The 50-Year Crime Report, by Milan Adams

There use to be some tacit understandings in American politics and economics that, while not perfect, made most people feel like the game was fair. Those days are gone. From Milan Adams at lewrockwell.com:

They declared war. They launched the first attack. Now, here is the loot. These are the numbers that prove you were robbed.

A heist has a scoreboard. After the robbery, you don’t argue about theories. You count what’s missing.

For fifty years, we’ve been told a story: that your struggle is a personal failure. That the economy is just “evolving.” That the system is broken.

The system is not broken. It was picked clean.

The following numbers are the evidence. This is the financial autopsy of the American Dream.

CRIME #1: THE GREAT WAGE THEFT

• The Promise (1947-1973): Historically, there existed a fundamental agreement between labor and capital, often referred to as the social contract, which dictated that for every 1% increase in the economic value generated by a worker (their productivity), their compensation would also rise by a corresponding 1%. This reciprocal relationship was widely perceived as equitable, ensuring that the benefits of increased efficiency and output were shared fairly between those who contributed their labor and those who provided the means of production. This arrangement fostered a sense of shared prosperity, where workers could reasonably expect their efforts to translate directly into an improved standard of living.
• The Heist (1973-Today): This pivotal agreement, which once promised a fair exchange between labor and reward, was systematically dismantled. The consequences have been stark and undeniable. Since 1973, the productivity of the American worker has soared, demonstrating an increase of over 65%. This remarkable surge in output, a testament to dedication and innovation, has not been met with a commensurate rise in compensation. In sharp contrast, the inflation-adjusted pay for these same workers has stagnated, growing by less than 10% over the same period. This widening chasm between productivity and pay reveals a fundamental shift in the economic landscape, where the gains of increased efficiency are no longer equitably shared, leading to a significant erosion of the American worker’s economic standing.

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