Middle Class suffering?

[sgrizzle]

Here's a libertarian take on it:
http://reason.tv/video/show/61.html

[TheArtist]

The problem with Tulsa is we have so many poor and working class people. And then they consider themselves middle class when they are not and compare what they have to the "ideal" middle class. However, I also agree that even the poor and working class people of today can live far better than those 50 years ago. Everything you need is cheaper relative to how much work you would have to do to get those needs.

I remember in high school, 1980s lol, and a teacher showing us how much better even the average person today lives than the royalty of Europe used to. Food is better, we can get fresh fruits and vegitables and all kinds of fancy unheard of desserts any time of the year or season. I can push a button and have a symphony play for me at any time, or any other type of music. The Queen of England had I think 8 children die before they were toddlers. A scratch or infection could kill you. I can flip a switch and have more light than an expensive chandelier with expensive candles or lamp oil. You can be cool in the summers, have cold food and ice. Keep warm in the winters. My eyes are so bad I would likely have been a beggar on the streets but can now easily afford glasses or contacts.  Can easily travel to another city, heck, state or even country, quickly and in comfort. Have all of my teeth lol, have never even had a cavity. I can afford books, only the wealthy could. On this computer I can access most of the information in all the great libraries on earth, instantly.  I have more than 2 outfits, even the middle class person in the early 1900s often only had a few outfits and at best 2 pair of shoes. I have pics of some of my early relatives who moved to Oklahoma in the early 1900s. My dad commented that they must have been well to do. I said how can you tell. He said look at the number of buttons on their coats. Even buttons were a sign of wealth and status.

[waterboy]

the key is in the first sentence. "Middle class...whatever that is..." . Whether you guage it by income, assets, education and family heritage or combinations of all of those criteria. And the definition is contemporary. Who cares what middle class was in 1890? Or 1950? Other than to measure its population in proportion to the general population at that time...and then compare it with todays numbers. Even then, so what? Is it a measure of our economic wealth? Not if its credit based. It only counts as a measure of status to whoever cares about status.

The distinctions are important as income and assets fluctuate throughout life whereas education and heritage do not. I am not in the middle class currently by income standards, though I consider myself so, being college educated and owning my own home. PROUDLY MIDDLE CLASS! EAT THE RICH!!

[TheArtist]

Though I am not going to do any dredging online to come up with a suitable "middle class" definition at this time. I do feel that there are some characteristics that are unique to the middle class that makes having them and being able to get a grip on the relative number of them, important.

It was the birth of the middle class that enabled our modern society to form. Used to be it was pretty much the landed aristocracy and the poor. Then with the advent of those uppity wannabe's, the world began to really change. Property right laws, the desire for a voice in public affairs, free time to be politically and socially active. With a healthy amount of free time to simply think and not worry about the basic food and shelter issues came the ability to make a difference, you could be concerned about the environment, safety of toys and products, water, your health and how industry affected that, political matters, etc. The middle class generally marry later, have children later and less children. Culture changes.

Thats what I am finding interesting about China and its growth of a middle class. How will that new group of people effect how that country is run, who has the power, can factories and factory bosses get away with as much as they have been, pollution, the environment, protecting endangered species, their own problems with contaminated toys, food, etc.?

Having a strong middle class enables the creation of, or the keeping of, a very different society than one that does not.

I wonder what a society would come to look like if it settled into a large wealthy class, tiny middle class and large number of poor? The hourglass shape. Used to be you couldn't really imagine such a scenario, but today...

Although, come to think of it. "Metropolis", Dubai?

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist
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I wonder what a society would come to look like if it settled into a large wealthy class, tiny middle class and large number of poor? The hourglass shape.

Look no further than America in the 1890's to 1920's. The industrial revolution created a small middle class but intensified the concentration of wealth in the upper classes while immigration fueled the factories and swelled the lower classes. Starting to sound familiar? It is a period of time that some writers assert the Republican party has been steering us back towards. The "gilded age" was a time of unrestrained business interests and enormous exploitation of human and natural resources. All with no income taxes! Ron Paul would love that period.

The whole delineation of classes is an economic tool whose usefulness has become limited. In marketing especially. Its not important where you land in the classes, its important where you think you are. Disposable income is more important than gross income and psychographic measures are more important than class.