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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Can we stop kidding ourselves?

I pose a question for you today:

If you're "middle class" in America, but you live better than 90% of the people on the planet, is the term "middle class" accurate?

To wit, say you're living in a $200,000.00 house out in a former corn field with a bunch of other suburbanites, you travel the 1/2 hour in to your job in the city each day with all the other travelers, your house is what? 3,000 square feet, it has a lawn sprinkler system, it's either brand new or looks it, the household income is, again, what? $125,000.00 to $150,000.00 per year (I'm trying to shoot low here and stay well under that magic $200,000.00/year range), you go on regular, dependable vacations, you have a late-model automobile, etc., etc.

You get the picture, I think.

This, in America, is considered solidly "middle class". There are lots of people for whom this is an accurate description of their social and financial status.

And, again, it's WAY over 80% of America's population, in terms of wealth and status and, I believe, much more than 90% of the world's population's status and financial situation.

So could we stop kidding ourselves, just to feel good?

It's decidedly NOT "middle class."

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I think I know the origin of this raving. And you are correct. The term has no common meaning anymore.

Mo Rage said...

yes, I think you're right. And you're the only one who knows.