Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for February 14, 2021

Rat, remember how the Paris Commune turned out.

Ratantifa.

Once again, I’m with rat. You can’t raise employee pay, but CEOs must make more than the next guy.

And during that time when pay rose 11%, tell me again what the inflation was please?

Real median income is up about 50% from 50 years ago. Not quite the same timeframe Rat used, but then he didnt really cite a source. https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/winter-2019/us-median-household-income-has-risen-more-you-thinkUpper income people’s incomes increased more. Lower income people’s income increased less, in part because of the increased labor supply resulting from immigration — as one of Biden’s econ advisors said.

Today’s background music: “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister.

Thank you, Ronald Reagan (sarc)

“’After all, facts are facts, and although we may quote one to another with a chuckle the words of the Wise Statesman, “Lies – damn lies – and statistics,” still there are some easy figures the simplest must understand, and the astutest cannot wriggle out of.’” Lord Courtney, 1895

Of course the CEOs pay went up much higher. They’re the ones that decide how much they get.

Since “the average American worker” has to be the average of all ‘workers’, CEO included, how much has the “average American worker who are NOT CEO” wages increased?

What’s good for the USA is good for General Bullmoose!! https://youtu.be/Kj65AcbekIE

I’ve been saying this for years. The wealth of the wealthy is founded upon and sustained by the prosperity and productivity of America’s working people. Those among the ±1%, and most especially the 0.1%, who are not sociopaths (“It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.” ~ Gore Vidal et al.) must realize that the best investment that the well-to-do have ever made in all of human history was in America’s infrastructure and its middle class during the 3+ decades following WW II. It was a large part of what made America great.

Even though the taxes on the wealthy during those years were, arguably, overly confiscatory, not only did it result in remarkable economic prosperity for all, including the wealthy, it also meant that the wealthy could sleep safely in their beds and not have to cower behind walls and private armies for fear that their heads might end up on a pike. Sadly, those days seem to be passing. A person with no hope and nothing to lose can be deadly, so, as the people lose more and more, the rich must, perforce, fear more and more. Some of them know that, and know better, but… So keep it up you rich bastards.

In any case, it is mostly NOT the 0.1%‘s money. The bulk of the wealth that has been accumulated by the über-wealthy over the last four decades has been obtained by skimming, scamming, and strip mining the productivity of the working people, those who actually produced the 0.1%’s wealth. It’s the working people who are in fact the “makers” and the wealthy are the “takers.” We the People have been robbed and we want, indeed demand, OUR money back.

“There’s class warfare alright, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” ~ Warren Buffet

“We must make our choice. We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.” ~ Justice Louis D. Brandeis

No Rat. That’s just wrong. …You need a deer rifle with a telescopic laser sight.

A old farm magazine gave me the best yardstick yet: How long do you have to work to: put a roof over your head; keep warm; put food on the table and so forth,

" No Whiners " This coming from the biggest Whiner in this comic strip ! Look in the mirror Rat ! … Croc Power !

The cost of living rose how much?

Rat sure does a lot of whining about whining.

Good rat.

The snivelling of a typical communist: If he’s too stupid or lazy to earn a decent wage, he decides it’s his right, even duty, to steal from those who can.

Establish a minimum wage by a Congressional Act. I’m certain that FDR will sign it. That will fix it.

My income has roughly doubled in the last 30 years. When i started working minimum wage was $6.85 an hour and is now $14.25 an hour. i earn $16.00 an hour with my last raise coming in 2016. At $6.85 an hour I had to use food banks and was getting a top up from welfare to support my wife and myself, In my area $16.00 is considered a living wage. Unfortunately for me I have health conditions which give me high prescription costs. I earn about $32 000.00 before taxes a year. 1/3 goes to rent, 1/3 goes to prescriptions and the remaining 1/3 goes for food, clothing, and anything else I need. Wants aren’t permitted on that budget. If I retire I will have to choose between rent or prescriptions or food as I’ll only get about 1/3 my current income from the government pension plan. Just giving a real example for the wealthier commentators to understand where the discontent comes from.

But remember: if we give the CEOs still more, some will eventually work its way down to you. Sucker.

I could use some cash right now.

CEOs, college heads, are paid WAY TOO MUCH! All at the expense of employees and students!

And Congress’ pay increased how much??? Funny how the people that can vote for their own increases have bigger increases.

Ratbo.

i am guessing this is one of those cartoons that could not be run around jan 6 because of the capitol riot attempt

Instead of quibbling over the methodology of providing it, perhaps we could work on providing a minimum living wage? To attain a goal, you must first set an agreed-upon goal.

And in 1978, a new standard sedan-type car sold for around $5000. Today it’s $50,000 or more

Hey…rank has it’s privileges! Get you some,(rank) and stop snivelling! ;o]

Most consumer items other than housing and medical care were much more expensive in the 1960-70s and even then medical care was primitive-you got cancer, you died and housing was often a 1,100 sq foot house with 1 bath and asbestos insulation, floor and ceiling tiles.Some prices from the 1970s-1970 25" tv -$740 (($5,120 2021$), 1970 dial phone $70 ($207) 1972 sidexside refrigerator $700 (($4,455) 1974 14" portable tv $265 ($1,375) 1975 toaster oven $25 ($125)It was worse in the 50/60s aka America’s “Golden Age”:1964 TV/stereo console $800 ($6630 2020$)
1951 toaster $21 ($213)
1957 Clock radio $43 ($401)
1963 Electric Skillet $20 ($180)
1962 Portable record player $95 ($805)
1960 Electric wall clock $28($245)1960 Zenith 19” B/W $259 ($2,275)
The average manufacturing wage in 1960 was $2.26 hour ($20) and average household income was $7,000 ($61,000). Minimum wage was $1 ($8.75)
So the 1960 factory worker would have to had to work for 12+ hours to buy that wall clock.

Just watch some old game shows such as Price is Right or Lets Make a Deal and the prices are really high.

Bottom line: a dollar in 1978 = four dollars today. Inflation: the hidden tax.

While we argue over left vs right, liberal vs conservative, Dem vs GOP, red vs blue, us vs them…The ones who we should really be keeping an eye on are laughing at all of us.

It’s very easy to make Social Security work, very well for everyone. At the present time, Social Security taxes are only deducted on the first $118,500 of income. If people making more than that paid the same percentage as those below it, it would save the program for eternity. At the time SS began, the income inequality gap wasn’t such an issue. Now, with 1% of the people having as much wealth as the bottom 90%, all that would be necessary for the entire country to work for everyone is to have those who make more pay their fair share.

11% over 40 years?that does not seem right.nor does 11% annualized.

I would rather ferment than foment.

People are more concerned how little they are earning now and not able to hold on to, not how it compares to what people earned 40 years ago.

11% in 43 years. Even if inflation is factored in, that isn’t very good in and of itself. Where are the pitchforks?……

Interesting that companies have been trimming benefits as well. I believe IRA matching funds have ended and Health Care deductibles have increased.

The Good Old Days™ of the 1950s that the “right” wants to go back to had a 90% top marginal tax rate, CEOs made limited multiples of what their average employee earned, and the U.S. had its highest level of union membership ever.

Maybe what they really miss is that was the last time that “those people knew their place”.

I’m with Rat, the rebellion is overdue

What theplanet needs is a war on greed !

I expect as I “liked” that my name has been added to a database in D.C.

You’d be real popular in Illinois: Tax the Rich!

Luckily, no one is looking at what lawyers make.

As they say, statistics are for losers.

GO PITCHFORKS (mumble-grumble) !

One year my employer went to Profit Sharing. When I got my raise I fell off the chair. More than all before or after, combined. Sadly, they went back to what other companies paid for the same work, which were very few before AT&T was broken up - HA!

Capitalism is a furnace and the poor are the coal.

GO RAT!!!

you go, rat!!! we’re with you!!!

In the early 60s the best baseball players topped at round $100,000 ($855,000 2021$) earlier this week Trevor Bauer signed for $40 million in 2021 and $45 million in 2022 with the Dodgers.

Unfortunately, Republicans* (now the Party Of Trump) learned that they can obtain and retain power by allying themselves with the .01%, in order to finance exploiting the racism of the average worker.

The Base would rather live in a Russian oligarchy than allow blacks to vote and have their votes counted.

No one follows instructions. It clearly says, “No whiners.”

I don’t believe the 11% figure. That’s rubbish.

Inciting to violence? INPEECH RAT AN PASTIS!

The difference in what a CEO DOES in the span of 43 years has vastly, dramatically changed.

Eat the rich!

Someone leaves a comment and many just answer the comment rather than making a new comment. Particularly irksome when the comment to the comment covers a whole different unrelated POV.

No one will need you, Rat.

Yup. There is undeniably an inequity there!

Not sure I’m ready to join Rat’s Rebellion, though.

What bothers me about this is that the outrage is rooted in envy. The average American worker is objectively better off than they were in 1979, and the only “problem” is that the average CEO is even more better off.

I entered the work force in 1978 at $3.20 an hour after 34 years at the same company I retired making $40.00.

Interesting. Got any numbers for people who work for the government?

Interesting. Got any numbers for people who work for the government?

I’m with you Rat…CHARGE!

So … as it turns out, https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/awidevelop.html the increase has been substantially more, from ~$7,600 to ~$54,100, according to the AWI. The 11% model is based on looking at the change in things like the minimum wage – which implies that someone works at McDonalds forever. The real question is … what difference does it make what CEO wage increase has been? Jeff Bezos salary was about $81k last year – the bulk of his income came from stock value growth. Since Amazon has no cash flow problems – it isn’t clear to me how Bezos getting a bunch of stock some how suppresses the wages of his employees.

Dear gordo: CEOS of huge corporations do not necessarily “invest time, energy, and risk” in the companies they head. They get investors involved, who are willing to put up their money in return for a profit. To get “ideas” on the scale of, say, Microsoft/Amazon/Lockheed/Martin, etc., thousands of employees are needed who will implement those ideas. AND along the way, probably improve those ideas. Henry Ford could no more have turned out his automobiles by the millions if not for the millions of workers who “implemented” his “idea” of an assembly line. Bezos could not rake in the trillions if he did not have armies of employees all over the world working twelve hour shifts in his warehouses.

Bottom line is: labor and management NEED each other. But investors WANT profit—and the single biggest expense in any business are the human workers who demand-gasp—(and deserve)—decent wages and benefits. The other bottom line is PROFIT: which is demanded by the investors, and is, of course, necessary if a company is to keep running. Nothing wrong with profit EXCEPT when greed takes over, which it almost always does. When greed takes over, CEOs are tasked by investors to find every way possible under the sun to curtail “human capital” and its demands.

Didn’t YOUR economics class teach you any of these subtleties???

Anytime you what to start a company that will revolutionize the world as we know it go ahead.

welp it’s life