General Discussion

Spider Jerusalem

(21,786 posts)

8. Nope.

Sat Apr 6, 2013, 05:41 PM

Apr 2013

"Blue-collar" jobs have always been working class. Everywhere in the English-speaking world except the US? If you get paid by the hour, if your job involves manual labour, if you spend the working day on your feet? You're working class, not middle class. The lower middle class are office workers, clerks, salesmen and such; the general middle class are professionals (doctors, lawyers, accountants); "middle" in the term "middle class" has never referred to "the broad middle of the population". (But thanks for illustrating my point about how working-class Americans have been convinced they're "middle class", even though it's not true.)

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Is "Chained CPI" a 50 year plan to put the former American middle class in chains? [View all] Faryn Balyncd Apr 2013 OP

seems like it. nt limpyhobbler Apr 2013 #1

It would be nice if people could use words in a way that had any meaning Spider Jerusalem Apr 2013 #2

I'm afraid I think the juxtaposition of post title and content is unfortunate... Donald Ian Rankin Apr 2013 #5

Not really, no Spider Jerusalem Apr 2013 #7

The term did mean something in the 1950s and 60s starroute Apr 2013 #6

Nope. Spider Jerusalem Apr 2013 #8

I understand why you're saying that -- but there are problems either way starroute Apr 2013 #10

it doesn't mean "middle of the income distribution", though. Spider Jerusalem Apr 2013 #11

I've gotten into some rhetorical jams on DU while discussing upper middle/middle class/working class KittyWampus Apr 2013 #9

Bingo! Eddie Haskell Apr 2013 #3

Are they chaining Congressional retirees? Downwinder Apr 2013 #4