects. They are horrible conditions they live in. if you read what I said, I was suggesting that it was better when the private sector looked after it. Of course I am only talking about what happened here.

For the record I am far from a trust funder. My Dad was killed in a accident when I was young and my Mom just got by. I left home when I was 18 years old and have never taken a penny from a family member or the government. I have given a lot though. I met my wife in grade ten math we dated for five years then married. 30 years ago this April. When we got back from our honeymoon we had a $60.00 to our names. Neither one of where educated past high school. We had hard times 18 years ago we almost lost our house but we always dug in and somehow found away and somehow did well and live a very nice life now.

it seems people live on minumin wage there. I am sorry obviously I didn't realize that. Here there must be a lot more opperatunities to move up. I do also forget how your healthcare works as well. Here we can work anywhere the health care is the same and it doesn't matter if you make a hundred dollars or a million your basic health care is the same. So it is easy to move from job to job to improve yourself

Aliceinwonderland

You should read my posts. If you don't read my post you cannot understand what I am saying. If you cannot comprehend what I said in the posts then ask for clarification. It is just that simple. Your whole premise is wrong. No I am not a conservative. You missed every single point I made. Read them and then respond with some facts. Simple.

The One Percenters are impoverishing The People of the USA.

AUSTERITY is just a cover word for IMPOVERISHMENT!

I'm really sensitized to the the BIGOTRY of The Super Rich against The Impoverished. The Super Rich's bigotry ran the world before the application of egalitarian principles and is trying to return the world to a globalized feudal system now. Unacceptable!

Yeah- I'll salute Ken... He gets my middle-finger salute!

KEND I'll tell ya what Minimum Wage should be...
The bottom pay scale should be practical in enabling any person who works a 40 hour a week job to maintain a healthy household; independent from any type of aid.
Here in Florida an income of less than $2,200.00/month (take home) for a household of 3 fails to cover the basic cost of living expenses (Housing, Food, Electric, Phone, Gas, Car Ins, etc.)

I know MANY people (including myself) who are greatful to be employed and work 40 + hours a week, yet cannot afford to maintain a healthy and independent house hold. I myself have a house hold of three people and between my wife and I make 39k per year. Oh we certainly struggle but we make it work the best we can. However, like so many honest and hard working poor and middle class peopel, if one of us lost our job, or became ill we would loose everything...which ain't much to begin with, but its we have!

And it isn't do to not putting in the time to earn a raise.
Even if min. wage was ment as a "starting wage" it currently still doesn't enable a house hold to be run in an independent manner...Our min. wage on average is comparable to that of the late 70's...Over 30 years ago. it needs to - at a minimum - be doubled. Even more realistic in some areas of the U.S. would be to triple minimum wage.

And I will take offense to what seems like a snarky remark regarding Public Housing. If you ment what you said as condesending...Explain why.

Don't worry about Ken Ware. He's really a great guy. Trust me! Right now he's side tracked with one of life's rare pleasures, becoming a Grand Papa! Let's give him his moment. He'll be back in short order I'm sure. Meantime, Congratulations you old Dog. Bless you and your new bundle of joy. I for one could not be happier. Now maybe you will think twice about comments that could impact that little bundle of joy in it's future. That might help put us all on an even keel in the future. Looking forward to your return, Sir! (I'm saluting!)

Kend whines: "As far as the government getting involved in the housing business... putting in rent controls, building government apartments (with extremly low rents) that competed with us [private owners of rental property], dictating what you could condo convert and when you could sell etc. So everyone but the government got out of the low income housing business. There hasn't been a PRIVATE low income housing project built here in 15 years as there is know money in it."

Wah. Just breaks m'heart.

Then he says: "Are you saying minimum wage should be high enough to put you into the middle class? I thought it is was stepping stone to making more and getting to the middle class. I guess I am wrong again." Right, Kend.

Perhaps this neo-con foreigner can explain to me why anyone working fulltime should expect less than a living wage. - Aliceinwonderland

Jlane, please don't misinterpret my discontinuation of this dialogue as an "emotional" outburst. I am quite calm. You are the one "bursting" with your CAPPS LOCKED attitude.

I'm done speaking to you because I stated my opinion. I have no more to say. My opinion is based on my point of view, sense of justice, common sense, and logical conjecture as to a course of action that would work and be satisfactory to all involved. Please excuse my foresight and unique ability to see beyond my nose. You are perfectly free to disagree with me, of course. However, I'm not going to idly stand by while you brow beat my opinion with a stick. It is what it is! I am finished with this discussion: "IT'S OVER JOHNNY!!" Time to move on like gentlemen. I accept that you disagree. It's no skin off my tooth.

Perhaps we will have an opportunity to lock horns again in the near future. You are a most worthy opponent. I look forward to an opportunity to debate you on a subject that you are truly more familiar with than I. That would be quite a challenge, indeed. Perhaps sometime soon Thom will host the topic of how to properly burn a cross. Or, perhaps a topic about silk versus cotton, which make a better white robe. Or even a do-it-yourself show concerning the fine points about the construction of a still. Maybe how to turn your Garage into a Meth lab? How to divorce your sister? What about a nostalgic retrospective called, 'what ever happened to the Master Race?' I'm sure we can all learn a lot from your sage and extensive experience in these areas. Till we meet again, it was fun! Ta! Ta!