America's middle class is shrinking almost everywhere - - Thanks Obama?

[Csainvestor]

America's once-mighty middle class is shrinking all around the nation.

The share of middle-income households declined in 90% of the country's 229 metro areas between 2000 and 2014, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center, released Wednesday.
The middle class contraction is also happening on a national scale. Overall, some 51% of Americans lived in middle class households in 2014, down from 55% in 2000.

Is Obamacare going to get cheaper next year? Will those 30% increases next year in obamacare help the middle class?
Will the TPP help the middle class? Are all those new Uber jobs helping the middle class?

The Billionaire class more than doubled their net worth during the same time period.

[LexVegas]

1. That fucking Obama. nt

[tularetom]

2. There will always be a "middle class"

The parameters for defining it will change as incomes drop across the country.

[workinclasszero]

3. So you regret that Rmoney wasn't elected President?

Freerepublic is this way --->

[blm]

14. Gee, where did the 'Thanks Obama' narrative originate? RW propaganda machine.

Nice touch that he not only shifts blame for economic collapse to Obama, but, tosses in a note of 'concern' about Affordable Care Act, as well.

Sometimes they just out themselves.

[workinclasszero]

15. IKR?

MIRT anyone?

[Baobab]

4. It will be much worse soon if Clinton is nominated and elected because of her globalization of servi

Companies will either gain profitability or lose out (but either way most American will lose) due to new changes - in some cases 20 years in the making- that allow foreign subcontracting and staffing firms to operate here with their workers from home and pay them at home wages. So they will be able to dump their existing workers and use foreign subcontractors who might have advanced skills but be paid almost nothing.

[Maedhros]

6. Modern slavers in drag as Champions of Freedom...[n/t]

[Baobab]

8. Do you want a race to the bottom on wages? Thats what they want.

The increased profits wont get passed on to anybody or spent, and millions of Americans will be out of work.

[Maedhros]

10. Not at all. They want to turn the United States into a third world economy. [n/t]

[Baobab]

12. Same thing: Hollow out the distribution curve.

Technology eliminating jobs to many seems to in their eyes mean no more middle class anywhere in the world eventually. But, I think that is a fallacious argument based on greed.

Wealthy people are not all of like mind on this but unfortunately, the Clinton administration is pursuing a global strategy that was mapped out 20 years ago which makes a number of clearly wrong assumptions about the rate of change, they underestimate the rate f change ad overestimate the duration of the profits in developing countries to be gotten by trading away our jobs here. And its likely a huge mistake. They can stand on their own.

In the final analysis its just greed.

I have had this argument with people countless times, their argument is why educate workers when they will need a PhD and several published papers, plus years of unpaid experience just to get any job. The comment that sticks in my memory the most was a flip ""it just gives people unrealistic expectations".

The problem is, that logic really doesn't hold wter because education gives people the tools to have ideas that likely can and will create economic activity and wealth. Its like they want us ALL to screw up really badly, in order to falsely "justify" what they already have been doing/decided to do.

[onecaliberal]

5. Mine went up, so not likely

[blm]

7. GOP/BushInc rigged the financial system before, during and after they crashed it for everyone else.

Thanks, Obama, MY ASS - your post is utter BULLSHIT and crafted like the TeaParty to point blame to the WH that has done the most to keep the economy stable while the ASSHAT TRAITORS of the Republican party work every day to obstruct Obama's administration in every way possible.

Thanks, Obama, my fvcking ass, Mr 'Investor'.

[PufPuf23]

9. The shrinking of the middle class is a product of neo-liberal economics.

So while I consider POTUS Obama a good POTUS having taken office in a very difficult time, POTUS Obama is a neo-liberal and has employed neo-liberal advisors and supported continued (by Reagan Bush Clinton and GWB) neo-liberal legislation, notably ACA.

One way to recognize neo-liberal economic policy is that all economic choices are pigeon holed into monetized, securitized, and privatized business opportunities.

This may work for all in theory but in practice entrenched power and moneyed interests concentrate wealth, income, and assets and mostly this transfer is from the middle and working classes and the elderly and disabled retired.

As an example we get mandated health insurance and guaranteed profits for health insurers rather than guaranteed access to health care.

All the western industrialized nations do health care better (and so did some dictatorships like Gadaffi in Libya)

• Education and medical treatments was all free in Libya. Libya can boast one of the finest health care systems in the Arab and African World. All people have access to doctors, hospitals, clinics and medicines, completely free of charge.

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-884508

[Ferd Berfel]

11. Well, it started about the time the party was sold to teh KOch Bros

and Saint Ronnie was in the WH but it took a huge leap with this

[blm]

13. Gee, CSA, what happened between 2000 and 2014 that could have predicted this outcome?

Invested in the 'Thanks Obama' narrative, eh? Distracts blame away from Bush and the GOP, eh?

[Demsrule86]

16. Right blame the president

even though he as a right-wing Congress that is calling the shots...what Obama is not 'pure ' enough for you?

[blm]

17. Nah, Obama is the target the RW propaganda machine has been using to pin the blame for

the wrecked economy he inherited from Bush.

Didn't you think the shot the poster took at ACA was clever, too?

[Demsrule86]

18. I can't understand how Democrats

would believe if the ACA fails for any reason, they will get single payer...they won't but people will die. The GOP does not want any health period. I am going to look and see which poster took the shot at ACA. My kid is on it as we have a grandfathered in work related policy and she aged out. It works well too. Obama saved this country...one day people will talks about him like they talk about Roosevelt. If Obama could run again he would win ...just like FDR.

[blm]

19. The OP of this thread is taking the shots at Obama.

I guess he figured he could get away with it in the GD-Primaries forum.

Trumpanzee.

[JaneyVee]

20. FOH.

[blm]

21. Is that the same as FOT?

.