Re: Trump and the damage done - Joe Stiglitz

Re:  Trump and the damage done - Joe Stiglitz
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/08/04/trump-and-damage-done/u8Lqa64AoCEqw3znmINJ3K/story.html

" ... a full-time male worker is lower than 40 years ago, the hourly wage at the bottom comparable to levels 60 years ago. "
" Trump has exploited this great divide ... "
" ... that he has received the nomination of one the two major parties, the Grand Old Party — puts all countries on notice: Next time, someone as or more extreme may be elected, someone even less committed (if that is possible) to honor old agreements. "

No such extreme could plausibly exist if we move America's labor market back to normally high union density.

To me labor Nirvana would be getting most low skilled jobs into the area of $800/wk -- $600/wk minimum (maybe for high labor cost businesses like fast food; maybe). My guess is that would take something like 12 1/2% shift in income from the top 55% who now take 90% of income (or from the top 54% who now take 70%) to the bottom 45% ($15/hr being today's 45 percentile wage).

Four labor union empowered 10% bonuses to get the 12 1/2% back for the 55% -- and everybody else:

10% saved on market rip-offs like medical (drug and device monopolies), education (for profit colleges), real estate skyrocketing (self-destructive zoning, no realistic rent control like Germany's, et al.) -- others can produce a much more comprehensive list than I can.
10% of overall income gouged back from the 1% who now take 20% (historically it was only 10%, which was thought to make very rich) via confiscatory taxation -- think Eisenhower level.
10% more productive economy by cutting today's finance share of the economy from a bloated 20% (where too many of our best young minds go to gamble) back to a genuinely useful 10%.
Another 10% potential savings in a pervasively union managed and monitored economy:  Sick: The biggest increase in healthcare costs in 32 years  
http://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-rising-healthcare-costs-20160920-snap-story.html
" ... $3 trillion annually on healthcare. That represents about 17% of total economic activity. The average for all nations within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is 9%. [...]  Family premiums have increased 20% over the last five years, which is a lot but a darn sight better than the 31% hike over the previous five years, and a huge improvement over the staggering 63% growth in the five years before that."