The middle class is also working more hours than ever before:

[rodeodance]

The Third Way adds: "...While economic conservatism is premised on the myths of an infallible market and incompetent government, neo-populism is premised on the myths of a failing middle class, a declining America, and omnipotent corporations." I call that independent populism, not neo-populism. And I also call that truth.

The middle class is also working more hours than ever before: Thirty years ago Americans worked an average of 43 weeks, but now U.S. workers are putting in an average of 47 weeks per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's in stark contrast to the rest of the industrialized world, where the number of hours worked in all other countries except for Canada has decreased over the past 30 years, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reported.

About one-third of the families in this country bring in less than $35,000 of income each year, according to the Census Bureau, a figure that's nowhere close to ensuring the quality of life and standard of living to which many Americans have grown accustomed. I fear the American Dream may finally become the American Pipe Dream.......

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/20/Dobbs.February21/index.html?section=cnn_topstories&eref=yahoo

These families at the bottom of the wage scale are really struggling. According to the Federal Reserve's most recent comprehensive Survey of Consumer Finances (released every three years), average family income from 2001 to 2004 fell 2.3 percent, and the median net worth of the bottom 40 percent of families declined as well. And real median wages declined by more than 6 percent during the same period.

[KarenS]

1. Meanwhile, in Washington DC

the Senate&House never vote against their automatic raises, Republicans whine if they have to work on Saturdays, Bush has taken more 'vacation' days than any other president, the top 1% enjoys their huge tax breaks and Bush's Legacy War is taking our children's and grandchildren's money,,,, I could go on and on,,,,
:mad:

[The2ndWheel]

2. The middle class lifestyle is going to destroy the habitat

Well, the wealthy lifestyle will. But the middle class lifestyle is envious of the wealthy lifestyle, and has as much right to it as anyone. The middle class lifestyle by definition requires a lower class to exist, and needs to help that class as much as it can(guilt, fear of falling into it, or whatever reason), since the wealthy class exists only because of a lower class and doesn't want to change that.

So you've got the wealthy class always getting more, the middle class always demanding more, and the lower class being pulled along because both lifestyles need it to be there.

Now you've got 1/3 of the human population in China and India wanting at least a middle class lifestyle, and they have as much right to that luxury as anyone.

Not sure how everyone growing and consuming at an ever increasing rate is going to help. Unless the plan is to destroy the environment before it has a chance to destroy us. We do still die, and I think we hate nature for that reason.

[DaveJ]

6. Thank you, that's what I have wanted to say for a long time!!!!

I think there may actually be a conspiracy to keep the middle class down, because if they got all they wanted, they would destroy the world. People give no thought to taking airline vacations, even brag about them, not to mention all the other consumables they waste. I really don't even trust Dems, Libs, Repukes, not anyone to moderate their lifestyles if they had more money to spend.

However, there must be ways to create a fair society without a wasteful one. I mentioned them below, namely, fair housing opportunities, fair wages in comparison to work, and of course equal access to health care. At the moment, very little is fair. The have's are most often little more skilled than the have-nots. The have's might as well be called the "lucky's" in at least half the cases.

[Mrspeeker]

3. What Middle class???

that was gone in the 90's

[DaveJ]

4. My country in a country theory

It appears we have a 3rd world country inside of a 1st world nation, except that our 3rd world is not defined by geographical borders.

This problem cannot be solved until big businesses take responsibility in this matter. At the same time, it is not difficult for government to also persuade business leaders to stop gouging Americans.

Specifically, we need corporations to show community responsibility. They are not just in business to turn a profit but to keep communities alive, so refusing to pay livable wages to their hard workers is not acceptable. There is also no reason for housing costs to be so high -- I know people fortunate enough to own property want to see their 'investments' skyrocket, but people need shelter, and paying over half one's income to rent property they will never even own is also unacceptable. Then there is the matter of all the people who have jobs that are relatively easy for anyone to do (I won't name names), yet they expect to get paid a premium -- that's ludicrous.

There are a lot of specific things that could be done to fix the precarious state we're in. If nothing is done, then there really is no point being proud of this country anymore.

[BluePatriot]

8. Thanks for the label.

"Country in a country" is a good way to put it. Heck, there's even an entire underground economy here.

[cdnwannabe]

5. It's ALWAYS been a pipe dream, to the vast majority of this country....

this is why conservative policies and viewpoints are so ridiculous. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, they say. Well, let's say every single american took their advice and got a better education (assuming that they could afford it or even had the time if they are working multiple jobs to get by). Where are all the better paying jobs coming from? Wal-Mart???

As for working more hours, what's point if you don't have the time to enjoy the extra money?

[MissMarple]

7. They also said more mothers have to work to pay for the basics

whether they want to or not. And mostly they have low wage jobs.