Money – Growing numbers of middle-class Americans say they are not better off than they were five years ago, reflecting economic pressures amid growing debt, a study released Wednesday shows. Their short-term assessments of personal progress, according to the study, is the worst it has been in almost half a century.
sadly more and more people in this generation rely on the government to do everything for them. And even with all the systems in place we still can't get people to take the initiative to go out and find a job or create one. We have the best colleges in the world and they are being filled by immigrants that have the mindset America "used" to have. We also have jobs that Americans once had, being taken by immigrants because the immigrants want to work.
You guys can bag Bush like you always do and that will get you no where. It's the peoples fault that they have lost the will to succeed. There are so many social programs now that if you can't succeed here, then you are at fault.
Nice way to lump an entire chunk of the country into your conveniently ill-conceived definition of lazy, government-assistance-reliant bums.
Things aren't always so black and white. Walk a mile in another's shoes before you judge and label so harshly, please.
"Walk a mile in another's shoes before you judge and label so harshly, please."
I would, if I could find another who's actually walked a mile.
Most people these days are too busy looking for shortcuts, looking for government subsidies or just plain looking for the easy way out. Either that or their lunkheads are glued to their plasma screen TVs eating up "American Idol" or "Dancing With the Stars".
"American Idle", indeed.
I tell ya what, I wouldn't mind walking a mile in Obamas, Clintons or even McCains shoes.
Obamas dad is a Harvard grad, something none of my ancestors can claim. He and his wife made 1.7 million last year. Yeah they know all about the common man...
Clinton-Do i really have to say anything? How many millions is she worth again?
McCain-Married to a rich hot-for-her-age white woman in my 70's? HECK YEAH.
Maybe we should be electing candidates that not only have walked, but continue to walk in the shoes of the "avereage" man.
"Nice way to lump an entire chunk of the country into your conveniently ill-conceived definition of lazy, government-assistance-reliant bums."
I agree with DamnLiberals. I took on student loan debt to put myself through college/grad school. I got sick of the Midwest's lousy job climate and bitterly long, cold winter (global warming my a$$) and relocated to a much better climate.
I'm getting interviews and job offers I never would have in the manufacturing-based Midwest. And, I have to pee in a cup to get many jobs.
I live in a diverse and mostly lower-middle class to poor neighborhood. My next door neighbor is a crackhead relying on gov't assistance. If I have to drug test for a job; people should have to drug test to get gov't assistance.
The thought of my tax dollars subsidizing his drug habit angers me - especially when I have to hear the drug-addled fights he gets into with his woman. Almost called the cops last night, but called the landlord instead.
You claim to be a college grad and you still don't understand the dynamics of climate change? Let me guess, you were NOT a science major? You agree with DL's comment, and yet YOU fit the example he was talking about in regards to Americans not taking advantage of our schools! Right now most Americans are too damn lazy to pursue an education in the physical sciences. Graduates in chemical engineering are getting the highest starting salaries straight out of school, and this is in the $60k range. They have NO PROBLEM getting jobs. It is the foreign students that are filling these engineering schools. I've taken physics classes in which I was the ONLY non-Asian in there. Americans are among the most ignorant in the physical sciences of all western populations. That's what makes your comment about "global warming my a$$" so glaring, and telling.
I'm not looking for the Government to do anything for me. I am concerned with what they are doing TO me.
I agree we need to get our borders under control, but it is utterly ridiculous to say the economic problems our middle class face are the fault of illegal immigrants. They work, are mostly middle class and contribute to the economy. And they are suffering from the same economic pressures that average Americans face.
"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
I kinda liked that guy, even if he was a liberal.
funny thing is our country is busy asking us what more can we do for it!
With your reasoning why even have a government? I mean they are taking our money (taxes) but they shouldn't be beholding to the people. Our government is there to make sure it's citizens are safeguarded in every way, this means providing an economy where the citizens can find and or create jobs. I have to say this current government has been nothing but derelicts in performing their duties to the people!
Can you imagine McCain or Obama taking on Big Oil (or any corporations) the way JFK took on Big Steel? (No need to mention Bush-Cheney.) The "checks and balances" are long gone, whether among the three branches of government or business-government-labor in society at large The corporations rule through their politician proxies.
Dl, sadly you let the govt. do your thinking for you. You refuse to take the initiative to learn about the how, and why of our govt's. agenda, even when it is your duty as an American (?) to do so. Your support of Bush proves my point. Immigrants are filling our engineering schools because Americans are to lazy to learn the sciences. America is becoming dependent on immigrant talent to fill the jobs that are creating that cutting-edge technology we are all so proud of. There are more engineering jobs, than people to fill them, with starting salaries in the 60k range.
Bush fits your profile of the American attitude that you describe, to a "T"!. He never would have even got into the schools he did, if it wasn't for his father. He has always been a mediocre student, and he is utterly ignorant of the physical sciences. It is your fault for giving us Bush.
In 1929 before the Great Depression, the concentration of wealth (all assets including money, property, stocks, etc.) in the hands of the richest 1% reached a high of 50%. One percent of the people owned 50% of everything here. The middle class was in shambles. By 1933 when Hoover left office, the Republicans had held the Presidency for all but 12 of the past 44 years.
The Great Depression brought some equity back to the distribution of wealth and a long run of Democratic rule. The top 1% retained between 25 and 30% of the nation's wealth during that time.
Beginning with Nixon in 1969, the tide began to turn again. By the end of George W. Bush's term in 2009, the country will have again been under Republican rule for all but 12 of the past 40 years. And concentration of wealth is back to near 50% in the hands of the elite 1%.
Real income has been stagnant for 8 years while inflation has roared ahead unchecked. Good paying manufacturing and technology jobs have been flying offshore to be replaced with low paying service-sector work offering no health care. Nearly 1/5th of Americans are without any health care now, and another large block are under-covered or have plans that routinely cancel coverage for anyone who gets seriously ill.
If McCain wins and makes the Bush tax advantages for the very wealthy permanent, there will soon be no more middle class. America will have been reduced to third world status like so many banana republics to our South.
The very wealthy will either remain in heavily guarded enclaves here or move on to better climes like Dubai or Switzerland or the French Riviera.
FDR put a stop to the elitists using the infrastructure provided them by the common man to succeed, & giving nothing back. He allowed them their fortunes, of course, but put a cap on them. Anything over was taxed at 70%, to stop the building of dynasties that could become so powerful, the common man would become a slave to them. This allowed the masses to keep more of their earnings, & created the middle class.
I'm dumbfounded by people who struggle, yet keep voting this class of vultures into power. They're being used with childish BS like 'prayer in schools', or 'gay marriage' emotionalism to get their votes, and they fall for it. They are sinking their own ship.
Which liberal website are you pasting from, ET?
Have you ever questioned that the 50% in the hands of 1% might be a bogus statistic.
Can you show some proof of this claim?
Report Says That the Rich Are Getting Richer Faster, Much Faster
The poorest fifth of households had total income of $383.4 billion in 2005, while just the increase in income for the top 1 percent came to $524.8 billion, a figure 37 percent higher.
The total income of the top 1.1 million households was $1.8 trillion, or 18.1 percent of the total income of all Americans, up from 14.3 percent of all income in 2003. The total 2005 income of the three million individual Americans at the top was roughly equal to that of the bottom 166 million Americans, analysis of the report showed.
All figures are from the Congressional Budget Office.
Corporate Wealth Share Rises for Top-Income Americans
In 2003 the top 1 percent of households owned 57.5 percent of corporate wealth, up from 53.4 percent the year before, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis of the latest income tax data. The top group's share of corporate wealth has grown by half since 1991, when it was 38.7 percent.
For every group below the top 1 percent, shares of corporate wealth have declined since 1991. These declines ranged from 12.7 percent for those on the 96th to 99th rungs on the income ladder to 57 percent for the poorest fifth of Americans, who made less than $16,300 and together owned 0.6 percent of corporate wealth in 2003, down from 1.4 percent in 1991.
From 1989: Top 1 percent holds 40 percent of wealth - U.S. inequality widening - Editorial
According to new studies reported last week in The New York Times, Federal Reserve figures from 1989, the most recent available, show that the wealthiest 1 percent of U.S. households -- with net worth of at least $2.3 million each -- owns nearly 40 percent of the nation's wealth. By contrast, the wealthiest 1 percent of the British population owns about 18 percent of the wealth there -- down from 59 percent in the early 1920s.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_...
I freely admit that I am projecting forward from the 1989 study and a more recent one in 2003 showing the percentage up to 43.2%. Applying the Bush tax cuts, which massively favored the wealthy, as well as cuts in capital gains and elimination of estate taxes, the number is now around the 50% mark. And the curve hasn't begun to level off. If you want to completely eliminate the middle class, vote for McCain and 4 more years of George Wealthy1st Bush.
This story has already been posted as have over 50 comments and over 100 votes...why is this one here?
"This story has already been posted as have over 50 comments and over 100 votes...why is this one here?"
Yeah, I noticed that, too. But, it's Propeller. The libs running it don't like to nix stories they love, even when they should.
That's why the left intact the blatantly false fairy tale about Rep. McHenry allegedly dressing down a US soldier when in fact he was speaking to a foreign contractor in Iraq.
If it fits their liberal agenda, they will leave it in place.
So, you couldnt find a 'conservative' site to post your whining on?
Damn lazy neocons not bright enough to develop their own social networking site?
Thats OK. You still have AM radio stations blasting .5 kilowatts of OPERATION CHAOS propaganda!
Meanwhile, I'm sure the vast liberal conspiracy will welcome your posts.
They are, after all, AGAINST censorship!
Not much of a surprise considering all you heaqr on the news is how bad our economy is doing and how we are doomed for a recession.
It's like the global warming crap, repeat something long enough (true or not) and people will blindly believe it.
I know the economy isn't doing as well as we would like but I also realize it isn't nearly as gloom and doom as certain media reports would like us to believe (keep em scared and they'll keep buying our papers)
newbie you are an idiot, you are new in every sense of the word. The ECONOMY is BAD. Wake up!
At least I can comprehend what I read:
"I know the economy isn't doing as well as we would like"
"I also realize it isn't nearly as gloom and doom as certain media reports would like us to believe"
Personal attacks aside, I know the economy is bad thank you very much. I don't need you to insult me and my monkier (very mature by the way) to tell me that.
Now if you'd like to have an adult discussion as to why you think it's so bad, I'd gladly counter with why I believe it's not nearly as bad as some people would like to say it is.
Maybe I was out of line calling you an idiot, but it is quite a fool thing to say that the economy is not as bad as it seems, when you have the unemployment at an all time high, when our companies/country owe China over 3 trillion, and a large and well established investment company goes under to the tune of 39 billion in cost to the tax payers. what do you need an anvil to fall on your head to know that the economy is bad. Yesterday the feds report a 4.2% downturn not growth...which indicates we are at the brink of a recession! Hence me calling you an idiot, what i should have said is you were ill informed if you think what you are saying to be true!
I just placed an AD for a $10 and hour job and i got reply from over 200 college grads with 20 masters and 3 PHD's in the mix don't you tell me about a damn good economy. 2 Days ago i tried to get in touch with an American company station in TX and some Indian had me on hold for 45 min, then told me that if i knew anyone at the company i would have the number to call and I am a business customer of of that company...well i was. call my company and you will get American Help! I am not against the rest of the world but charity begins at home.
You call me ill-informed then claim:
"you have the unemployment at an all time high"
These links seems to disagree with you:
http://www.bls.gov/cps/prev_yrs.htm (for years past)
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm (for current)
I count 38 out of the last 60 years having worse unemployment rate.
As for the rest, I'm all for stopping borrowing money from China. I'm all for cutting tax breaks to companies that outsource jobs that can be done in America, even more, I'm for penalizing them.
Those links would! Here is the trick Mr. ILL INFORMED. It's a lie. The unemployment roll is counted based on those collecting Unemployment not those who has fallen off and are unable to find jobs. Add that in and you have a colossal unemployment mess! Please do something other than go to GOP sites or listen to fox THEY LIE! They have been doing that for yearssssssss! I will say this, I am a LIB but I would be the first to vote for a Republican if I thought he/she would be good for my country, because to me that comes first my country. And for one to just look at this economy where bush himself agreed that it was in a mess, and the Feds concurred that we are in trouble, Japan is feeling it, all of Europe is too.
I have a question for you Newbie - Why did Bear, Stearns go under and why is our government that you think shouldn't do anything for the people spending 39 Billion of the money it took from those people to bale them out. I listen to you guys on the right and I wonder if you just talk because you can? If so, you should have had my Grandmother in your life she would have slap the silly out of you! This happened before with (Kidder Pee Body) under the first bush when we had the market crash in the late 1980's early 1990's.
If you think discussion is putting words in my mouth and insinuating I'm on the right you have much maturing to do my friend.
"why is our government that you think shouldn't do anything"
Please quote where I said anything like this.
"I listen to you guys on the right"
Never once voted republican (or dem) in my life
"you should have had my Grandmother in your life she would have slap the silly out of you"
oh, oh, oh yeah!!! My grandmother can beat up yours!!!
Adult discussion, what in the world was I thinking...
Too often there comes a time on this board when certain people just can't find a way to properly defend thier point of view, so they resort to personal attacks and the always popular, "Yeah, but what about Iraq and Bush". Do they ever wonder what they must look like to the rest of us who read thier thought processes?
So, to answer any objection, just start ranting about Iraq and Bush.
Newbie, I too can see the sluggishness of the economy. But I also can see that there aren't too many people lined up at the soup kitchens. Our economy is slow, not reversing. Therefore, we are NOT in a recession. The problem lies in that too many feel as though they are to be guaranteed a new Mercedes every two years and a Mcmansion and 4 weeks holiday. If they don't get it, they blame the government.
Show me in any government document that states that we are guaranteed prosperity?
I think I said "which indicates we are at the brink of a recession" I don't see how you get "we are in a recession" from the above! No one is suggesting that we are guaranteed prosperity, but we should expect our government to do a better job at providing a decent economy, the DEMS seems to know how to get that done, check your history. I think you should read Newbie's post that started all of this before jumping into this pot. Newbie can act above the fray but a snake is a snake and as for the downturn please do some research before disputing things you have no knowledge about! This government is CRAP one would have to be devoid of a brain to think otherwise.
Not a member? Sign-up today!
sterlingburt19681962
soulkeeper009
shawnmartinez1960
adrielh791966
Dan and Jennifer
alamala
Maeve1480
ChristiWright
ArnoldSaniya
RMalone
TamaraAshton
simonsez
doppich
bruhaha
boatmich
Ashmanit
gatitabonitasen
msaleem
MaryLynn_
dissent
ChristineSm
soloride
crespi
gamahuche
zaph22
deezin2
jaisin
prevajanje
splitrch
hdrkid
78)
"You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows."
B. Dylan
Shocker!
No Kiddin' .
I grew up middle class and still am and one thing I know is that today's "middle class" is just trying to pretend they're rich and can't sustain it. EVERYONE I know leases a car, maxes their credit cards to buy designer, nobody owns a darn thing, it's all borrowed. This is just stupid and pretentious.
I drive a mercedes, bought it used, five years old but looks new and drives like new and cost less than a new jeep. I don't need new car smell so this luxury I can afford.
Government needs to be in the business of running the country and not the business of subsidizing lifestyles.
mdual,
You're correct.
I consider myself middles class, but I haven't and can't afford a Mercedes at whatever price range - I drive a 13 year old Volvo 850 with no air here in Miami where public transportation is non-existent.
The only people I know that drive a lease have businesses of their own where they can't offset the cost against their taxes.
As far as the government subsidizing lifestyles, I don't know of anyone in the middle class - upper or lower - who's being subsidized by the Fed. But I do know of some upper class types, that can afford a new Mercedes every month, who definitely live off the Fed's largess. Does Jack Welch's name ring a bell? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Welch
The point is that many people (not poor) increasingly look to the government to bail them out of (knowingly) bad decisions.
The reason we don't have enough money to go around to those truly in need is that so many want a piece of the government pie and there just isn't enough pie.
Live within your means - that's what I'm saying, too many people just don't and then want help from someone when it all goes south.