The Middle Class Disappears

[bobbyw24]

Much attention has been paid to the “disappearing middle class” and the “vanishing American Dream.” While the observations are largely accurate, they are also misleading. The traditional three-tier model of the upper, middle and lower class broadly categorizes people according to income and net worth. One significant problem with this model is that membership in any particular class is very much in the eye of the beholder. One man’s “scraping by” is another man’s “opulent living.” This subjective and arbitrary grouping and boundary assessment inevitably gives rise to the simmering class warfare that is starting to rear its ugly head in many Western countries. Such categorization is therefore meaningless at best, if not outright deceptive as it conflates a variety of economic actors.

The chief fallacy of this model rests in the fact that it focuses on how much those actors are compensated, as opposed to how and why they are compensated. A far better perspective is perhaps gained using two classes, the Political Class and the Economic Class, with a third class emerging.

http://lewrockwell.com/orig12/kofod2.1.1.html

 

[Anti Federalist]

The Praetorian Class includes members of the Armed Services, federal, state and local law enforcement personnel as well as numerous militarized officials including agents from the DEA, Immigrations, Customs Enforcement, Air Marshalls, US Marshalls, and more. It also includes, although to a lesser extent, various stage actors in the expanding security theater such as TSA personnel. The main mission of the Praetorian Class is to keep the order of the day. This requires displaying an intimidating presence in their interactions with the Economic Class.

As the Praetorian Class ascends, the clear, albeit unstated, message that emerges is that actions and events in the Economic Class only occur with its tacit consent. Whether driving on roads, traveling in the air, visiting public land, walking down the street or even living in your own home, every action you take is predicated on its permission. By preconditioning the populace to enforcement of its edicts, most of which are completely arbitrary, the Praetorian Class sets itself up for a high degree of autonomy in its actions. This is confirmed by the fact that consequences for malfeasance within the Praetorian Class are almost never observed, and when it happens, it typically becomes a grotesque spectacle in which one of their own is sacrificed as an example, so as to keep appearances of effective internal controls.

Truth.

The author then goes on to say, in many paragraphs, this simple truth:

To a cop there are only three types of people in the world:

Cops.

Cop's friends and family.

Scumbags.

 

[Simple]

I saw a report recently that showed that the census bureau actually classifies some families below the poverty line as middle class. Kind of paradoxical.

 

[bobbyw24]

I saw a report recently that showed that the census bureau actually classifies some families below the poverty line as middle class. Kind of paradoxical.

That way the Fed Gov and media can report that all is well . . .

 

[Zippyjuan]

If you conduct a survey of people, some 70% of them (or even more) will reply that they consider themselves to be middle class. If you define the middle class to be roughly the middle third of households based on income, most of those people who think they are middle class aren't. And if you do define middle class to be roughly the middle third of earners, that third will never disappear. But what can and has changed is the amount of wealth that group controls. As a group, they took the biggest hit from the economic crisis. They lost more homes and jobs and retirment fund money as a percent of their total wealth than any other group. The highest group actually made gains as far as the percent of national wealth they control.

So while the middle class will not by definition go away, it is presently worse off than it was compared to other groups.

 

[Steven Douglas]

That way the Fed Gov and media can report that all is well . . .

^^^This. +rep, as if you needed it.

It's called Moving The Goal Posts - and nobody more adept at doing this than government. Just change definitions, and suddenly piss on your grave becomes rain on your face, as a box of shit marked 'guaranteed' just as instantly becomes a fragrant rose. For which you ought to be grateful.

 

[QE Is Theft]

Truth.

The author then goes on to say, in many paragraphs, this simple truth:

To a cop there are only three types of people in the world:

Cops.

Cop's friends and family.

Scumbags.

I honestly feel more threatned by the police in the US than I do street thugs.

The only thing I've ever needed "protection from" was them.

And I'm not a hardcore criminal in the least.