Business lack of responsibility

Since the end of the 1970s, corporate profits and share of wealth in the US have skyrocketed. This is largely due to the fact that worker productivity increased by almost a factor of 2 while wages stagnated. Businesses made money by not increasing workers' wages and demanding more work from them, all in the guise of staying "competitive."

Wages in Germany have risen 5 times faster than in the US during the same time period which is why the American middle class is shrinking while in Germany, middle class living standards continue to rise. The US has about the lowest rate of class mobility of any industrialized country in the world. mostly because of wage stagnation and short sighted corporations.

As far back as 1919, Henry Ford paid his workers the outrageous sum of $5 per day. His thinking, which is correct, was that if his company was going to be successful there needed to be people who could buy his cars. So by paying high wages he helped insure the success of his business. Modern business leaders apparently do not believe this and hoard their companies' money for themselves and the businesses themselves. They are like the dragon Fafner in Norse mythology who had this incredible treasure, stashed it in a cave and gobbled up anyone who came near.These same people whine about lack of consumer demand when they themselves are largely responsible for causing the situation about which they complain.

The idea of everyone sharing the wealth and that workers should be treated with respect no longer functions in corporate America and this inequality is further enhanced by laws and a tax structure that favor business and the wealthy over people who work for paychecks. The increasing concentration of wealth in the top 1-2% of the population is a symptom of the disease, and if the economy is to recover, this needs to turn around so that there are equal benefits for business and workers.

Companies like Verizon and Catepillar demand huge wage cuts from employees while at the same time racking up huge profits and executive pay increases. There is no "We" in this scenario. It is all "Me" in the person of the business and executive. Workers are no longer expected or allowed to share in the success of a business.They are disposable and all but worthless.

One of the single largest contributing factors to ongoing economic growth in a country is the fact that workers feel they have long term prospects where they are working and can plan for the future. Study after study and poll after poll reflect the reality that workers are insecure and do not feel secure enough in their jobs to even take vacations that are their right lest they be away and lose their jobs. The combination of declining wages and benefits and total lack of job security will continue to hold down economic recovery. Unless and until businesses realize that they themselves are largely responsible for this downturn and continued malaise, there will be no meaningful improvement in the economy.