It's official: Real middle class income dropped 7% - 2000-2010. Lowest since 1996...

[Craig234]

I worked my way up from the bottom too. It took alot of hard work and a strong work ethic to get where I am now but I really don't think this has anything to do with the middle class being ground into nonexistence.

That's the point so many on the right and 'center' miss.

It's 'blame the worker', no matter the wrongs by others.

If the rich get laws passed crippling unions, blame the worker.

If the rich corrupt democracy and get laws passed favoring them, from tax breaks to 'free trade' deals with clauses cheapening labor, blame the worker.

If the CEO's corrupt the compensation system to skyrocket their income, being parasites, blame the worker.

If Wall Street corrupts the economy, another parasite, and causes poverty for others, blame the worker.

That's all these people can say. "Look at them! They shouldn't drink or smoke! They are rich, they have a tv and refrigerator!" Blame the worker.

They are ignorant of how broad prosperity works in a society. They champion policies leading to oligarchy, plutocracy, out of that ignorance.

Sadly, it's working. The political whores who serve the interests of the rich against society - they know where the money is - are good at 'winning battles' to spread bad ideology, at getting sellouts elected who are happy to serve the rich while being con men to sucker the rest of voters. It's really an argument against democracy being workable with this concentrated wealth to manipulate public opinion.

The norm of human history is made up of concentrated power and wealth, with most peasants serving the few. Democracy is failing to change that more and more.

The US has had it good - but now the people of the US are the targets just as others have been, and they're not winning this war.

And the war gets far, far harder to win the more things shift favoring the other side.

Our nation's history has plenty of mass misery - things we had 'progressed' past for much of the country, but are now returning to more and more.

There's a lot of 'first time evers', not increasing wealth for most Americans (at the same time the rich are 'having their best increases ever'), record debt, etc.

This is the 'new normal' the rich want, not this FDR-era middle class prosperity they want to roll back.

There is a class war, only the rich are fighting it, and winning.

 

[mchammer187]

*golf clap*

I still think you're lying but I'm starting to get bored with it and not give a shit.

*golf clap* (again).

No by his twisted logic everyday you don't lie in bed for a straight 24 hours is a "work day" apparently.

Doing stuff that needs to be done is just life for everyone else.

 

[dmcowen674]

I see lots of excuses in here.

Since I went from nothing to upper middle class I'll tell you how it can be done.

I'm hundreds of thousands of dollars more wealthy than them now.

You'll notice that I didn't mention education. I personally think it's important but it's not necessary to create wealth. I know a lot of people who are wealthy and didn't finish college. Most did go though and then dropped out to work. It definitely helps though if you don't have contacts.

Speaking of excuses:

So do you have "hundreds of thousands of dollars" 100% due to working hard or did you have "contacts" that helped?

 

[dmcowen674]

That's the point so many on the right and 'center' miss.

It's 'blame the worker', no matter the wrongs by others.

If the rich get laws passed crippling unions, blame the worker.

If the rich corrupt democracy and get laws passed favoring them, from tax breaks to 'free trade' deals with clauses cheapening labor, blame the worker.

If the CEO's corrupt the compensation system to skyrocket their income, being parasites, blame the worker.

If Wall Street corrupts the economy, another parasite, and causes poverty for others, blame the worker.

That's all these people can say. "Look at them! They shouldn't drink or smoke! They are rich, they have a tv and refrigerator!" Blame the worker.

They are ignorant of how broad prosperity works in a society. They champion policies leading to oligarchy, plutocracy, out of that ignorance.

Sadly, it's working. The political whores who serve the interests of the rich against society - they know where the money is - are good at 'winning battles' to spread bad ideology, at getting sellouts elected who are happy to serve the rich while being con men to sucker the rest of voters. It's really an argument against democracy being workable with this concentrated wealth to manipulate public opinion.

The norm of human history is made up of concentrated power and wealth, with most peasants serving the few. Democracy is failing to change that more and more.

The US has had it good - but now the people of the US are the targets just as others have been, and they're not winning this war.

And the war gets far, far harder to win the more things shift favoring the other side.

Our nation's history has plenty of mass misery - things we had 'progressed' past for much of the country, but are now returning to more and more.

There's a lot of 'first time evers', not increasing wealth for most Americans (at the same time the rich are 'having their best increases ever'), record debt, etc.

This is the 'new normal' the rich want, not this FDR-era middle class prosperity they want to roll back.

There is a class war, only the rich are fighting it, and winning.

Hang on there.

Notice things have gone up a notch.

Enough ordinary Americans are being negatively affected as I said more than 10 years ago that they are starting to rise up against the rich America haters.

Everything is about numbers.

The tide is turning, the lowly will prevail.

 

[randomrogue]

I'm not even going to address you since I really think you're just a twat. Your failures in life are definitely your own fault. Personality really does matter.

 

[werepossum]

There was a mass email going around urging us to stand up and ask for an amendment to the constitution. Kinda appropriate for here although I didn't read the whole thing. Let me find it.

I really, really like this. A lot.

 

[Engineer]

No by his twisted logic everyday you don't lie in bed for a straight 24 hours is a "work day" apparently.

Doing stuff that needs to be done is just life for everyone else.

I thought about that on the way home today but decided to give it a rest. But since you brought it up....I guess welfare moms who get out of bed and take care of their kids are "technically" working by his definiton! :ninja:

 

[momeNt]

I thought about that on the way home today but decided to give it a rest. But since you brought it up....I guess welfare moms who get out of bed and take care of their kids are "technically" working by his definiton! :ninja:

Lol, except they get paid whether or not they actively raise their kids. So it's closer to them bringing work with them on paid vacation

 

[Engineer]

Lol, except they get paid whether or not they actively raise their kids. So it's closer to them bringing work with them on paid vacation

Heh.

Right now I'm working changing a battery in my car. Doesn't matter that I'm not getting paid...but I'm working away at it.

 

[Jhhnn]

Righties always fall back on the same old saw about how to do well, individually, *within the system*, even when we're experiencing systemic problems. It's not the people, it's the system. If it were the other way, then U3 and U6 wouldn't have jumped through the roof and stayed there- they'd have been there all along. It can be no other way.

Upper crust incomes wouldn't have leapt through the sky, either, as middle class incomes stagnated and/or declined. There is no infinite pie. The frontier closed over 100 years ago. Without reasonable constraints, capitalism is not benevolent, at all. That should be as evident today as it was in 1930, right after the last major collapse of financialized capitalism. Apparently it's not, given the level of denial among so-called conservatives about what has happened and continues to happen.

The bank bailout worked in more ways than one. Not only did it save the banks, it allows people to maintain their illusions and their state of denial. Instead of a major shock and an epiphany, we're back to being boiled slowly like frogs in a pot over a low fire.