For one of my earlier takes on this theme, see my hypothetical shopping in a 1975 Sears catalog, here and a bit differently here.
Middle-Class Progress
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Next post: Cato’s 27th Annual Monetary Conference
{ 9 comments }
Nonsense, all educated people know that only the rich are getting richer, while wages have stagnated since the 1970s. Check out some socio-economist who did some statistical study about it, because that's how to do real science. Perusing the pages of an old catalogue means nothing unless you have some complex statistical analysis to back it up, and even then you'll just be a useful tool for the capitalist exploiters.
We all know that the poor and middle class are living large in America. But, how about the upper class? Have they been able to keep up? Should I be concerned for their welfare? Isn't it time for them to get their share?
I loved Cafe Hayek back in 1975. Don and Russ would type their posts up on a typewriter, then mail them to subscribers. Those of us who wanted to comment would type our comments and mail them back. Don and Russ would then literally cut and paste (with scissors and Elmer's glue) the comments into a booklet, which was then photocopied and mailed back to all the subscribers. This process would go on for a few months until nobody could come up with an original name for George and/or Daniel ran out of stamps.
Poor people have cell phones in 2009. That alone tells you how far we've come.
Well this is where your life is about to go downhill unless some kind of miracle happens.
I apologize for the length but it came to me as an e-mail from a concerned friend.
—–
No doubt you are aware of the push by Obama to pass a health care bill
> quickly, before Congress or anyone else can read it. A friend just
> sent me these excerpts from the house bill:
>
> Pg 22 of the HC Bill mandates the Government will audit books of all
> employers that self insure. Can you imagine what that will do to small
> businesses? Every one will abandon "self insurance" and go on
> Government insurance. So when Obama says that there will still be
> private health care, it's simply a lie: this mandate will force
> employers to abandon their private plans.
>
> Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill – a Government committee (good luck with
> that!) will decide what treatments/benefits a person may receive.
>
> Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill – YOUR HEALTHCARE WILL BE RATIONED!
> (We all knew this, because health care is rationed in Canada and
> Britain, but Obama kept saying it would not be).
>
> Pg 42 of HC Bill – The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC
> Benefits for you. You will have no choice!
>
> PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill – HC will be provided to ALL non US
> citizens, illegal or otherwise.
>
> Pg 58 HC Bill – Government will have real-time access to individual's
> finances and a National ID Healthcard will be issued!
>
> Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Government will have direct access to your
> bank accts for election funds transfer
>
> PG 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their
> families in Unions & community organizations (read: ACORN).
>
> Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Government will create an20HC Exchange to bring
> private HC plans under Government control.
>
> PG 84 Sec 203 HC bill – Government mandates ALL benefit packages for
> private HC plans in the Exchange.
>
> PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill – Specifics of Benefit Levels for Plans = The
> Government will ration your Healthcare!
>
> PG 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill – Government mandates linguistic appropriate
> services. Example – Translation for illegal aliens.
>
> Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The Government will use groups, i.e. ACORN &
> Americorps, to sign up individuals for Government HC plan.
>
> PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill – Specifics of Benefit Levels for Plans. AARP
> members
> – your Health care WILL be rationed.
>
> -PG 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill – Medicaid Eligible Individuals will be
> automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.
>
> pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue Government on price fixing.
> No "judicial review" against Government Monopoly.
>
> pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill – Doctors/ AMA – The Government will tell
> YOU what you can earn.
>
> Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into public
> option plan. NO CHOICE.
>
> Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay for HC for part time employees
> AND their families.
>
> Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Employer with payroll $400k & above who does
> not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.
>
> pg 150 Lines 9-13 Businesses wit h payroll between $251k & $400k who
> don't provide public option pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
>
> Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC
> according to Government will be taxed 2.5% of income.
>
> Pg 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from
> individual taxes. (Americans will pay.)
>
> Pg 195 HC Bill -officers & employees of HC Admin (the GOVERNMENT) will
> have access to ALL Americans' finances and personal records.
>
> PG 203 Line 14-15 HC – "The tax imposed under this section shall not
> be treated as tax" Yes, it says that.
>
> Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Government will reduce physician services
> for Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected.
>
> Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill – Doctors – doesn't matter what specialty –
> will all be paid the same.
>
> PG 253 Line 10-18 Government sets value of Doctor's time, professional
> judgment, etc. Literally, value of humans.
>
> PG 265 Sec 1131 Government mandates & controls productivity for
> private HC industries.
>
> PG 268 Sec 1141 Federal Government regulates rental & purchase of
> power driven wheelchairs.
>
> PG 272 SEC. 1145. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS – Cancer
> patients
> – welcome to rationing!
>
> Page 280 Sec 1151 The Government will penalize hospitals for what
> Government deems preventable readmissions.
>
> Pg 298 Lines 9-11 Doctors who treat a patient during initial admission
> that results in a readmission – Government will penalize you.
>
> Pg 317 L 13-20 PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Government tells
> Doctors what/how much they can own.
>
> Pg 317-318 lines 21-25,1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion – Government will
> mandate hospitals cannot expand.
>
> pg 321 2-13 Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT
> community input required. Can u say ACORN?!
>
> Pg335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339 – Government mandates establishment of
> outcome-based measures which of course forces health care rationing.
>
> Pg 341 Lines 3-9 Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Adv
> Plans, HMOs, etc., forcing people into Government plan.
>
> Pg 354 Sec 1177 – Government will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs
> people!
>
> Pg 379 Sec 1191 Government creates more bureaucracy – Telehealth
> Advisory Committee. HC by phone.
>
> PG 425 Lines 4-12 Government mandates Advance Care Planning Consultations.
> Think Senior Citizens end of life prodding.
>
> Pg 425 Lines 17-19 Government will instruct & consult regarding living
> wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!
>
> PG 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Government provides approved list of
> end of life resources, guiding you in how to die.
>
> PG 427 Lines 15-24 Government mandates program for orders for end of life.
> The Government has a say in how your life ends.
>
> Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An "advanced care planning consultant" will be used
> frequently as patients' health deteriorates.
>
> PG 429 Lines 10-12 "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER
> for end of life plans. AN ORDER from the Government to end a life!
>
> Pg 429 Lines 13-25 – The Government will specify which Doctors can
> write an end of life order.
>
> PG 430 Lines 11-15 The Government will decide what level of treatment
> you will have at end of life.
>
> Pg 469 – Community Based Home Medical Services/Non profit orgs. (ACORN
> Medical Services here?)
>
> Page 472 Lines 14-17 PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION. 1
> monthly payment to a community-based organization. (Like ACORN?)
>
> PG 489 Sec 1308 The Government will cover Marriage & Family therapy.
> Which means they will insert Government into our marriages.
>
> Pg 494-498 Government will cover Mental Health Services including
> defining, creating, rationing those services. You'd better speak up
> now before you are on the "advanced care consultation" list.
>
> Whatever you think about this bill, I hope you will contact your
> senators and representatives during the August recess to let them
> know.
>
> Blessings,
Maybe Don could compare the poor of 1975 to the poor of 2009.
The poor in 2009 have all of the goodies the middle class (who work for the goodies) have, and subsidized rent.
"In a later post, I’ll take a page from the work of Michael Cox and Richard Alm and ask: how many hours did the American production worker have to work in 1975 to buy things from the Sears catalog? And how many hours must the average production worker today work if he were to buy 2006 versions of these things?"
Did that later post ever happen?
"Poor people have cell phones in 2009. That alone tells you how far we've come."
– Crusader
It was about six or seven years ago that I saw a guy, with all of his possessions in a shopping cart, talking on his cell phone. That's when I first realized that a cell phone was no longer a symbol of status.
I'm sure I'll get my G2 before he does … but probably only a year before.