AS DEFICIT EXPLODES, GOP DEMANDS EMERGENCY TAX CUT FOR THE RICH

[lpetrich]

Microsoft, "Software for Microcomputers", started out by making software-development tools, and it still is in that business.

By the late 1970's, early desktop computers had become a big business, and IBM wanted to get into it. But IBM's internal development processes were very cumbersome, so that the IBM PC ("Personal Computer") team decided to work quickly by getting almost all the parts from outside. One of them was the OS. Bill Gates had a corporate lawyer as his father, so he decided on an ingenious trick. After himself buying a suitable OS from outside, he sold the rights to "PC-DOS" to IBM, while retaining the rights to "MS-DOS", the same thing under a different name.

So the original IBM PC had MS's PC-DOS, an OS not even written by anyone at MS.

Some people attempted to cash in on the boom in desktop computers by ripping off existing designs. Franklin Computer's Apple-II imitation was close enough for Apple's lawyers to discover an Apple copyright statement, and Franklin Computer sank without a trace. For the IBM PC and its successors, the PC-XT and PC-AT, the only barrier was the BIOS, the boot ROM. When the cloners created lawyer-proof imitations of them, the PC clone business got started, complete with "MS-DOS" instead of "PC-DOS" as the OS. This made the PC architecture a sort of shared design, as opposed to each maker's proprietary ones. Even IBM had wanted a proprietary one, but it did so in a fashion that made it easy to imitate.

All the makers of proprietary desktop systems fell over the 1980's and early 1990's, with one exception, Apple, and Apple barely survived the early 1990's.

During this time, MS fended off competition on the PC platform with preload cliff pricing and with misleading error messages when running Windows 3.x on top of DR-DOS. Preload cliff pricing? Charging much more for 99.99% instead of for 100% of preloads. In the end, its only halfway-successful competition there is Linux, and Linux is essentially given away.

So Bill Gates is not the super genius inventor that Half-Life seems to believe that he is.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

3% of GDP for defense seems close enough I wouldn't question it. However, he gave two numbers, I'm having a hard time finding 10% even in the federal budget, let alone GDP.

He is probably combining all the programs under social security and all the programs under healthcare as a percentage of GDP.

Yeah, that sounds like it's in the ballpark, but most of that isn't for the poor.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

It's supposed to be a motivator. I'm sure there's some people in the world who are perfectly happy working at McDonald's and whistle while they work there. They understand they have no skills and they have come to terms with it. They are making the best of their life. The ones who complain about those jobs are the ones who realize they wasted their potential and could've done something better. When I was growing up my parents always used to ask me, "You don't want to end up like that guy, right?" when we would go out to eat at a fast food place. I would say, "No way!"

The people in those jobs have very little skills. They should not be rewarded with more money for that. People are exactly where they belong in the world.

ah.. that explains it. it was your parents that were complete pieces of shit that taught you to be this way. makes sense.

I am quoting myself to comment that I have never received so many "likes" on one single post ever before. HL - the community has spoken.. there are some corrections to your way of thinking in order... if possible... good luck.

And since so many people were interested in this, I will comment further... These jobs are meant to be stepping stones... EVERYONE has NO SKILL at some point in their lives... up until they start getting a formal education (learning how to learn - that's what school is for) or informal education (apprenticeship / family business / on the job training). I know the Director of Security Operations in a 5 billion dollar software company. He started in McDonalds on the frier.. went to their manager training program.. and now (15 years later) makes well into the 6 figures for a huge software company. And that is exactly how it is supposed to happen.
You are not supposed to make a living wage for an entire family by dumping frozen potatoes into a vat of oil... maybe pay for your way through school, living with roommates sharing the costs... getting loans.. investing in yourself... but no staying skilless... that is a whole other type of poverty... poverty of mind.

Another way of thinking of it: Minimum wage jobs are a form of education, not a career.

 

[Gun Nut]

I am quoting myself to comment that I have never received so many "likes" on one single post ever before. HL - the community has spoken.. there are some corrections to your way of thinking in order... if possible... good luck.

And since so many people were interested in this, I will comment further... These jobs are meant to be stepping stones... EVERYONE has NO SKILL at some point in their lives... up until they start getting a formal education (learning how to learn - that's what school is for) or informal education (apprenticeship / family business / on the job training). I know the Director of Security Operations in a 5 billion dollar software company. He started in McDonalds on the frier.. went to their manager training program.. and now (15 years later) makes well into the 6 figures for a huge software company. And that is exactly how it is supposed to happen.
You are not supposed to make a living wage for an entire family by dumping frozen potatoes into a vat of oil... maybe pay for your way through school, living with roommates sharing the costs... getting loans.. investing in yourself... but no staying skilless... that is a whole other type of poverty... poverty of mind.

Another way of thinking of it: Minimum wage jobs are a form of education, not a career.

yes. I called it a "stepping stone"... like how school teaches you HOW to learn... these jobs teach you HOW to keep a job and start managing expenses... intro to adult life 101... not actual adult life... intro.

 

[DBT]

Very convenient for the business to classify their positions as 'stepping stones" and 'learning opportunities' so that they are able to pay sweet fuck all for getting their work done and turning a nice profit at the expense of the 'student' learning life skills.

But they don't do that, they just pay sweet fuck all because of the power dynamic between the employer and applicant.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Very convenient for the business to classify their positions as 'stepping stones" and 'learning opportunities' so that they are able to pay sweet fuck all for getting their work done and turning a nice profit at the expense of the 'student' learning life skills.

But they don't do that, they just pay sweet fuck all because of the power dynamic between the employer and applicant.

Most of the places that hire minimum wage workers aren't making that much profit in the first place.

 

[DBT]

Very convenient for the business to classify their positions as 'stepping stones" and 'learning opportunities' so that they are able to pay sweet fuck all for getting their work done and turning a nice profit at the expense of the 'student' learning life skills.

But they don't do that, they just pay sweet fuck all because of the power dynamic between the employer and applicant.

Most of the places that hire minimum wage workers aren't making that much profit in the first place.

Who do you refer to? Examples please.

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump weighing taxpayer aid for fossil fuel companies after billionaires call White House in panic

As the spread of coronavirus and the brewing economic war between Saudi Arabia and Russia sends the stock market into turmoil, America’s wealthiest business owners are already flocking to the White House to sound the alarm.

Oil prices saw their sharpest drop in almost 30 years yesterday, causing panic in the boardrooms of shale and other fossil fuel companies. The Washington Post reports that the White House has been barraged with calls from “concerned energy sector allies” warning that the instability could put them out of business and floating the idea of extending low-interest loans to keep them afloat.

 

[Harry Bosch]

Very convenient for the business to classify their positions as 'stepping stones" and 'learning opportunities' so that they are able to pay sweet fuck all for getting their work done and turning a nice profit at the expense of the 'student' learning life skills.

But they don't do that, they just pay sweet fuck all because of the power dynamic between the employer and applicant.

Most of the places that hire minimum wage workers aren't making that much profit in the first place.

Who do you refer to? Examples please.

Retail and restaurants are good examples. It's a very very rare retail or restaurant business that generates much profit.

 

[DBT]

Who do you refer to? Examples please.

Retail and restaurants are good examples. It's a very very rare retail or restaurant business that generates much profit.

I'd need to see the figures.

 

[skepticalbip]

Who do you refer to? Examples please.

Retail and restaurants are good examples. It's a very very rare retail or restaurant business that generates much profit.

Right. As I understand, opening a restaurant is a really risky and costly venture... over 60% fail and average profit margins are on the order of 3% to 5% for those that don't fail. Failure rate for franchised fast food restaurants are much lower but the franchise cost is high.

 

[DBT]

Perhaps oversupply....too many trying to get into the market?

 

[Harry Bosch]

Perhaps oversupply....too many trying to get into the market?

Yes. There are very few barriers to entry for retail and restaurants. No IP protection. If someone tries to raise his prices, the competitor across the street will offer lower price to steal away his customers.

 

[KeepTalking]

Who do you refer to? Examples please.

Retail and restaurants are good examples. It's a very very rare retail or restaurant business that generates much profit.

I'd need to see the figures.

Here's some figures that seem pretty relevant, but Harry, Loren, and the others on the "pay them shit wages" side of the argument won't be referencing this any time soon:

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/MCD/mcdonalds/gross-profit

McDonald's annual/quarterly gross profit history and growth rate from 2006 to 2019. Gross profit can be defined as the profit a company makes after deducting the variable costs directly associated with making and selling its products or providing its services.
McDonald's gross profit for the quarter ending December 31, 2019 was $2.846B, a 5.54% increase year-over-year.
McDonald's gross profit for the twelve months ending December 31, 2019 was $11.115B, a 3.05% increase year-over-year.
McDonald's annual gross profit for 2019 was $11.115B, a 3.05% increase from 2018.
McDonald's annual gross profit for 2018 was $10.786B, a 1.56% increase from 2017.
McDonald's annual gross profit for 2017 was $10.621B, a 4.08% increase from 2016.

Yeah, they are barely getting by.

 

[Harry Bosch]

I'd need to see the figures.

Here's some figures that seem pretty relevant, but Harry, Loren, and the others on the "pay them shit wages" side of the argument won't be referencing this any time soon:

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/MCD/mcdonalds/gross-profit

McDonald's annual/quarterly gross profit history and growth rate from 2006 to 2019. Gross profit can be defined as the profit a company makes after deducting the variable costs directly associated with making and selling its products or providing its services.
McDonald's gross profit for the quarter ending December 31, 2019 was $2.846B, a 5.54% increase year-over-year.
McDonald's gross profit for the twelve months ending December 31, 2019 was $11.115B, a 3.05% increase year-over-year.
McDonald's annual gross profit for 2019 was $11.115B, a 3.05% increase from 2018.
McDonald's annual gross profit for 2018 was $10.786B, a 1.56% increase from 2017.
McDonald's annual gross profit for 2017 was $10.621B, a 4.08% increase from 2016.

Yeah, they are barely getting by.

Why the personal attack? McDonald's is a very unique restaurant chain that offers substantial built in advantages to it's member owners (name recognition, consistency, and etc.). They can command higher margins.

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/average-profit-margin-restaurant-13477.html

According to the SBA, the average gross margin is about 6.1%. But gross margin is just a measure of a business covering it's variable expenses. Businesses must still cover overhead (rent, insurance, franchise, maintenance, banking, and etc.)

 

[Canard DuJour]

Perhaps oversupply....too many trying to get into the market?

AKA deficient demand, AKA chronic wage stagnation.

 

[KeepTalking]

Here's some figures that seem pretty relevant, but Harry, Loren, and the others on the "pay them shit wages" side of the argument won't be referencing this any time soon:

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/MCD/mcdonalds/gross-profit



Yeah, they are barely getting by.

Why the personal attack?

If you feel that clearly summarizing your position is a personal attack, then perhaps you should rethink that position.

McDonald's is a very unique restaurant chain that offers substantial built in advantages to it's member owners (name recognition, consistency, and etc.). They can command higher margins.

Then they can pay their employees higher wages. They are not that unique when you compare them to other fast food franchises like Burger King, Wendy's, and Subway, rather than comparing them to restaurants in the small business sector.

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/average-profit-margin-restaurant-13477.html

According to the SBA, the average gross margin is about 6.1%. But gross margin is just a measure of a business covering it's variable expenses. Businesses must still cover overhead (rent, insurance, franchise, maintenance, banking, and etc.)

It's awesome how one can compare apples to oranges and come up with differences like this, isn't it?

The big difference between fast food chains and small business restaurants is tipped wages. When was the last time you tipped at McDonald's? How about your local diner?

The employees working at those small businesses that have small margins are taking home more money than the employees at the massive fast food chains that are raking in billions in gross profits.

 

[Harry Bosch]

If you feel that clearly summarizing your position is a personal attack, then perhaps you should rethink that position.

McDonald's is a very unique restaurant chain that offers substantial built in advantages to it's member owners (name recognition, consistency, and etc.). They can command higher margins.

Then they can pay their employees higher wages. They are not that unique when you compare them to other fast food franchises like Burger King, Wendy's, and Subway, rather than comparing them to restaurants in the small business sector.

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/average-profit-margin-restaurant-13477.html

According to the SBA, the average gross margin is about 6.1%. But gross margin is just a measure of a business covering it's variable expenses. Businesses must still cover overhead (rent, insurance, franchise, maintenance, banking, and etc.)

It's awesome how one can compare apples to oranges and come up with differences like this, isn't it?

The big difference between fast food chains and small business restaurants is tipped wages. When was the last time you tipped at McDonald's? How about your local diner?

The employees working at those small businesses that have small margins are taking home more money than the employees at the massive fast food chains that are raking in billions in gross profits.

Please show me a link showing that I favor paying employees "shit wages" or that I claimed that fast food restaurants have the same margin as non chain restaurants.

 

[rousseau]

These wage vs profit arguments end up mostly circular, imo. They never seem to get into the crux of the argument, which is - why should a business pay more when they're able to find a reasonable amount of employees to agree to the conditions of employment.

That might sound like a simple and obvious question, but when you get into it it's extremely complex, and really at the heart of the issue. My answer would be that a minimum wage should go up when it's empirically too low for the strength of businesses it provides. The question then is how do we know when it's too low.

 

[KeepTalking]

If you feel that clearly summarizing your position is a personal attack, then perhaps you should rethink that position.



Then they can pay their employees higher wages. They are not that unique when you compare them to other fast food franchises like Burger King, Wendy's, and Subway, rather than comparing them to restaurants in the small business sector.



It's awesome how one can compare apples to oranges and come up with differences like this, isn't it?

The big difference between fast food chains and small business restaurants is tipped wages. When was the last time you tipped at McDonald's? How about your local diner?

The employees working at those small businesses that have small margins are taking home more money than the employees at the massive fast food chains that are raking in billions in gross profits.

Please show me a link showing that I favor paying employees "shit wages"

You jumped in to defend Loren, who definitely favors shit wages for unskilled labor, so I'm sorry if you got lumped in and you actually support a minimum wage that is a living wage.

So, now I have to ask, what is your actual position on the minimum wage?

or that I claimed that fast food restaurants have the same margin as non chain restaurants.

Here is where I point out that I never said that you did. In fact, I said just the opposite, that you were comparing apples (fast food restaurant chains with huge margins) to oranges (restaurants in the small business sector).