I Believe it is Time to Start Asking the Correct Questions

[Sekhmets Daughter]

4. It is the huge segment of the population

that fills in the space between the bottom 20% and the top 20% of income. Years ago it was further broken down to working class, middle class, and upper middle class. Working class people were generally blue collar workers, the middle class was made up of skilled labor and lower level management. Upper middle class was your middle level to upper level management, small business owners, successful sales people, and young professionals. It is a fluid classification at best. The Income stagnation of the past 35 years has screwed up everything. Politicians know exactly what it is, they won't say because they are largely responsible for driving a huge swath of the population right into poverty.

In 2010 the median wage in the US was $26,364...to put that in perspective, when my skilled laborer/lower level management father retired in 1971 he was earning $19,900. The same groceries that you could buy for $20. in 1971 today cost $107.68. That's a very grim picture.