Tag: economic prosperity

https://robertfkennedyjr.substack.com/p/rfk-jr-restore-america-middle-class

How to Restore America’s Middle Class

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Aug 1, 2023

*** begin quote ***

I grew up during the heyday of American economic prosperity. It was in the 1950s and 1960s that the archetype of the American Dream was born. It was not something available only to a lucky few; it was within the reach of most Americans. Yes, some were left out, notably African-Americans and Native Americans, but for a golden moment we all believed that we would someday soon eradicate poverty in those communities too, and usher in an age of universal prosperity.

The middle class won’t recover overnight, but here are some of the things I’ll do as President to improve the lives of the middle segment of society. 

*** end quote ***

I’d like to refute his specific prescriptions from little L libertarian pov.

“Renegotiate free trade agreements and impose compensatory tariffs on imports from low-wage countries.”

Tarriffs are a tax on “We, The Sheeple”.  A better suggestion would be to End The Fed from whence all bad things economically come.

“Rein in military spending.”

Again End The Fed which allows the Congress to borrow and spend. End the Warfare State and we don’t “need” a huge “military budget” which is a payoff to the Military Industrial Complex who in turn pay off the politicians and bureaucrats.

“Cut healthcare costs with Medicare-for-all, restrict pharmaceutical companies’ profiteering, and redirect a portion of medical research toward inexpensive natural, holistic, and alternative therapies.”

We don’t need more welfare.  Put the patients aback in charge by implementing a copay.  That how insurance companies moderate demand.  Eventually push the true cost completely to the consumer.  Break up the large corporations into smaller competitive units. 

“Implement some form of student debt relief. Allow student debt to be dischargeable in bankruptcy. Cut interest rates on student loans to zero.”

Kill Sallie Mae and all the GSEs that encourage irational debt.  Make the schools liable for their “product” and their sales techniques. It was used on the for profit “education” mills.

“Raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour – about the level it was in 1968 – which will raise the floor on all wages and return a share of productivity growth back to workers.”

Zero is the correct minimum wage.  It would allow the poor minorities who are screwed by a bad “education lobby” to begin to climb the ladder to success. Never saw a “poor plumber”.  

“Close loopholes and tighten enforcement against illegal corporate union-busting activity. The NLRB and Department of Justice must take vigorous action to enforce the letter and the spirit of the law.”

Close the loopholes where large corporations prevent competition by “lawfare”, “intellectual property”, and media manipulation.  Use the tax code to: (1) limit the size of corporation buy limiting their top line size; and (2) change the CEO and all corporate types comp :(1) from cash  — no one’s salary should be larger than the Presidents  — to their corporate bonds laddered over some number of decades (like Wall Street does vesting bonus over years to keep employees in “golden handcuffs”).  This would change the focus on “quarterly earnings” to long term fiscal stability (i.e., why should past managements get take the loot and walks away from the disaster they leave behind).

Sorry but RFK Jr. is a liberal democrat who sees Gooferment as the answer.  Us little L libertarians see the Gooferment as the problem.

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