Poor Prospects in a "Middle Class" Society

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http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/18255-poor-prospects-in-a-middle-class-society

Gary Lapon sets out the facts about a country where 'have-nots' outnumber 'haves'.
One of the biggest myths about the United States is that it's a mostly "middle class" society, with poverty confined to a minority of the population.

The reality is exactly the opposite: The vast majority of people in the United States will experience poverty and economic insecurity for a significant portion of their lives.

A recent Associated Press feature article--relying on data from an exhaustive survey to be published next year by Oxford University Press--has put this in stark terms: Around four out of every five people in the U.S. will endure unemployment, receive food stamps and other forms of government aid, and/or have an income below 150 percent of the official poverty line for at least one year of their lives before age 60.

That startling statistic shows the truth about a society where there are a lot more have-nots or have-littles than have-enoughs. But there are so many other myths and misconceptions about poverty in America. For example, the AP and Oxford statistics show that while people of color suffer economic difficulties at disproportionately high rates, large numbers of whites fall into the same category. Similarly, more whites benefit from social programs such as welfare and food stamps than any other group.

These facts contradict the racist stereotypes about who is poor or at risk of falling into poverty. And they underline the reality that the vast majority of Americans of all races are in the same boat--they scramble to get by, at best--while only a small minority of people live comfortably throughout their lives, and a tiny few are obscenely rich.

[Squinch]

1. If the average American would understand this, everything would change.

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2. Sadly, it is blocked by so much propaganda and misinformation. Often, I think, the

successful presidential candidate of the future could sail into office with a message like this. Sadly, often, too much attention is paid to just monied interests, so our government drifts further and further from a government for people, but rather one just for the pursuit of $$$$$ for a select group.

It will not bode well, eventually, in the future. It is not sustainable in the big picture and will lead to considerable chaos.

Money MUST be removed from the political process.

[Squinch]

3. In history, when there is too much money in it, it generally self destructs, or is

destroyed by those disenfranchised by the lack of money. The only thing that differs is whether it is peaceful or violent, and the vast majority of the time it is violent.

I hope we are smarter than that.

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5. I hope so, but I'm often appalled by the hateful angry rhetoric one often hears. n/t

[Igel]

9. No it wouldn't.

It's saying that 4/5 of Americans will, by the time they're 60 have
been unemployed
received government
or had income <= 150% of poverty for at least 1 year

Let's assume that the "for at least one year" applies to all of the options. It's ambiguous as it stands.

That includes pretty much everybody I know. None are currently poor. But they've been to college or grad school. They've been unemployed for a few months here or there, enough to total a year. Some have received government assistance, esp. if in grad school and a single mother.

Heck, a lot have been post docs.

In fact, not only are most not currently poor, but they've rarely been poor and would look back at the times they were under 150% of the poverty level and not consider themselves poor at the time. It's one thing to be between jobs 4 times for 3 months each and another to think yourself "poor"; or to be working on your post-doc research and not see it as a temporary state that constitutes more of an investment (even if you'd really like a $20k/year raise).

[leveymg]

4. The illusions that came with the post-WW2 American Empire are just about spent.

Back to the Depression which we crawled out of only due to World War Two mass mobilization. What we came to know as middle-class affluence lingered only so long as we we maintained Cold War Keynesian spending. We could afford that for a while because we were the only major power that wasn't bombed to rubble, and so long as we could muscle what other countries didn't want to give us.

We can't get by muscling our way through, anymore.

Now, we ain't the only game in town. Back to the Big Rock Candy Mountain.

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6. Yeah, that is the path we are currently on ... just on the back of a napkin the

delusion we are trying to prop up makes absolutely no sense. And the divides in the country don't want to articulate a better course, they are blinded by greed and selfishness. I fear it will fall apart violently. Apparently, so does TPTB, they are not stupid, as militarization of police continues.

[leveymg]

7. The only thing the TPTB think will save them is the rest of the world may implode before us

Given the dramatic spike in millionaire visas (mostly Chinese), I'd say there may be something to that.

Rats fleeing all over the place. It's gonna get ugly before it gets uglier.

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8. History repeats, there is too much unrest in the world to see this ending well, and

those with the wealth are fleeing as you say ... despite the fact so much wealth is built on leveraged vapor ... many of them will not do well as this caves in, eventually. ... as they full well know.

[CrispyQ]

10. I've posted this a few times on FB, but I guess six & a half minutes is just too long for most folks

The graphs are stunning. It points out what Americans think the ideal wealth distribution should be, what they think it is & what it actually is.