[quote=flyer]I’m not sure why people may think (if, in fact they do)that you can’t be a rich capitalist and be involved in a union.
Airline pilots, like myself, have always been required to be unionized (probably why many in my age group have such an exhorbitantly high pay scale) and, most, at least the ones I know, are also moderate to far right capitalists.
Most are heavily invested in property, franchises, etc.–this results not only in creating wealth and tax benefits for them, but it also results in creating jobs for others–so it seems a “win,” “win” to me.
At any rate, we’re all going to be paying more to live in this country–like it or not. Some of us will survive the fiscal Tsunami, some will not. Plan well for yourselves–and especially for your children.[/quote]
Some would argue that your higher pay was the result of belonging to a union, and that is what enabled you to have enough money to invest.
Investing in new businesses, technologies, etc. is wonderful. Crowding into purchases of existing assets, usually front-running price increases as a result of expected demand/supply disruptions, is not healthy for the economy or society. It forces the true consumers of those assets to pay far more than they would otherwise have to pay when they most need those assets. Then when the supply/demand stabilizes, the speculators run, leaving Joe Sixpack/the consumer with all the losses because the void left by the speculators causes prices to fall abruptly and steeply. The situation is made all the worse when leverage is used (both by the speculators, and then by the end consumers because that is the only way they can afford the inflated prices of the goods the speculators have run up)…and THAT is what lies behind our economic crisis.
