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Trouble ahead for the American middle class
Free Republic | may 16, 2006 | jim shirreffs

Posted on 05/16/2006 9:05:47 AM PDT by jpsb

I have for many years now, been warning of the age old battle between the super rich and the middle class. Only in the usa during the 19th and 20th century, did the middle class win that battle. During the 19th and 20th century in the usa the power of the super wealthy was curtailed. Government enacted laws that protected the middle class and encouraged exspandsion of the middle class.

Anti-trust laws prevented the super rich from gaining control over entire industries. Today these laws are ignored. Labor laws enabled workers to bargain for a living wage. Today these laws are ignored. Trade laws protected American manurfacturs and labor from unfair foreign competition. Today these laws are ignored.

The super wealthy gained control of the government via lobbyists arguing corporate interests over middle class interests.

Also interesting to note that the poor class always sides with the super rich, since the super rich give the poor bread and circus.

Why do the super always fear the middle class? Because a middle class can threaten the interests of the rich. A middle class that has it own means of generating wealth is not dependent on the rich, it's a wild card that might very well sack the rich.

Ever wonder why the wealth generating machines of the usa (manufacturing) are being moved overseas? Wonder no more, the rich want to break the back of the American middle class by taking away the middle classes ability to generate wealth. Ever wonder why the rich want to flood the usa with uneducated poor from totarian nations? Wonder one more, these people will be the hammer that will enforce the policies the rich (government) want enforced. Publicly objects to government policies like bilingualism or immigration or entitlements for the poor and you will get your ass kicked by the "new" Americans.

This is what is happening, the global monied elites do not give a damn about the usa or it citizens. The global monied elite in control of our government see the uppity American middle class and it quaint Constitution as a threat. We that believe in the Constitution, G*d and the rule of Constitutional law are about to be made extinct so that the world will be a safe place for the elite families of the world and thier coporate/government servants.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: classwarfare; communism; comrade; democratplaybook; envy; jealousy; karlmarx; populistidiocy; stupidvanity; votebolshevik; workersunite; yerdrunk; zot
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To: jpsb
"Ever wonder why the rich want to flood the usa with uneducated poor from totarian nations?"

Hmm... tot-arian nations would be those that are run by infants?
41 posted on 05/16/2006 9:44:40 AM PDT by ketelone
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To: jpsb
It's worth noting that these industries in which "only a handful of companies compete" are actually among the least profitable industries in the U.S.

One of the defining characteristics of the U.S. over the last 50-60 years is that small companies generally offer far better growth potential than large ones.

42 posted on 05/16/2006 9:44:58 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (Can money pay for all the days I lived awake but half asleep?)
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To: jpsb

Shiny side out, shiny side out - the tinfoil hat should be shiny side out...


43 posted on 05/16/2006 9:46:27 AM PDT by talleyman (Kerry & the Surrender-Donkey Treasoncrats - trashing the troops for 40 years.)
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To: Centurion2000
The Republican Party is the party of the middle class not, as the Democrats would have it, "the party of the rich."

The richest senators are Democrats, the owners of newspapers are Democrats, and Warren Buffet and Bill Gates and other limo liberals are Democrats. Limo liberals definitely do use the Democratic Party to wield the poor (defined as anyone who is willing to be patronized as "poor" by rich Democrats) against the middle class.


44 posted on 05/16/2006 9:47:44 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which liberalism coheres is that NOTHING actually matters except PR.)
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To: Alberta's Child
Most societies had a small middle class. It was mainly the professionals that the wealthy needed. Doctors, lawyers, priests, etc, and merchants in societies that allow merchants.However these (merchants) were purged from time to time should they gain to much wealth.
45 posted on 05/16/2006 9:48:10 AM PDT by jpsb
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To: Rippin
The cost of health care is killing the middle class . . .

This is really a myth. What is "killing the middle class" is that our expectations for health care far exceed our ability to pay for it.

46 posted on 05/16/2006 9:48:39 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (Can money pay for all the days I lived awake but half asleep?)
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To: jpsb

Very interesting and truthful.

In researching history, one thing that pops out at me is that the various "red" revolutions, from France to Russia to Spain, all came from the dissatisfied upper crust and lower class, and often went against the middle class.

Similar trends are shaping up here.


47 posted on 05/16/2006 9:50:59 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: Lunatic Fringe

Haven't you heard? Since Chicago outlawed goose pate, the super rich are eating the livers of middle class children.


48 posted on 05/16/2006 9:53:54 AM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Why are protectionists so bad at math?)
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To: A. Pole
Workers overseas are cheaper because their cost (and standard) of living is lower.

In other words, they gouge the American public much less than American workers.

49 posted on 05/16/2006 9:54:15 AM PDT by mc6809e
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To: Alberta's Child
This is really a myth. What is "killing the middle class" is that our expectations for health care far exceed our ability to pay for it.

O.K., how about the way we pay for health care is damaging competitiveness and depressing wages and discouraging entrepreneurism, and discouraging legal hires, and causing the middle class to be dissatisfied with decent wages when they have no health benefits. It will soon be close to 20% of GDP. Too much.

50 posted on 05/16/2006 9:54:42 AM PDT by Rippin
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To: jpsb
Only a hand full of companies now "compete" in many industries. Take the oil industry as an example.

That's funny. I think Exxon/Mobil has 8% of the gas market in the US. No competition there.

51 posted on 05/16/2006 9:56:21 AM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Why are protectionists so bad at math?)
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To: redgolum
"In researching history, one thing that pops out at me is that the various "red" revolutions, from France to Russia to Spain, all came from the dissatisfied upper crust and lower class, and often went against the middle class. "

Yes that is exactly right and it is true of the freer societies of the ancient world also.

52 posted on 05/16/2006 9:56:46 AM PDT by jpsb
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To: WhiteGuy
Very thoughtful.

It is, if you're a class-warfare Democrat.

Or a Bircher.

53 posted on 05/16/2006 9:57:56 AM PDT by sinkspur ( OK. You've had your drink. Now why don't you tell your Godfather what everybody else already knows?)
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To: ketelone
Hmm... tot-arian nations would be those that are run by infants?

ROFLMAO!!!

54 posted on 05/16/2006 10:02:27 AM PDT by sinkspur ( OK. You've had your drink. Now why don't you tell your Godfather what everybody else already knows?)
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To: jpsb
You misidentify the ruling class, a common mistake. It isn't the super rich but what James Burnham called the managerial class, the bureaucrats in the government, academia, and, above all, the medias. The self-described intellectual elite. Most are upper-middle class, though some may be filthy rich. Certainly a large part of their motivation is the never ending struggle to prove their moral and intellectual superiority over the middle class and to separate themselves from that dreaded swamp. It is more about status than wealth. Someone posted an essay by Tom Wolfe that has some interesting points on this subject.
55 posted on 05/16/2006 10:05:34 AM PDT by jordan8
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To: 1rudeboy

The Heritage Foundation? Nothing from EPI showing wages have dropped 30% since 1972?


56 posted on 05/16/2006 10:05:59 AM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Why are protectionists so bad at math?)
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To: mc6809e
In other words, they gouge the American public much less than American workers.

American workers ARE the American public. Higher wages mean higher standard of living and bigger consumer market.

Economy is not a zero sum game - lower wages can lead to the contraction of economy and lower profits for the well off.

57 posted on 05/16/2006 10:06:07 AM PDT by A. Pole (GWB believes that "guest worker" program will satisfy economy needs for cheap and plentiful labour.)
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To: jpsb
It is my understanding that many millions in Asia are becomming wealthy via manurfacturing. Am I mistaken?

No, I never said that you were. But I guarantee you that it's not the average line worker.

Am I mistaken that millions have become wealthy, perhaps many tens of millions, and again, depending upon our definition of "wealthy," in the service sector/industry?

Have you seen government pay scales recently as well?

Either way, I'm sure that if we use the definition of "wealthy" that you apply to chinese manufacturing workers and managers, my side of this argument will fare extremely well.

58 posted on 05/16/2006 10:06:16 AM PDT by Fruitbat
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To: Rippin
The cost of health care is killing the middle class and its all government generated in one way or another.

Employers are absorbing much of the increase in the cost of benefits, especially healthcare, which is why total compensation for all workers is increasing.

See post #35 for a better description.

59 posted on 05/16/2006 10:13:31 AM PDT by Mase
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To: jpsb
The wealthy in this country have nothing to gain from destroying the middle class.Nothing! Quite the opposite is true,in fact.

The "victims" of this country,almost all of whom vote democRAT,believe that they do.

60 posted on 05/16/2006 10:15:26 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative
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