Exhaustion 2012 (or, It's Not Forcible Rape if the SuperPAC is Willing) - by june gloom
SubJeff on 2/9/2012 at 10:59
Quote Posted by heywood
Starting with his very first sentence on this topic:
Quote:
The only people who have a problem with the class system here are those that don't have any.
Quote:
pun   [puhn] Show IPA noun, verb, punned, pun·ning. noun
1.
the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words.
Come now.
Jason Moyer on 2/9/2012 at 11:03
Quote Posted by Vasquez
No matter what you believe in or what you
wish to be true, the reality is this:
In most societies there is
- a group of filthy rich people
- And a group of rich people
- And a group of moderately nice income people
- And a group of small income people
- And a group of people with minimal income or none at all
In the United States we only really have groups 1, 2, and 5. Just making an observation, not implying that's somehow relevant to the discussion on how shitty the UK is.
SubJeff on 2/9/2012 at 11:07
Poppycock.
Jason Moyer on 2/9/2012 at 11:29
It's true, and every single economic policy enacted in the past 30 years has favored those 3 groups as well. We give stimulus packages/cut taxes for the rich (with the idea that it will help everyone else, as if those people are already using their vast wealth for the good of mankind) and enact social welfare for the poor. Everyone else is kind of fucked.
SubJeff on 2/9/2012 at 12:03
So which one are you?
Also, I don't believe it. Evidence please? The internet seems to disagree with you.
Jason Moyer on 2/9/2012 at 12:17
The internet disagrees with me? Maybe you should try searching for stuff on the US Middle Class.
For the past 10 years I've been in in the poor class, although I suppose I work too much to be at the very bottom (I'm not underemployed). I qualify for food stamps and financial assistance, I just choose not to take them on principle. I dropped out of college before getting my degree with a 3.87 GPA because I couldn't afford to live (paying for school is easy) without working 40 hours a week. That's pretty much the reality of not being born into privilege here. My family was a combination of educated and working middle class until the middle class started being destroyed in the 80's. Most of the people I work with also have a second job, but I refuse to do that because I live in the richest goddamn country on the planet and my time is more important to me than wealth.
Jason Moyer on 2/9/2012 at 12:30
(
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=decline+of+the+american+middle+class)
Your chart is interesting, but doesn't really say much since the standard of living varies so much here. There are places where $50k per year would be lower class, and places where $50k per year is upper middle class. Given a typical standard of living it shows that about 17% of Americans are what would be considered truly middle class.
10 years ago I was making ~$50k per year and living in an area with a low standard of living and it was still borderline impossible to raise a family without living paycheck to paycheck.
SubJeff on 2/9/2012 at 12:57
I think if $50k/year (about £30k) was the sole income here in the UK people wouldn't find it easy to raise a family. It all depends on what you expect. How big was your house, what car did you drive, what luxuries did you have etc. I find a lot of people just want all sorts of stuff (not saying you do) and so moan about income when in reality they have loads.
Jason Moyer on 2/9/2012 at 13:12
If I were still making even half of $50k I'd feel like I were doing pretty well, even with the 10 years of inflation since then.
