Forum Post: What is meant by "Middle Class"?
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 8, 2011, 10:07 a.m. EST by Dhaulagiri
(7)
from Brevard, NC
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I keep seeing references to the "middle class" in news articles. Who are these people? Do we really have a "middle class" anymore?
No, we don't. And that's why our economy, education and health care is failing in our country.
Being in the Middle Class used to mean that you had choices. If you wanted to make more money you had the choice of working harder at your job to get that promotion or going back to school to learn new skills. Parents had the choice of whether one of them wanted to stay home to raise their children. There was the choice of buying a new car or saving that money for a family vacation. I could go on, but you get the idea.
The only choices that are left to us 'Former Middle Classers' are ones of greatest necessity - food or medicines? Default/Forbearance/Bankruptcy? And vacations? Ha! Being unemployed has been the most stressful and unrewarding vacation I've ever had!
I used to think that my "one person one vote" mattered, but regardless of who I vote for it doesn't guarantee that my elected official isn't going to be bought out by somebody with a lot more money than me. Until we reform Campaign Finance laws, the Middle Class will never have an equal voice in our democracy.
According to Obama, Middle Class is anyone who is not a Millionaire or Billionaire. And evidently not someone who works for the UAW, which the WSJ recently proclaimed the $15 entry wage ($31,200 per year) as POVERTY level.
Nice. :)