Americans love to think of themselves as middle class. A meaningless phrase.

[Better Believe It]

Freedom Rider: Middle Class means Working Class
by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley
January 25, 2011

Americans love to think of themselves as middle class. For decades, polls have shown that 90% of the population will refer to themselves with this meaningless phrase. We know of course that there are millions of poor working people in this country, but if anyone asks how they define themselves, the words poor or working will not appear in their self-identification.

The term middle class should disappear from our lexicon, and the sooner the better. Regardless of educational attainment, income, or assets, anyone who depends on a paycheck to maintain their lifestyle is a worker. A white collar, college educated worker who makes six figures is still a worker. If that high income disappears, that individual is in very deep trouble. The sooner Americans begin thinking of themselves that way, the better off they will be.

Working people are under attack in this country in ways that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. The American mania for middle class aspiration has helped to make this dire circumstance possible, and will cause workers to feel enmity with other workers when they should feel a sense of common cause.

Republicans and Democrats have declared war on those few workers fortunate enough to be unionized. As the great recession enters its fourth year, cities and states are drowning in a sea of red ink. Governors, mayors and state legislators appear to be of one accord on the remedy. Public employees must either lose their jobs altogether, lose pensions and benefits, or lose their union protections. As a result of seeing themselves as middle class and not as working people, workers in the private sector who are themselves vulnerable, applaud the effort to race to the bottom, instead of fighting against it.

Read the full article at:

http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/freedom-rider-middle-class-means-working-class

[Starry Messenger]

1. k&r

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. knr

[ProSense]

3. "The term middle class should disappear from our lexicon, and the sooner the better"

and pragmatic, competitiveness, innovation, etc.

Maybe we should just get rid of the dictionary, better yet words.

In truth, the words middle class have taken on the meaning of whiteness, worthiness and acceptability. They are devoid of any political meaning, and confuse an already confused people about where their interests lie. When next you read that the middle class are suffering, or are on the verge of extinction or are being ignored by politicians, replace the words with working class. That act will begin new discussion of how the political system can begin to make decisions which will improve the lives of working people, and not only the rich who are getting richer.

"Working class"? Americans earning $200,000 also work.

How about replacing it with "low-income Americans" to avoid confusion?

[unblock]

4. YES!! i've been saying this every time i see an "if you make more than $x, you're 'rich'" threads.

you have to take the money out of the picture and see how different a person's actual life is. if your life is fundamentally working because you *have to* keep working in order to maintain a lifestyle that provides food, clothing, and shelter, then you have an enormous amount in common with everyone else who does the same even if YOUR food, clothing, and shelter is nicer than others'.

you're not remotely rich until you can afford to quit without changing your lifestyle in any meaningful way.

and you're not REALLY rich until you can do things the working class barely even know to fantasize about, such as buying and selling entire companies and/or politicians.

[happyslug]

5. 90% of Americans called themselves Middle Class only if it is the only choice

In most surveys, the choice given to people are "Poor" "Middle Class" and "Rich", in such a choice 90% of Americans call themselves "Middle Class". On the other hand if you add the term "Working Class", the "Middle Class" group is cut in half (The other half being people who opt for the term "Working Class").

I first heard of that set of facts while in collage in the 1970s (And I went to a Business School). Now, if no options are given (i.e. people are asked but NOT given the choice of "Poor" "Middle Class" and "Rich") people call themselves "Middle Class", more do to the fact everyone else is using that term instead of "Working Class", but if made aware of the option of "Working Class" (As in polls where the four options are given as choices) about 45% of the population call themselves "Working Class".

[leftstreet]

6. K&R

[The Magistrate]

7. Hear Hear, Sir!