Since a global minimum wage is not only politically impossible, but economically ludicrous, maybe you’re being sarcastic. The cost of living varies so radically around the world that the very concept of a global standard wage is meaningless.

But still, you’re right that in a globalised world, local solutions won’t cut it.

A global solution that would make a difference is a global tax on wealth, as advocated by Thomas Piketty in “Capital in the 21st Century”. Such a tax would reverse the effects of several decades of conservative economic policies that tilted the playing field toward the accumulation of wealth in the top 0.1% at the expense of everybody else. There would be two prongs to the tax: A yearly tax on assets above a certain threshold; and reinstating the estate taxes that conservatives have so gleefully destroyed.

Yep, I blame conservative economic policies for the fix we’re in–the destruction of the middle class and the possibility of upward mobility, and the beginnings of a new aristocracy. Especially the latter: Eliminate or cut the estate tax, and you encourage formation of dynastic wealth, upon which aristocracy is founded. As for the former problems, you weaken the middle class when you attack unions, workplace regulation, fair wage laws, and product regulation. Nothing about our present problems should really come as a surprise–they’re the result of deliberate policy choices over the last four decades.

But you’ve got one thing right, anyway, Rob, the solution won’t come from any one country. America doesn’t have the leverage and credibility any more to drive global reform, either a global minimum wage or a global wealth tax. The solutions will have to come from somewhere else.

A truly open franchise may be only a little better than just governance by lottery, but it still beats governance by a self-appointed elite.

Not that there is anything wrong with elites. I feel I am a member of the elite. I believe I am better qualified to rule than the rabble. But I don’t have the arrogance to think that gives me the RIGHT to rule over them. There is a difference.

What does this mean practically? If Trump wins, in a fair election, then he deserves to lead. We don’t get to change the rules after the game is played.

Perhaps I need to keep something more firmly in mind: I *am* the rabble.

But its hard to negotiate good trade deals when American marketers lobby fiercely for trade relations that favor foreign manufacturers–because those Americans are selling those goods here. Our business community gave up on manufacturing and concentrated solely on marketing. Its almost as if American business decided that actually making stuff is for chumps, and only middlemen and financial weenies really count. Walmart gets rich off cheap Chinese products, and the selling, servicing and financing of foreign cars has made US-owned auto dealerships very rich. And of course, providing tax breaks for American companies that locate factories overseas is a very self-defeating way of “supporting American business”. And what good does it do for American companies to stash their cash overseas and not pay taxes on it? And yes, this has been just as much the fault of the Democrats as it has the Republicans. There ain’t much difference between them two when it comes to what really matters. We don’t notice because we’re too busy arguing about abortions and gay marriage. The stranglehold of American trade policy by big business has been very bi-partisan.

We may increase corporate profits by selling foreign goods here, or having our goods made overseas, but there are enormous hidden costs that are not factored into all the money we allegedly save by not paying Americans a living wage. The economic devastation of losing our middle class and crippling the upward mobility of the working class is not being paid for by those profiting from it. In fact, they just want more tax cuts, promising how the profits will trickle down. However, you have noticed that our corporate profits and stock prices continue to rise, right along with US worker productivity, as do executive compensation and bonuses. Our problems are only partially caused by the workers wanting too much. Maybe the bosses are raiding the cash register when nobody’s looking.

Yes, there are economic realities today that may be hard on our national wealth and income, but as long as these realities only cripple the bottom 99%, while the upper 1% gets richer and richer tells me not much will be done to change them.

We can’t wage economic war with Asia and Europe, nobody would win, but we are still the world’s biggest market, which gives us plenty of clout. Trump (and Bernie) are right about one thing. We CAN negotiate better deals. But these deals have to be hammered out by agencies and men chartered by and tasked to help the American worker, not a handful of big campaign contributors who profit by selling foreign goods and paying low salaries to Americans.

The one single thing that could be done to solve this problem, and many others, is campaign finance reform. Without that, no political ideology or economic philosophy will make any difference.

When a sizable portion of a country’s population sinks into ignorance and hatred, “one person, one vote” becomes a pair of hands wrapped around the nation’s throat.

Everything and everyone is going broke, but the Market is booming and corporate profits and top executive bonuses are going through the roof. All additional wealth created by the society is being concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, all at the top. The TPartiers and sTrumpets have to be be convinced the reason they don’t have good jobs and salaries any more, why their kids can’t afford college and their real estate has been foreclosed, is because of Obamacare, the Unions, and because the rich and the corporations are paying too much in taxes.

If they hadn’t had a Trump they would have had to create one. But it appears they have inadvertently created a monster, and he has slipped his leash.