Delete comment from: Captain Capitalism
Captain, let me play devil's advocate. Because I want to see what's the rebuttals to the said arguments. And because the devil's advocate arguments have some truth too.
First, let's establish the undeniable.
1. The labor participation statistics is declining.
2. The Millennial Generation is a generation starting up with more debt and less income than the previous generations when they were at the same age.
3. Various statistics of things like White Americans will only be a plurality in the future years.
There's also the semi-undeniable
1. American women quality (just can't be presented with the same cold hardness of labor participation rates, college debt numbers, and youth employment numbers).
Now we can begin up the devil's advocate part.
State Prosperity - It is a major tenet that leftist thinking is the cause. A common expectation is the eventual bankruptcy and dissolution as it develops to the logical conclusion citing California debt and etc. It is also viewed as the canary to the future as such states pursue such policies. However, there's two common rebuttals to this view.
First, is the statistics of conservative states versus liberal states. Liberal sites are quite aware of things like debt and the Millenial Generation difficulties (much made aware by the OWS people). The common explanations by leftists commonly point out that the hardest hit is the conservative states and the Millenials are better off coming to their areas.
Second, the leftist state themselves. There's large and vast areas that are liberal centers and not showing signs of distress. Detroit is a crazy blue city. And there's been plenty of news about California debt. But then let's look at Massachusetts. Or super liberal cities like San Fran. Massachusetts is in the black for its budget and enjoying the presence of plenty of high-tech companies, finance, and other industries. Touring Boston shows hustling and bustling city.** San Fran - the most liberal city I can think of - continues to show little sign if you look at the crowded shops and businesses (San Jose, on the other hand, you'll find plenty of depressing, empty storefront in downtown). To me, this challenges the idea of the inherent self-destruction of liberal areas - if it is always that true, MA should have become Detroit 20 years ago (and there was a time of decline in the 50's-70's when the textile industry died) San Fran, despite the reports of high homeless vagrants and etc, they seem to be just a nuisance while every street seem to be prospering with not-broke people. What is the rebutal to such example (give it time is not a valid rebuttal, it been said for years, and the individual don't have time to keep waiting when deciding personal philosophies to guide life choices).
In short, the liberal ideology can cite to examples of prosperity. Through both the numbers of many states and outright physical examples. One must ask how much are we really dying?
Aug 9, 2013, 5:19:45 PM