WTF Happened in 1971? (2019)

Post by Fazel94 » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 6:26 PM UTC

throwaway-8c93 wrote: post #328

raiflip wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A fairly simple explanation that for some reason I don't see a lot of is the drop in union membership density around this time period. Such a drop would decrease bargaining power and therefore decrease the rate of wage increase

After having witnessed dramatic declines in union membership in new European Union members, and continuing downward trend in Scandinavian countries, I feel like the drop in membership is the consequence of unions becoming powerless, not a cause. If even the large unions cannot mount any effective pressure for increasing compensation, shrug at layoffs, and are fatalistic about outsourcing, what's the point of being a…

Post by Fazel94 » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 6:48 PM UTC

spurgu wrote: post #300

Ericson2314 wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't buy this because we could have easily kept on building nuclear power plants. There was temporarily an energy shock, but the long-term issue is insufficient demand not (energy) supply.

Most of the machines that run the world don't run on electricity, but oil. An easy to build open-source pocket sized fusion reactor would be nice.

Post by Fazel94 » Thu, Nov 26, 2020, 7:34 PM UTC

jandrese wrote: post #236

hosh wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd add that in 1970, the intermodal shipping container became an ISO standard. Containerization has been developing since 1956, and along with minicomputers, would have an impact on world trade and manufacturing for decades to come.

IMHO this could be larger than most people would think. This made it affordable to export labor overseas, starting the power imbalance between employers and employees. I'll bet if you look this is the start of die off of Unions. Now there is an alternative to employees who start demanding living wages and benefits, you can build your factory in another country where labor has few rights. The only unions you would exp…

Post by jraedisch » Thu, Dec 03, 2020, 12:44 PM UTC

bpt3 wrote: post #444

jraedisch wrote: post #440

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bitcoin is being actively developed. Maybe you would have good ideas on how to improve the things you critizise if you allowed yourself to think about them.

Thanks for the ad hominem attack, it's validation for the fundamental issues I raised. Bitcoin is a massive waste of the natural resources used to create and maintain the blockchain entries, nothing more, and probably won't ever be anything else. A properly designed cryptocurrency could be useful, but it won't look anything like bitcoin.