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MelissaWV
08-29-2010, 09:45 AM
Browsing around, I came across this article, so I figured I'd give it a read.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-Signs-That-Youve-Made-It-To-investopedia-4243472351.html?x=0

By their definitions, there aren't a whole lot of middle class out there... just people who think they're middle class.


Have You Made it to the Middle?
A wide variety of numbers have been thrown around in an effort to define the middle. People earning 20% of the average income and people earning 80% all claim to be part of the middle class. More than a few millionaires make the claim too. While there is no official financial standard, the middle class as defined by the government task force is characterized in terms of six financial aspirations, which we can view as benchmarks.

•Home Ownership
Home ownership remains the American dream. The step up from renting to owning signifies prosperity and achievement. With median home prices ranges differing by so much in different cities across the United States, the ability to achieve this goal varies significantly by geographical location. Someone earning an income in the 50% range in Detroit may not be able to afford even a small house in Los Angeles.

•Automobile Ownership
Owning an automobile provides freedom of movement and the luxury of avoiding the limited schedules and cramped quarters offered by mass transportation options such as buses and subways. Here again, the cost of cars varying widely, as does the kind of automobile required. For one driver, a used Hyundai will do the trick. For another, a new BMW signifies the achievement of this goal.

•A College Education for the Kids
Helping children get ahead in life is a primary goal for middle class families. Paying for a college education for children can cost anywhere from the low tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands. Decisions about which university of college to attend can have a significant impact on the price tag.

•Retirement Security
Retirement is a goal nearly everyone wants to achieve. It demonstrates success and provides a reward for decades of hard work. Once again, definitions make a difference. The amount of gold required to support your golden years will vary significantly depending on whether you want a staff of 10 at your villa in the South of France or a townhouse in Peoria, Illinois.

•Health Care Coverage
The ability to obtain healthcare is an important goal for middle class wager earners and their families. The high and rising cost of medical care and prescription drugs make healthcare coverage an ever-increasing need, as going without it can have serious negative financial implications in the event of a severe illness or injury.

•Family Vacation
The family vacation is a middle class staple. Vacations demonstrate that a family has disposable income and has been successful enough to take time away from work to focus on leisure.

Not shockingly, the definitions all assume we want to start a family, go on "family vacations," buy or have healthcare, own a house/car, and that we value college as vital. I guess I can't be middle class; I don't own a car, I don't own a house, I don't give a flying copulation about college, I have basic health insurance and don't really consider it an essential part of my life (also I've got more health problems than the average bear, so I'm a bad example on that front). I also don't ditch work to take vacations.

Incidentally, most houses and (new) cars aren't "owned" by the people that use them, either.

pcosmar
08-29-2010, 09:47 AM
I have been told (several times) that I have no class. ;)

I think I am in a class by myself.
:D

Working Poor
08-29-2010, 09:49 AM
I have been told (several times) that I have no class. ;)

I think I am in a class by myself.
:D

LOL! me too.:D

bruce leeroy
08-29-2010, 10:08 AM
hell no I aint middle class
I ride a bicycle, smoke pall mall's, donate plasma for beer money once a week, and work for $7 an hour under the table

Cowlesy
08-29-2010, 10:10 AM
A blogger at AltRight has been writing comical takes of the classes of society as he sees them.

Middle Class - http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/untimely-observations/social-classes-the-american-middle-class/

Fair Warning -- You need to be able to deal with non-PC'ness, as Locklin does not obey the standard laws of PC'dom.


http://www.alternativeright.com/media/k2/items/cache/3e8e1949f1c3300c7f060866b463e01c_M.jpg



Here they are, the real villains of American society according to the mass media and commentariat: the middle class. The lower classes hate them because they are better than lower class people. The upper classes sneer at them as being unenlightened boobs with no taste, or pious frauds who go to Church on Sundays and appear in Norman Rockwell paintings. Really, everyone hates them because they're the happiest people in the country. I didn't care for them while growing up (as a member of the lower orders), and I didn't for a while as a young adult (as an aspiring member of the upper middles), but looking at them now, they really have life squared away better than most other classes of Americans do. I wouldn't want to be one of them, but I can see where others might like it. In my opinion, most of the independent voters, libertarians and tea party types are, in fact, middle class people. They're the ones who need to be won over in elections: the other social classes are mostly bloc voters.

Since I was always pretty contemptuous of them when I was below them on the class structure, it is hard for me to say how to suck up to them. Probably the best way to gain their favor is to avoid frightening them. Another might be to make them think you're comfortably above them in social class. These are the people who have most obviously avoided the social decay that has set in since the 1970s; there are middle class towns which are exactly as they were in the 1950s. This is why the middle class are so hard to win over in elections; they don't notice a lot of the changes which have ruined society for everyone else. They also don't want to rock the boat. The fact that they are out in the streets protesting indicates that we live in remarkable times.

Anyhow, here's how I break it down:

1.

Don't work too hard. You're in the middle! it's safe in the middle. You might go to school, but it is not important if you finish, or study anything hard. That's for those gosh durned upper middles; wow are they ever smart! Middle class people have jobs -they go to work for money. They do not have careers. They are not interested in saving the world.
2.

Play sports when you are in school. It doesn't matter what; soccer, baseball, football. Sports are fun.
3.

Marry a nice middle class girl from your home town.
4.

Buy a house, make a family. That's what it is all about, ain't it?
5.

Go to Church on Sundays. That's what middle-class people do! Or don't, if you're the type who doesn't; that's OK, too.
6.

Dress appropriately; as in, like everyone around you. Tie if they have ties, t-shirt if they have t-shirts. It is most important for middle-class people to fit in.
7.

Hobbies: church, family, watching TV, watching sports, watching sports TV, sellin' a little real estate, Back Yard BBQ, thinkin' the little woman is still pretty cute after all these years, and gosh-diddley-durn it, you are a lucky guy!
8.

Politics: well, middle of the road of course! Maybe a "Reagan democrat" here, or a "pro choice republican" there, but nuthin too extremey-weemey.
9.

Military service: sure! Probably an Army officer, or NCO.
10.

Habitat: suburbs, exurbs, places where you can buy a house.

Example middle class people: anyone who has a house in a suburb. I am hard pressed to think of examples of middle class people who anyone has heard of. I do know they like their butter refrigerated hard for some reason. Upper middles don't eat butter, because they think it will give them a heart attack. Working class people are too tired at the end of a day's work to fight with their butter, so we like it room temperature. The upper middle class media people don't portray them well, even when they try to disguise their contempt. An example from Cinema is "American Beauty" -an upper middle class portrayal of middle class life. The middle class rarely get rich enough for people to notice them, so there are no plutocratic examples, except perhaps for Warren Buffet, who is really unusual in many ways (but one with mostly middle class folkways). They are the teeming, faceless masses who make America a decent country. When they become extinct, America will become Brazil. Even Peggy Noonan is saying so in the Wall Street Journal: it is that obvious at this point.:p

EDIT: Here is a link (http://www.alternativeright.com/class/) to the whole series which are quite entertaining.
http://www.alternativeright.com/class/

Zippyjuan
08-29-2010, 11:03 AM
If you conduct a survey and ask people if they consider themselves to be middle class, some 80% will say yes. But they can't all be in the middle, can they?

nobody's_hero
08-29-2010, 11:18 AM
There are only two classes in America. 1) Those who know that their wealth is being robbed by the Federal Reserve's counterfeiting scheme, and 2) those who have no clue.

Philhelm
08-29-2010, 11:25 AM
There won't be a middle class much longer, so what does it matter?

tjeffersonsghost
08-29-2010, 11:50 AM
Who says there is a middle class? There are 3 classes, rich, poor with credit, and poor without credit.

LibForestPaul
08-29-2010, 11:58 AM
I thought there were two:
slaves, and slave holders...when did this change?

Brian4Liberty
08-29-2010, 12:05 PM
•Home Ownership
Home ownership remains the American dream. The step up from renting to owning signifies prosperity and achievement. With median home prices ranges differing by so much in different cities across the United States, the ability to achieve this goal varies significantly by geographical location. Someone earning an income in the 50% range in Detroit may not be able to afford even a small house in Los Angeles.

What a joke. Zero down and Ninja loans make home ownership meaningless. Owning a home without a mortgage would be a better indicator.

Anti Federalist
08-29-2010, 12:11 PM
A blogger at AltRight has been writing comical takes of the classes of society as he sees them.

Middle Class - http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/untimely-observations/social-classes-the-american-middle-class/

Fair Warning -- You need to be able to deal with non-PC'ness, as Locklin does not obey the standard laws of PC'dom.
:p

EDIT: Here is a link (http://www.alternativeright.com/class/) to the whole series which are quite entertaining.
http://www.alternativeright.com/class/

Truth in this:


The working class has suffered greatly under the new/post 1970s regime. I'd go so far as to say this is because of a conscious hostility from the upper middle class who run everything. Many of their factory jobs are gone forever. Their families have been devastated by "social welfare" programs, and their neighborhoods have become crime ridden, due to the all the lower class uncivilized state-funded bastards running around. The prospering lower middle-class people are the tradesmen: electricians, plumbers, technicians, contractors -- though these guys are in some trouble from immigration also. Still, the working class has preserved many virtues: the virtues of hard work and manliness not the least among them.

MelissaWV
08-29-2010, 12:11 PM
What a joke. Zero down and Ninja loans make home ownership meaningless. Owning a home without a mortgage would be a better indicator.

Ah but you're still falling for it!

You don't own your home, not even remotely, unless you're done with your mortgage. Even then, in some instances, you might not be considered to really own it. The article makes it seem like you'd be a dummy to not be living in a home owned by a bank ;)

Cowlesy
08-29-2010, 12:17 PM
Truth in this:


Originally Posted by Cowlesy View Post
A blogger at AltRight has been writing comical takes of the classes of society as he sees them.

Middle Class - http://www.alternativeright.com/main...-middle-class/

Fair Warning -- You need to be able to deal with non-PC'ness, as Locklin does not obey the standard laws of PC'dom.


EDIT: Here is a link to the whole series which are quite entertaining.
http://www.alternativeright.com/class/


The working class has suffered greatly under the new/post 1970s regime. I'd go so far as to say this is because of a conscious hostility from the upper middle class who run everything. Many of their factory jobs are gone forever. Their families have been devastated by "social welfare" programs, and their neighborhoods have become crime ridden, due to the all the lower class uncivilized state-funded bastards running around. The prospering lower middle-class people are the tradesmen: electricians, plumbers, technicians, contractors -- though these guys are in some trouble from immigration also. Still, the working class has preserved many virtues: the virtues of hard work and manliness not the least among them.


YouTube - Merle Haggard - Working Man Blues (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbEstJ98TcM)

Anti Federalist
08-29-2010, 01:40 PM
YouTube - Merle Haggard - Working Man Blues (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbEstJ98TcM)

Wish I could watch that, I'll have to flag this for when I get home.

The working class gets the short end of the stick every time.

They bear the brunt of the wars.

They are bankrupted by the fast and loose currency antics at the FED.

They get thrown out of work at the altar of "free trade".

Yet they are the ones who feed us and clothe us and provide the energy to keep our lights on and not freeze to death in the winter.

Always been something that stuck in my craw while pondering economic theory and real world economics.

Why are the most vital producers the ones that are paid the least?

Minuteman2012
08-29-2010, 01:40 PM
What constitutes and upper class person? If you are say in the 90th-95th percentile of wealth in this country, are you considered upper class? Or is it only the top 1% that is considered the upper class?

Imaginos
08-29-2010, 01:46 PM
America has middle class?
:eek:

Minuteman2012
08-29-2010, 01:47 PM
America has middle class?
:eek:

Most people are middle class. I mean, it is decreasing, but the overwhelming majority of people are by definition middle class.

amy31416
08-29-2010, 01:51 PM
Wish I could watch that, I'll have to flag this for when I get home.

The working class gets the short end of the stick every time.

They bear the brunt of the wars.

They are bankrupted by the fast and loose currency antics at the FED.

They get thrown out of work at the altar of "free trade".

Yet they are the ones who feed us and clothe us and provide the energy to keep our lights on and not freeze to death in the winter.

Always been something that stuck in my craw while pondering economic theory and real world economics.

Why are the most vital producers the ones that are paid the least?

Can't exploit the poor much more, except as pawns to take more taxes from the middle class.

Can't exploit the rich, they're in on it and have fantastic accountants and lawyers.

Hey come on, parasites are going to be parasites--and the middle class is infested with two types of them: The "engineered" poor parasites (not all poor people, of course), and the manipulative rich ones.

They know they can't do it without our cooperation.

DamianTV
08-30-2010, 03:04 AM
http://www.evilmilk.com/pictures/Net_Worths.jpg

Patheticly, when the Hobo has the least negative wealth, it says something about our situation.

I probably shouldnt try to poke fun at the Hobo's, there are going to be a lot more very very soon... Shit, and as confident that I wont lose my job to an Intel Single Core Processor, I'll probably end up with my ugly mug in someones comic on some freedom forum in the realtively near future.

LibForestPaul
08-31-2010, 08:45 PM
Black comic:


Rich is Shaq
Wealthy is the man paying Shaq

Blacks are rarely wealthy.

SteveR
08-31-2010, 09:15 PM
There are two classes. The rich and the poor. It takes about two miliion dollars now to retire, reinvest at 1% CD's, live off of about two thousand a month (barely living) and maintain your net worth. Everybody else is poor. They live in fear of not having enough money to retire on, fear of losing their job, if they have one. They live with insecurity and in quiet desperation.
And as you know, the rich get richer, and the..... And nothing will be done about it in my lifetime. And nobody knows what to do about. What is worse is nobody tries. I would like to see more think tanks out there with people brainstorming about other possibilities of existence. I mean really grind the brain. Why do we use only a small percentage of our brain. Are we lazy? Complacent? Do you think in a thousand years we might achieve 33% usage? Wow!

Vessol
08-31-2010, 10:07 PM
I really got to laugh at all the internet lurkers who constantly go on about how libertarians and Paultards are all white middle class college students. While I would definitely be considered white, and I am attending college. I am most definitely not middle class, never have been. Grew up working class, was lower class(homeless for a few months) as a teenager and am again now between what could be called working/lower class and only being able to afford one meal a day.