MLK on Capitalism, Materialism, Communism and Democracy

[Smellin Coffee]

I had never read this until this morning. Just some food for thought:

I understand that you have an economic system in America known as Capitalism. Through this economic system you have been able to do wonders. You have become the richest nation in the world, and you have built up the greatest system of production that history has ever known. All of this is marvelous. But Americans, there is the danger that you will misuse your Capitalism. I still contend that money can be the root of all evil. It can cause one to live a life of gross materialism. I am afraid that many among you are more concerned about making a living than making a life. You are prone to judge the success of your profession by the index of your salary and the size of the wheel base on your automobile, rather than the quality of your service to humanity.

The misuse of Capitalism can also lead to tragic exploitation. This has so often happened in your nation. They tell me that one tenth of one percent of the population controls more than forty percent of the wealth. Oh America, how often have you taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes. If you are to be a truly Christian nation you must solve this problem. You cannot solve the problem by turning to communism, for communism is based on an ethical relativism and a metaphysical materialism that no Christian can accept. You can work within the framework of democracy to bring about a better distribution of wealth. You can use your powerful economic resources to wipe poverty from the face of the earth. God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty. God intends for all of his children to have the basic necessities of life, and he has left in this universe "enough and to spare" for that purpose. So I call upon you to bridge the gulf between abject poverty and superfluous wealth.

Paul?s Letter to American Christians

 

[Edwards]

How do we do this so that it's fair to everyone?    How do you arrange things so that those with no initiative to provide for themselves do not receive what they do not deserve? (drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally ill that refuse to take their medicine, the lazy and others I have dealt with)  How is money taken away from those who have worked hard in a responsible way to earn it - do we punish success??  When this is put into place, what happens when people and companies leave the nation (as some are now)?

As believers in Christ we have a responsibility for the needy (and we should be helping), but I'm not sure how this can be accomplished in 2016 through the government.  It isn't that I disagree with MLK substantially, it's that things are so out of kilter in this nation this is impossible to do.   

 

[sword]

Whether you lean left or right I think you will agree.

The Loss of 6 million manufacturing jobs between January 2000 and December 2014 contributed to the gap between the rich and the poor. We're not talking social welfare here, we are talking about hard working middle class factory workers. Studies show the average hrs. workers of those jobs that remain is worked 19.2% less hrs. per week over the same period.

Large corporations and their stockholders still profit from the sales of their goods that are manufactured in Mexico and in Asia. The middle class workers and the local economies are the ones that suffer from outsourcing. I think many of the social programs of the past 60 years have hurt our inner cities greatly. I also feel allowing high paying jobs to move overseas has done great damage to our nation.

 

[Smellin Coffee]

Whether you lean left or right I think you will agree.

The Loss of 6 million manufacturing jobs between January 2000 and December 2014 contributed to the gap between the rich and the poor. We're not talking social welfare here, we are talking about hard working middle class factory workers. Studies show the average hrs. workers of those jobs that remain is worked 19.2% less hrs. per week over the same period.

Large corporations and their stockholders still profit from the sales of their goods that are manufactured in Mexico and in Asia. The middle class workers and the local economies are the ones that suffer from outsourcing. I think many of the social programs of the past 60 years have hurt our inner cities greatly. I also feel allowing high paying jobs to move overseas has done great damage to our nation.

Another issue is middle class employees are becoming salaried employees, meaning more hours of work for the same pay. When I started 8 years ago, I was working 5 days a week between 7-8 hours per day on salary. Today, I am working 6 days a week, generally close to 10 hours a day. Granted, I have gotten a 2-3% annual increase (though not the 15% pay bump I was promised to receive at my 5-year mark), it doesn't come close to covering the weekly hours I now "owe" to my employer. Same with the other salaried workers (non-managers like myself) in our company, not just in my division. In order to avoid overtime yet get the overtime labor, the number of hourly jobs are decreasing as those jobs turn over to salaried positions, working more hours for the same 40-hour per week pay.

 

[sword]

Whether you lean left or right I think you will agree.

The Loss of 6 million manufacturing jobs between January 2000 and December 2014 contributed to the gap between the rich and the poor. We're not talking social welfare here, we are talking about hard working middle class factory workers. Studies show the average hrs. workers of those jobs that remain is worked 19.2% less hrs. per week over the same period.

Large corporations and their stockholders still profit from the sales of their goods that are manufactured in Mexico and in Asia. The middle class workers and the local economies are the ones that suffer from outsourcing. I think many of the social programs of the past 60 years have hurt our inner cities greatly. I also feel allowing high paying jobs to move overseas has done great damage to our nation.

Another issue is middle class employees are becoming salaried employees, meaning more hours of work for the same pay. When I started 8 years ago, I was working 5 days a week between 7-8 hours per day on salary. Today, I am working 6 days a week, generally close to 10 hours a day. Granted, I have gotten a 2-3% annual increase (though not the 15% pay bump I was promised to receive at my 5-year mark), it doesn't come close to covering the weekly hours I now "owe" to my employer. Same with the other salaried workers (non-managers like myself) in our company, not just in my division. In order to avoid overtime yet get the overtime labor, the number of hourly jobs are decreasing as those jobs turn over to salaried positions, working more hours for the same 40-hour per week pay.

 

[Smellin Coffee]

How do we do this so that it's fair to everyone?    How do you arrange things so that those with no initiative to provide for themselves do not receive what they do not deserve? (drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally ill that refuse to take their medicine, the lazy and others I have dealt with)  How is money taken away from those who have worked hard in a responsible way to earn it - do we punish success??  When this is put into place, what happens when people and companies leave the nation (as some are now)?

As believers in Christ we have a responsibility for the needy (and we should be helping), but I'm not sure how this can be accomplished in 2016 through the government.  It isn't that I disagree with MLK substantially, it's that things are so out of kilter in this nation this is impossible to do. 

And this is a question to which I cannot see an answer.

 

[sword]

Whether you lean left or right I think you will agree.

The Loss of 6 million manufacturing jobs between January 2000 and December 2014 contributed to the gap between the rich and the poor. We're not talking social welfare here, we are talking about hard working middle class factory workers. Studies show the average hrs. workers of those jobs that remain is worked 19.2% less hrs. per week over the same period.

Large corporations and their stockholders still profit from the sales of their goods that are manufactured in Mexico and in Asia. The middle class workers and the local economies are the ones that suffer from outsourcing. I think many of the social programs of the past 60 years have hurt our inner cities greatly. I also feel allowing high paying jobs to move overseas has done great damage to our nation.

Another issue is middle class employees are becoming salaried employees, meaning more hours of work for the same pay. When I started 8 years ago, I was working 5 days a week between 7-8 hours per day on salary. Today, I am working 6 days a week, generally close to 10 hours a day. Granted, I have gotten a 2-3% annual increase (though not the 15% pay bump I was promised to receive at my 5-year mark), it doesn't come close to covering the weekly hours I now "owe" to my employer. Same with the other salaried workers (non-managers like myself) in our company, not just in my division. In order to avoid overtime yet get the overtime labor, the number of hourly jobs are decreasing as those jobs turn over to salaried positions, working more hours for the same 40-hour per week pay.

The IRS has cracked down on who may qualify as salaries exempt (exempt from OT).At the company I work for they revised the OT policy based on the new IRS rules.

See link below or see IRS web site. Your employer is likely to be in violation of federal law it they do not pay you OT.

http://www.flsa.com/coverage.html

 

[subllibrm]

I love it when people blame Wall Street and Corporations for bowing to "shareholders" to make profits. With the advent of the 401k boom many, if not most, of those "shareholders" are us.

We want cheap gas but want our energy stocks to rise. We want cheap products and produce in the stores but lament that they come from overseas.

We do have a problem. It is called cognitive dissonance..

 

[lnf]

Sword, you are absolutely right.

I work for my church.  I recently researched the ?salary rules? because I do payroll for my church.  I wanted to make sure that we are in compliance.  I was shocked to see that even I, as Finance Director, am not exempt from overtime.  Why?  Because I do not have the minimum education requirements to satisfy the statute.  It doesn?t matter that the position I hold could be exempt.  Because I do not meet the secondary condition of education, according to the statute, I am not exempt from overtime pay. 

It is my understanding that payroll/overtime statutes are most commonly abused in two areas:  those who are on salary who work more than 40 hours per week and those who are classified as ?private contractors?, often done to avoid paying the FICA/Med employer match, worker's comp and unemployment.

***Either there is something wrong with the quote feature or I've forgotten how to use it.  :-X  I posted below sword's comment, but my comments showed as a quote from him  Sorry for any confusion***

Whether you lean left or right I think you will agree.

The Loss of 6 million manufacturing jobs between January 2000 and December 2014 contributed to the gap between the rich and the poor. We're not talking social welfare here, we are talking about hard working middle class factory workers. Studies show the average hrs. workers of those jobs that remain is worked 19.2% less hrs. per week over the same period.

Large corporations and their stockholders still profit from the sales of their goods that are manufactured in Mexico and in Asia. The middle class workers and the local economies are the ones that suffer from outsourcing. I think many of the social programs of the past 60 years have hurt our inner cities greatly. I also feel allowing high paying jobs to move overseas has done great damage to our nation.

Another issue is middle class employees are becoming salaried employees, meaning more hours of work for the same pay. When I started 8 years ago, I was working 5 days a week between 7-8 hours per day on salary. Today, I am working 6 days a week, generally close to 10 hours a day. Granted, I have gotten a 2-3% annual increase (though not the 15% pay bump I was promised to receive at my 5-year mark), it doesn't come close to covering the weekly hours I now "owe" to my employer. Same with the other salaried workers (non-managers like myself) in our company, not just in my division. In order to avoid overtime yet get the overtime labor, the number of hourly jobs are decreasing as those jobs turn over to salaried positions, working more hours for the same 40-hour per week pay.

The IRS has cracked down on who may qualify as salaries exempt (exempt from OT).At the company I work for they revised the OT policy based on the new IRS rules.

See link below or see IRS web site. Your employer is likely to be in violation of federal law it they do not pay you OT.

http://www.flsa.com/coverage.html

 

[Smellin Coffee]

Something to look into.

 

[Edwards]

.............  How do you arrange things so that those with no initiative to provide for themselves do not receive what they do not deserve? (drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally ill that refuse to take their medicine, the lazy and others I have dealt with)  ...........

as long as what you mentioned above is the first and foremost concern among christians you will never be able to do it...... .... charity efforts should be focused on including those that need it.... not preoccupied with excluding those that don;t.........

As believers in Christ we have a responsibility for the needy (and we should be helping), but I'm not sure how this can be accomplished in 2016 through the government.  It isn't that I disagree with MLK substantially, it's that things are so out of kilter in this nation this is impossible to do. 

originally it was supposed to be the churches job to accomplish those things anyway........ but the church abdicated it;s responsibility long ago... .. thus giving the government a reason to step in........ and you are right... since then it has gotten so far out of control that it;s going to be next to impossible to fix........ but that doesn;t mean we as christians shouldn;t try....... .. just because it wasn;t our generation that gave that reponsibility away doesn;t mean it can;t be our generation that gets it back........ and does it right.......

I am not preoccupied with those I want to exclude.  I want to help people and see those with legitimate helps receive help but I see the reality of what is going on every week.  On a personal level, when you have limited resources and are constantly have people trying to scam you have to always be aware that you cannot think with your emotions but with your head.  Otherwise you will be drained dry very quickly of the resources that you do have.  There are people that will say or do anything to get even $5.  (We even caught a guy stealing from the offering plate one Sunday) I'm sorry, I do not want to help them, I'd rather use the money for those that really need help.

 

[sword]

Many of the programs that are intended to help have created the inner city mess we have today. I have several business friends who try to employ people from the inner city in which they are located. Many do not want to work or make more staying home. How many people do you know on unemployment who are not looking for jobs.

I think programs for the disabled, such as disabled SS, should be expanded. I do not think we need to allow people to stay on unemployment for years while not looking for a job. Those who can work should. Those who can't should be helped. Most states have free breakfast & lunch year round for kids that need it.

I also do not think a person should qualify for aid just because they slippe across the border and had a child. We can not support our own let along the world.