“We should be concerned with the economic fate of flesh-and-blood human beings, not waxing indignant over the fate of abstract statistical brackets. Unless, of course, we are hustling for an expansion of the welfare state.” Thomas Sowell
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/342221/how-measure-social-mobility-thomas-sowell
And Thomas Sowell’s wise words should be heeded. Talk to some flesh and blood carpenters, electricians, secretaries, etc. about their economic fate over the last few years. If the conservative message to those folks is “You are a commie socialist lackey for being concerned that your wages have fallen in real terms over the past ten years,” then I guess we should just accustom ourselves to being perpetual losers.