Originally Posted by Barry-xlovecam

Without a productivity gain, if wages rise prices will have to rise too. Your selling price normally anticipates a profit (after taxes). Taxes are another big issue.

I am anticipating a national sales tax within the next 5 to 10 years to pay for social benefits, a national healthcare and toward deficit reduction. This might add 10% to 20% on the selling price of all goods. Combine that with wage demands and lower cost goods importation restrictions: the USA will become a much poorer nation with consumption taxes hitting the lower and middle classes hardest. Conversely, if we over tax capital gain to pay for social benefits, a national healthcare and toward deficit reduction: Investments and Venture Capital would be much harder to find.

We are between a rock and a hard spot and no candidate (so far) is addressing the real economic issues and a few are uttering total populist bullshit -- that I for one am not buying.