Will the market continue upward trend?

[Fishindude77]

That would be tolerable. It would be even greater if we saw a period of growth, and rising standard of living for everyone. .

Raising the standard of living for everyone is a fallacy.
The only way you can raise the standard of living for many would require taking from others via taxation or other means, so you have to lower the standard of living for one to raise the standard of living for another.
You also have to realize that there are a great many that are perfectly content living in poverty. The homeless are a good example, many are aware that public shelters are available but refuse to live in them.

Continued low unemployment with plenty of job availability for anyone that wants it will provide opportunity for those that want to raise their standard of living.

[disneysteve]

Raising the standard of living for everyone is a fallacy.
The only way you can raise the standard of living for many would require taking from others via taxation or other means, so you have to lower the standard of living for one to raise the standard of living for another.

This is false. We're not talking about a pie. One person getting a bigger slice doesn't mean another person has to get a smaller slice.

The standard of living for even the poorest Americans today is phenomenally better than it was 100 years ago and there's absolutely no reason it can't continue to improve if we as a society decide together to work toward that goal.

Also, you can't tell me you honestly believe that if a billionaire has to pay a little more in taxes it's going to cause them to have to lower their standard of living. That's inane.

[ua_guy]

Raising the standard of living for everyone is a fallacy.
The only way you can raise the standard of living for many would require taking from others via taxation or other means, so you have to lower the standard of living for one to raise the standard of living for another.
You also have to realize that there are a great many that are perfectly content living in poverty. The homeless are a good example, many are aware that public shelters are available but refuse to live in them.

Continued low unemployment with plenty of job availability for anyone that wants it will provide opportunity for those that want to raise their standard of living.

I agree, tariffs are a way to tax the poor and channel wealth to the rich, and combined with the proposed spending bill would equate to a mass redistribution of wealth. Not good!

[Fishindude77]

The standard of living for even the poorest Americans today is phenomenally better than it was 100 years ago and there's absolutely no reason it can't continue to improve if we as a society decide together to work toward that goal.

Also, you can't tell me you honestly believe that if a billionaire has to pay a little more in taxes it's going to cause them to have to lower their standard of living. That's inane.

I guess you could say that living in a tent on the streets of San Francisco is better that sod huts on the prairie but they are/were both pretty crummy situations.
The point I was trying to make is that you can't help those that don't want help no matter what programs or policies go into place.

Regarding the taxation issue, where do you draw the line?
I'd rather see government reduced substantially in size and less taxes for all, including billionaires. For every dollar you give the government in taxes, you're lucky if a nickel of it ever trickles down to an effective program of any type. The majority gets sucked up in waste and salaries.
Uncle Sam is a poor steward of our money.

If you truly want to improve lives, you have opportunity every day to do that with your own actions, time and money. Too many want to do it with dollars from the guy that has a bit more than them.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I guess you could say that living in a tent on the streets of San Francisco is better that sod huts on the prairie but they are/were both pretty crummy situations.
The point I was trying to make is that you can't help those that don't want help no matter what programs or policies go into place.

Regarding the taxation issue, where do you draw the line?
I'd rather see government reduced substantially in size and less taxes for all, including billionaires. For every dollar you give the government in taxes, you're lucky if a nickel of it ever trickles down to an effective program of any type. The majority gets sucked up in waste and salaries.
Uncle Sam is a poor steward of our money.

If you truly want to improve lives, you have opportunity every day to do that with your own actions, time and money. Too many want to do it with dollars from the guy that has a bit more than them.

I am still all about taxing more for helping more. But it certainly doesn't seem like we are helping more.