On Tue, 29 May 2012 10:50:31 -0400, X ` Man
wrote:

Without a strong middle class and the ability of the masses to achieve
it, there's little reason for this country to exist.

===

What is your definition of middle class? Statistically there will
always be a middle as well as an upper and lower. Is middle class
defined by home ownership, multiple SUVs and smartphone accounts? Is
it defined by the television advertising media? Is it defined by
political rhetoric? Is it defined by middle class values and
behavior? Is it defined by blue color workers being able to live like
educated professionals?

On 5/29/2012 12:17 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 29 May 2012 10:50:31 -0400, X ` Man
wrote:

Without a strong middle class and the ability of the masses to achieve
it, there's little reason for this country to exist.

===

What is your definition of middle class? Statistically there will
always be a middle as well as an upper and lower. Is middle class
defined by home ownership, multiple SUVs and smartphone accounts? Is
it defined by the television advertising media? Is it defined by
political rhetoric? Is it defined by middle class values and
behavior? Is it defined by blue color workers being able to live like
educated professionals?


Those talking points were fed to him.
The answers to your questions aren't in his repertoire.

In article ,
says...

On Tue, 29 May 2012 10:50:31 -0400, X ` Man
wrote:

Without a strong middle class and the ability of the masses to achieve
it, there's little reason for this country to exist.

===

What is your definition of middle class? Statistically there will
always be a middle as well as an upper and lower. Is middle class
defined by home ownership, multiple SUVs and smartphone accounts? Is
it defined by the television advertising media? Is it defined by
political rhetoric? Is it defined by middle class values and
behavior? Is it defined by blue color workers being able to live like
educated professionals?

Wayne, an interesting Wiki on the subject.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_middle_class

On Tue, 29 May 2012 12:55:13 -0400, iBoaterer wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Tue, 29 May 2012 10:50:31 -0400, X ` Man
wrote:

Without a strong middle class and the ability of the masses to achieve
it, there's little reason for this country to exist.

===

What is your definition of middle class? Statistically there will
always be a middle as well as an upper and lower. Is middle class
defined by home ownership, multiple SUVs and smartphone accounts? Is
it defined by the television advertising media? Is it defined by
political rhetoric? Is it defined by middle class values and
behavior? Is it defined by blue color workers being able to live like
educated professionals?

Wayne, an interesting Wiki on the subject.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_middle_class

===

It's good to know that even the X ` Perts can't agree.

:-)

On 5/29/12 12:17 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 29 May 2012 10:50:31 -0400, X ` Man
wrote:

Without a strong middle class and the ability of the masses to achieve
it, there's little reason for this country to exist.

===

What is your definition of middle class? Statistically there will
always be a middle as well as an upper and lower. Is middle class
defined by home ownership, multiple SUVs and smartphone accounts? Is
it defined by the television advertising media? Is it defined by
political rhetoric? Is it defined by middle class values and
behavior? Is it defined by blue color workers being able to live like
educated professionals?



D'oh.

Why am I not surprised you don't know, Wayne? I doubt there is a
specific criteria for defining "middle class" that would satisfy most,
but, generally speaking, it includes having a secure and upwardly mobile
job; a clean, safe and stable home; easy access to and the ability to
pay for health care; retirement security: paid time away from work for
vacation, illness and the birth or adoption of a child; opportunities to
save for the future and the ability to provide a good education,
including a college education, for one's children. Income-wise,
depending upon household size, earnings, geographic location and age,
might be anywhere between $50,000 and $150,000, but those numbers may
vary wildly.

These days, that's more like modern socialism in Europe than what we
have in the United States. But it used to be that way here, before the
rich became even more greedy.

On Tue, 29 May 2012 14:10:47 -0400, X ` Man
wrote:

But it used to be that way here, before the
rich became even more greedy.

===

There was certainly plenty of middle class greed during the "dot com"
bubble and the housing asset bubble. People who leveraged up those
investments with mortgage re-financing and home equity loans are the
ones who are now doing the most crying about loss of the middle class,
specifically "their" middle class. They should start out by giving up
their fancy leased cars/SUVs and buy a good used Toyota or Honda.

On 5/29/12 3:07 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 29 May 2012 14:10:47 -0400, X `
wrote:

But it used to be that way here, before the
rich became even more greedy.

===

There was certainly plenty of middle class greed during the "dot com"
bubble and the housing asset bubble. People who leveraged up those
investments with mortgage re-financing and home equity loans are the
ones who are now doing the most crying about loss of the middle class,
specifically "their" middle class. They should start out by giving up
their fancy leased cars/SUVs and buy a good used Toyota or Honda.



And therein is the reason why I rarely respond to "inquiries" here, and
why I rarely post more than a sentence or two about boating. Why bother?
You and your fellow right-wing assholes have no interest in furthering
discussion in any sort of intellectual way. One sentence posts and
responses...that's what's called for in rec.boats.


How would *you* possibly know who is doing "the most crying" about the
loss of the middle class and why they are "crying," by the way? Have you
done a study? Have you seen a couple of opinionated URLs somewhere?
Oh, and who are you to make the sort of suggestions you have?

There are millions and millions of Americans suffering financially, not
because they were overleveraged, but because they were ****ed by Wall
Street, the banks, vulture capitalists, and corporations offshoring jobs.