General Discussion

SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)

9. "Middle Class" is amorphous

Reply to nadinbrzezinski (Original post)

Sat Mar 9, 2013, 03:08 PM

Mar 2013

To me, middle class has always meant "the way you live"..what you have that identifies you with the group..

Once upon a time, it could be :

having 2 cars
buying instead of renting
having an extension phone
having a shower AND a bathtub
having a savings account
taking a yearly vacation
sending your kids to college
having/being a wife who did not HAVE to work at a job outside the home
having a tv (and later a color tv)
having your own washer/dryer.

and other things at different times..

but in ALL cases, these were "things/achievements" that were available to you WITHOUT CREDIT.. you could AFFORD them.

What changed in the late 70's/early-mid 80's was that credit was suddenly available to and eagerly given to EVERYONE..even the ones who were NOT credit-worthy.. Why?..because we were switching to a consumer society, and real wages were no longer going to rise...

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Highlight:

Here the heart of the problem, to the apparent lack of worker outrage. [View all] nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 OP

Yes! hedgehog Mar 2013 #1

A single person making 20k is actually poor, especially after taxes. duffyduff Mar 2013 #2

But he or she sees himself or herself as middle class nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #4

The lack of class consciousness in the USA IS the reason..... socialist_n_TN Mar 2013 #3

Yup, that history of labor of mine is taking a decidedly "strident" nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #5

Totally agree! - KnR LeftInTX Mar 2013 #6

Income is not the only indicator of class. Brickbat Mar 2013 #7

Exactly, Ma'am The Magistrate Mar 2013 #8

The Sooners are admired, the Boomers not so much bigbrother05 Mar 2013 #11

Exacrly, Sir: I Know The Derivation The Magistrate Mar 2013 #12

A true hard core classic Marxist POV nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #22

wtf are you talking about 'hard core marxist'? where do you think your "classic class" analysis HiPointDem Mar 2013 #25

Thank you for your post. n/t GiveMeFreedom Mar 2013 #24

"Middle Class" is amorphous SoCalDem Mar 2013 #9

America has been a consumer society since the 1920s, really... YoungDemCA Mar 2013 #15

MC should very well be...not amorphous nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #21

Politics pretty much demands it SoCalDem Mar 2013 #26

Exactly, serving the goal of social control. nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #27

The One Percent is deadly afraid of class awareness education and that is why they always scream kairos12 Mar 2013 #10

I've heard that 20K worker called "the illusory middle class." Gidney N Cloyd Mar 2013 #13

Americans have been trained to not see class differences Yavin4 Mar 2013 #14

I'd say $250,000 makes you rich no matter where you live hfojvt Mar 2013 #16

See 17 nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #20

250k puts one in the top 5% of income earners n2doc Mar 2013 #17

This is why the definition of middle class we use nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #19

real estate has gone crazy in some places hfojvt Mar 2013 #23

You really have Nailed It herre. bvar22 Mar 2013 #18