Shrinking Middle Class

[Dave_In_Norfolk]

I saw a lot of you right wing a lings trying to laugh away the shrinking MC idea, like Global Warming, but this is true, too. The Wall Street Journal article on this is great, but this video is ok.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/america-middle-class-shrinks-p-g-adopts-hourglass-145429009.html

 

The statistics are grim but bear repeating:

 

•The top 1% of Americans control nearly a quarter of all the country's income, the highest share controlled by the top 1% since 1928, according to The Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality.

•The U.S. ranks #3 among all the advanced economies in the amount of income inequality.

•In 2007, the top 10% of American earners pulled in 49.7% of total wages, the highest since 1917.

•The top 5% of Americans by income account for 37% of all consumer outlays, according to Citigroup.

•On Tuesday, the Census Bureau reported the U.S. poverty rate rose to 15.1% in 2010, up from 14.3% in 2009 and its highest level since 1993. In addition, real median household income fell 2.3% last year to $49,445.

 

WSJ article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904836104576558861943984924.html?mod=WSJ_qtnews_wsjlatest

[BiggieScooby]

Nice find, unfortunately the majority of our Neo-Con friends don't want to touch arguing against the truth. They'd much rather talk about how Obama is a communist and whatnot.

[KD in CA]

The Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality.

 

Now there's a group with no agenda to push!

 

'm sure none of their stats are manipulated in any way.

[John Adams]

Assuming those stats are true, so?What is to be done Dave?

[DC Tom]

•The top 5% of Americans by income account for 37% of all consumer outlays, according to Citigroup.

 

So tax them. That'll fix things.

[BiggieScooby]

So tax them. That'll fix things.

 

If we get rid of the middle class than we won't need to worry about the Middle Class!

[IDBillzFan]

If we get rid of the middle class than we won't need to worry about the Middle Class!

We know your thinking. When everyone is poor, then no one is poor.

 

Someone tell the unicorns they're flying in five.

[Magox]

Assuming those stats are true, so?What is to be done Dave?

Wealth Distribution! Duhhhhhh!

[Nanker]

8th Commandment: "You shall not steal" even if the government does it for you.

10th Commandment: "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s" - including his tax rate. edit Nanker.

[John Adams]

<br />If we get rid of the middle class than we won't need to worry about the Middle Class!  <img src='http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/public/style_emoticons/default/thumbsup.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br />

 

And what will solve the problem of a shrinking middle class, assuming it's not a self induced problem?

[/dev/null]

8th Commandment: "You shall not steal" even if the government does it for you.

10th Commandment: "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s" - including his tax rate. edit Nanker.

Don't Steal, The Government Hates Competition

[....lybob]

8th Commandment: "You shall not steal" even if the government does it for you.

10th Commandment: "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s" - including his tax rate. edit Nanker.

Bible Quotes? really? I'll give you a good one unedited.

 

"He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head" Ezekiel 18:13

[DC Tom]

Bible Quotes? really? I'll give you a good one unedited.

 

"He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head" Ezekiel 18:13

 

"Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy children against the stones." - One of the later Psalms, I forget which.

 

I just like quoting that to pro-lifers.

[Gary M]

Assuming those stats are true, so?What is to be done Dave?

 

Everyone knows that the purpose of the US Government is to maintain the middle class.

[OCinBuffalo]

The reason for this is simple: manufacturing in general, middle management, support services managers and the building trades have either been under assault or have been in direct competition with the government.

 

1. Unions have abandoned their #1 responsibility: look out for their workers. Instead of thinking long term: making sure the jobs exist first, then negotiating salaries, they have been playing for political power and "fundamental transformation of the country". This is the opposite of what a union is supposed to do. Unions have turned into a volume business, with the bottom feeders, both in terms of bad workers and bad union leadership, dragging down not only the union, but the companies they deal with. The unions already purged the socialists once, looks like they will have to do it again. Hopefully this time, the beatings aren't necessary.

 

2. IT has removed the need for many middle managers. We don't need a manager who interprets what is happening with paper data and creates reports for the boss, when we have a BI system that does that. There are simply less jobs for corporate information "middle men". The fact is: these people added little value, so, they were easily replaced. Think about the guy in Office Space with "people skills". The myth that "programmers don't do people" died right around the same time DEC VAXes did. But, I don't cry any tears for buggy-whip makers, or the guys who made phone booths, and neither should you. The bottom line is: these middle managers need to learn new tricks before they get canned, because they are responsible for their career paths and taking them seriously. Good companies help their employees with this, but, if you don't work for one, then it's on you.

 

3. Apparently nobody wants to be a plumber. Those that do are leaving the middle class....and becoming rich, not poor, because the supply of them is declining, and demand is constant. Same thing for welders. Same thing for any skilled trade. The plumbers I spoke with recently...are talking about not being able to find good people who are willing to do the work the job requires, and are paying wages for journeymen that are competitive with junior programmers. The difference is: nobody wants to be an apprentice for 1-1.5 years. Nobody wants to get dirty. Perhaps it's time for the Women's Studies majors to consider doing something that's actually useful to society? Perhaps it's time for people to realize that no, in fact, they aren't going to be a celebrity for a living.

[KD in CA]

The only thing shrinking are the brains of idiots who think "middle class" means having a big house, 2 late model cars, big screen TVs, every cool gadget they want, etc., etc.

 

This country has basically redefined "poor" to be what "middle class" was 50 years ago.

[Gary M]

The reason for this is simple: manufacturing in general, middle management, support services managers and the building trades have either been under assault or have been in direct competition with the government.

 

1. Unions have abandoned their #1 responsibility: look out for their workers. Instead of thinking long term: making sure the jobs exist first, then negotiating salaries, they have been playing for political power and "fundamental transformation of the country". This is the opposite of what a union is supposed to do. Unions have turned into a volume business, with the bottom feeders, both in terms of bad workers and bad union leadership, dragging down not only the union, but the companies they deal with. The unions already purged the socialists once, looks like they will have to do it again. Hopefully this time, the beatings aren't necessary.

 

2. IT has removed the need for many middle managers. We don't need a manager who interprets what is happening with paper data and creates reports for the boss, when we have a BI system that does that. There are simply less jobs for corporate information "middle men". The fact is: these people added little value, so, they were easily replaced. Think about the guy in Office Space with "people skills". The myth that "programmers don't do people" died right around the same time DEC VAXes did. But, I don't cry any tears for buggy-whip makers, or the guys who made phone booths, and neither should you. The bottom line is: these middle managers need to learn new tricks before they get canned, because they are responsible for their career paths and taking them seriously. Good companies help their employees with this, but, if you don't work for one, then it's on you.

 

3. Apparently nobody wants to be a plumber. Those that do are leaving the middle class....and becoming rich, not poor, because the supply of them is declining, and demand is constant. Same thing for welders. Same thing for any skilled trade. The plumbers I spoke with recently...are talking about not being able to find good people who are willing to do the work the job requires, and are paying wages for journeymen that are competitive with junior programmers. The difference is: nobody wants to be an apprentice for 1-1.5 years. Nobody wants to get dirty. Perhaps it's time for the Women's Studies majors to consider doing something that's actually useful to society? Perhaps it's time for people to realize that no, in fact, they aren't going to be a celebrity for a living.

 

 

you hit the nail right on the head.

 

"Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy children against the stones." - One of the later Psalms, I forget which.

 

I just like quoting that to pro-lifers.

 

Completely out of context.

[DC Tom]

Completely out of context.

 

Mostly, I quote it to show how woefully ignorant most "Christians" are about the Bible. You are exactly the THIRD person in 20+ years I've ever had catch that.

[Gary M]

Mostly, I quote it to show how woefully ignorant most "Christians" are about the Bible. You are exactly the THIRD person in 20+ years I've ever had catch that.

 

I know, it's embarrassing.

[Booster4324]

Completely out of context.

 

Mostly, I quote it to show how woefully ignorant most "Christians" are about the Bible. You are exactly the THIRD person in 20+ years I've ever had catch that.

 

I think it refers to the Babylonians. Jews had been persecuted by them?

Edited September 20, 2011 by Booster4324