This isn't about bashing a certain someone.  This IS something that I think we should discuss, and I think it should be as a discussion, not ramming an opinion down people's throat.  The middle class is shrinking and something needs to be done about it for america's future.

The americans I've met - (unlike the internet ones?) - seem friendly, easy-going and well-informed; if I meet someone, it's the americans that say 'Hey, you MUST come visit!', but then, those I've met are a rather specific selection. USA as a country is a fantastic place; back in the 50's it was, literally, the land of dreams. How it is now.. I don't know. Perhaps it is just republicans and democrats trying to tear each other down and tear the view of america down with it; perhaps things really has gone downhill. Perhaps the constant wars has damaged its spirit in some way. But the impression you get now is not positive.

Instead of talking about the future - how is the present? Other than the hollywood suburbia view (Which can be viewed as heaven or hell) I have little information on the subject other than a few general trends.

Nah - I still fit comfortably into middle class.  Obviously, I resent any negative stereotypes about the middle class.  I'm actually well educated and work for a fortune 1000 company.  I assume this thread is response to whoever that idiot was ranting that the middle class should be pushed down to being taxi drivers to force the nigerians out  (http://forums.demigodthegame.com/397380).  Yeah... that really happened.  The sad matter of fact is that many people in the upper class aren't even remotely qualified to do my job.  As a matter of fact, they would fail horribly at my job.  I'm pretty sure the guy in that rant would be fired at my job.  Sad news - he probably makes 5-10 times as much as me.  And he doesn't possess enough intelligence to speak in a live public forum with the slightest bit of restraint.  Perhaps Mel Gibson is his mentor.  Anyway, I think very wealthy folks might have a tendency to look down on the middle class.  Mid's might look down on low, etc.  Anyway, regarding the guy I linked to - stupid does not have a party.  Stupid could be a republican, democrat, independent, whig... and so on. 

I think the title of "poor" is a little misleading.

I think the middle class is the people who work, and get no government aid, but are not taxed excessively.  The upper class are the ones who have tax lawyers due to all the high taxes.

The real problem is the politicians and CEO's are exceedingly out of touch with reality.  You can only trick and screw so many people before they form a tea party and come knocking on your door....

I am really hoping you are trying to be sarcastic or just plain general with this post. Because 1. when I was little both me and my brother actually had actually gone days without eating, being raised by a single parent, and so on and so on. 3/4th of the crap you just said  in this one sentence I have never had.I have actually been homeless before, and before you go "Oh so you lived on the streets." I suggest you look up what is considered being homeless and not go by alf the crap portrayed by the media. High class dinner, within these short 20 years I have been on this planet, I still have never seen one of those with my very own eyes, let alone had one. Now am I saying im in a horrible position, no. I am lucky enough to be in college, one that may be sucking out every fiber of my being, but im gaining a higher level of education some many never get a chance.

By the way, here is what HUD has to say about being homeless... (other than literally being on the street and sleeping in a box)

You are homeless if you:

>are living in transitional or supportive housing for homeless persons but originally came from streets or emergency shelters;

>ordinarily sleep in transitional or supportive housing for homeless persons but are spending a short time (30 consecutive days or less) in a hospital or other institution

>are being evicted within a week from private dwelling units and no subsequent residences have been identified and they lack resources and supportive networks needed to obtain access to housing;

>or are being discharged within a week from institutions in which they have been residents for more than 30 consecutive days and no subsequent residences have been identified and they lack the resources and support networks needed to obtain access to housing.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/who.cfm

I outed him a long time ago.  That is why he bars any dissenting opinions.  He would be more comfortable at du,org where all the other racist bigots hang out.

As for the topic, the middle class is taking a beating.  And it is all due to simple math.  There are not enough rich in the country to support it.  That is a basic fact.  And the poor cannot.  So the onus of the current government (it goes beyond the administration) that is bound and determine to spend money that does not exist negatively impacts the middle class.  Instead of lifting all the boats - as is their rhetoric, but not their actions - the demographics show they are sinking the floating ones and not raising any of the sunk ones.

You may be a liberal and "care" about all people.  If so, then you should be telling this current government to go home so that some one else with new ideas can try to save the middle class.

There is a reason that there is no middle class to speak of in Venezuela.  Chavez saw it as a threat.

I wasn't going to make another reply in this thread however in your case I'll make this single exception.

Just because I was not mentioned explicitly by name doesn't mean that pretty much anyone with half a brain doesn't realize that I'm the one being explicitly talked about.

And just because you prefer to couch your words in vague terms like "small of you" and "your own bigotry" doesn't really hide the fact that in essence all you're saying is "go fuck yourself".

Instead of dancing around the issue my preferance is to simply and directly tell you to go fuck yourself. We're both saying the same thing you just "pretend" to be polite whereas I'm simply being honest.

So feel free to go fuck yourself.

Hi Mumbles!  It's so nice to see your "not a self admitted asshole" posting in a place other than your own topics!  Or not, I could be lying.  While you're being so honest in a fuck you kind of way, aren't you an asshole too, thus lacking a valid excuse to bar me after all?

I'm lost.  Are you saying you had two cars, a house, and nice food at some point, but you didn't and were poor?  I make no generalization when I say anyone with two cars, a house, and nice food isn't poor.  I'm guessing our definitions of high class dinner don't mix.  If you're eating meat and fish you didn't kill yourself, and fresh vegetables you didn't grow yourself, you can afford high class food.  If you can't cook it, my condolences.  If you still haven't ever seen a high class dinner in the past 20 years, move out of the vegan compound.

If you went without food at various points, I somehow doubt your single parent was working at the time, which would make you one of the 99% of the population in this country that I've never met who also wasn't poor and had a job at the same time.  If there was a job at the time, I'm just enough of a pessimistic asshole to say your parent had a money management issue more than a lack of money.  A family of three can eat healthy and well rounded meals, today, for less than $200 a month, no food stamps necessary.  How you can manage to go hungry with food stamp programs in existence and a multitude of food banks and soup kitchens in every city in the country is flat beyond me.

Again.... BACK ON TOPIC!

Obviously I'm a psychopath in real life.  As I refuse to participate in the flushing of the English language down the pop culture toilet, slander refers to the spoken word, the one you're looking for is libel.  Libel must be defamatory and untrue, such as someone taking a statement out of context by saying all Republicans want to push down the middle class and make them a labor class instead.

Since Mumbles hasn't posted anything to shoot down here, I'll go ahead and shoot down his posts from the other thread for you.  The pizza is still in the oven.

Jack Burkman is a racist.  Why?  Because he's surrounded by cabbies that can't speak English and thinks postal workers, which make tens of thousands of dollars more than their private industry counterparts doing the exact same work, only to retire and increase the wage disparity further, would be better cabbies.  Actual racist commentary?  None.

Jack Burkman wants to push down the middle class.  Why?  Because he says paying unskilled labor thrice the going wage is wasteful.  This of course is then propogated to all Republicans, as Mumbles generally does when talking about the devil worshipping fascists bent on destroying humanity.

Grotesque government salaries are economically damaging, postal workers making over a hundred grand a year for what amounts to cashiers and delivery boys is ridiculous.  Time to eat.