Leisher wrote: but there's one aspect the consumers cannot control and that's companies doing everything, all the time to boost their bottom line for short term gains to drive the stock up and get their executives massive bonuses.
Well, it's not for consumers to control. Technically, the shareholders should be controlling it through the board, as they should be more concerned about long term growth and sustainability, but managers often are not.
Agency problem
Gundlach may not be wrong. Any rise in long term interest rates will be an issue, but we have an economy that's basically married to low rates (2% inflation target, lots of long term debt, government debt, etc).
Leisher wrote: I won't pretend I have a clue in how to eliminate that issue, but I do believe doing so would more than likely be a boon for the U.S. economy, specifically the consumers' spending power. Without the need to squeeze every penny of profit, R&D would have more investment, there would be more jobs, benefits would be better, etc. More people employed means more people spending money. I would wager it'd also lower the crime rate.
I'm generally of the mindset that capitalism should be concerned with making profits efficiently. And that the government should enforce whatever social policy people want via taxes, wealth redistribution, regulation, etc. For instance, we could accomplish at least some of what you say with a higher minimum wage. Government investment has produced a lot of innovation (I cannot say how efficiently, etc), but it's an option.
It's not me, it's someone else.