Homer Simpson vs. The Economy

Discussion in 'Economics & Trade' started by wgabrie, Jun 5, 2022.

  1. wgabrie

    wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

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    https://www.npr.org/2022/06/02/1102751823/homer-simpson-vs-the-economy

    It looks like the American dream is gone. I don't understand why, but it is probably the politicians and voters who sold us out!

    It looks like the Ludites were right. We are getting replaced.
     
  2. Lil Mike

    Lil Mike Well-Known Member

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    I'm sure Nuclear Plant safety inspectors make a good income so I'm not sure what's the point of this article.
     
  3. wgabrie

    wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

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    The article says that in the time since the Simpsons appeared as a middle-class household in 1989, times have changed and the numbers indicate that that spot in the middle-class is no longer open and it is impossible to achieve.
     
  4. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Do you want to look at how immigration has led to overcrowding in many areas and increased housing prices?
    It's believed the Simpsons lived in central Illinois. Do you want to talk about how Trade Deals and foreign outsourcing has led to an economic blight in the Rust Belt region of the country?

    (If you look up on a map, Springfield is just outside the border of the Rust Belt. Both Decatur (42 minutes away) and St. Louis are considered constituting part of the Rust Belt, which has seen a decline in industry)

    Also let's talk about Credentialism. Homer was given his job even though he was not qualified for it. Today in the modern job market this would never happen. People have to have multiple college degrees and be overqualified if they even want a chance at being able to get an upper level job.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2022
  5. wgabrie

    wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

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    This is all good stuff and solving these problems would go a long way toward improving the situation.
     
  6. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The joke was that Homer never really deserved that job and Mr Burns was just being cheap because he could use Homer to fill that job without having to pay what it would cost for a qualified person. That combined with Mr Burns being a little bit senile, and putting profits above safety and following the laws.

    The point was that Homer had finally managed to "move up" in his career, which used to be common in the "American dream". You work for a large employer and eventually if you work there for a long time they will be likely to move you up.

    So that is something else to talk about. Today those sorts of promotions usually do no not happen and it is not something to take for granted.

    Maybe it was not realistic for Homer to be given the job of safety inspector specifically, but it was realistic for someone like Homer to expect a likely chance at promotion at some point. So this was an allegory for the "typical" middle class American Dream.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2022
  7. wgabrie

    wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

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    Oh, I didn't know. I never got into the Simpsons so I don't know the plot. I just brought this up because the Simpsons have been on for so long that the conditions of society have changed so much that its depictions of a middle-class family is impossible to achieve now.

    But if we can find out the problem issues in our society that nobody is paying attention to, and then elect the right people to office maybe they can explore these areas that are a problem to our society.
     
  8. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I agree. The first episode of the Simpsons was in 1989, and a lot of the premise of the story was probably based on how life was in the 1980s and 90s. The creators of the show also lived in Portland, Oregon, which probably had a part in shaping their perceptions of what "the average American small town" was like.

    If you watch the show, the Simpsons family did struggle with some financial troubles during the early years and were just scraping by. There were signs their house was falling apart and not in the best condition. They really should have replaced their old beat up car but could never afford to. Several episodes emphasized that money was tight, and used that to comedic effect. The wife, Marge, shopped at discount stores and found a designer dress and then tried to integrate into social life at a country club. Or Homer tried to steal groundskeeper Willie's "retirement grease".
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2022
  9. Moonglow

    Moonglow Well-Known Member

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    That's a defeatist ideology.
     
  10. Moonglow

    Moonglow Well-Known Member

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    Created by cartoonist Matt Groening, The Simpsons began in 1987 as a cartoon short on the Tracey Ullman Show, a variety program on the Fox Broadcasting
     
  11. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Only saying that since Biden's in the White House and Democrats are in control of government now, aren't we?

    Funny how that is. We are told how wonderful everything is when there's a Democrat in the White House, but as soon as it's a Republican the news focuses on poverty and the disappearing middle class.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2022
  12. Moonglow

    Moonglow Well-Known Member

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    I didn't need a president to earn lots of dough over the last forty years.
     
  13. Independent4ever

    Independent4ever Well-Known Member

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    On a related note, poor little Maggie is in the hospital due to malnutrition from Brandon's baby formula shortage
     
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  14. submarinepainter

    submarinepainter Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    the government pays well like 40 an hour right now
     
  15. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Is the safety inspector hired by the government? In The Simpsons, Homer worked for the owner of the power plant, Mr Burns.
     
  16. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Politicians sold us out to the corporations while we kept voting for them. So ya, you're right. We can look back to the Obama admin openning up the real estate market to capital investment firms and now Vanguard and Blackstone are buying all the homes to turn into rentals. But before that it was Bush bailing them out. Before that Clinton's trade agreements taking our industry overseas... and on and on all the way back to 1913 when we sold the sovereignty over our currency to the robber barons and our taxes went from funding the essential functions of our govt to further empowering the elite.

    The middle class is the cornerstone of a (classical) liberal society. Once its gone (the elite think) we can shuffled back into feudalism. And they might be right... most folks dont seem to have the will to actually fight tor their liberty anymore, as if servitude will somehow be easier.
     
  17. cristiansoldier

    cristiansoldier Well-Known Member

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    According to most Simpson's fans online Homer was earning about 25K back in 1996. Mr. Burns was definitely low balling him even back then. I think most Nuclear safety inspectors would be well over 100K today.
     
  18. Lil Mike

    Lil Mike Well-Known Member

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    I actually knew a nuclear plant safety inspector back in the day.

    He was well compensated.
     
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  19. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

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  20. submarinepainter

    submarinepainter Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    OSHA a federal agency operated the safety inspections on the plants I have worked
     
  21. cristiansoldier

    cristiansoldier Well-Known Member

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    Are you saying Homer was well compensated or the safety inspector you knew was well compensated?
     
  22. Lil Mike

    Lil Mike Well-Known Member

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    I was referring to the guy I knew but Homer is probably well compensated, particularly considering his education and training.
     
  23. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    There are multiple indications in The Simpsons that Homer probably was being paid less than what typical people in that job are paid.
    Mr Burns was extremely penny pinching and was trying to squeeze as much as he could out of his workers for as little money as possible.
    It is clear Homer is not really qualified for his job. The fact that Mr Burns hired him is due to a combination of elderly senility, disregard for the wellbeing of other people and safety, greed and extreme penny pinching stinginess that led to cutting corners, and putting on the appearance of the necessary government regulatory requirements being fulfilled.
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2022
  24. WhoDatPhan78

    WhoDatPhan78 Banned

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    Homer was overpaid for the level of his work no matter how little it was.
     
  25. (original)late

    (original)late Banned

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    Sure, if you go back to the 1800s.

    Seriously, that is comedy gold.

    If you want the real reason, it's income inequality, read Stiglitz's Price of Inequality.
     

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