Are you an 'avg' American? How do you yourself define 'avg american'?

[The Straight Story]

How do you see Americans on average and how does that parlay into other things (like how you see political issues, voting, et al)?

Avg American to me - well I work for a large bank and outside of those walls I keep to myself. I see two things which I guess to me average out in some ways.

1. The hood I grew up in. People here are working class red neck type folks not making much a year. Avg House in the hood is about 90k on top side (mine was 93k). There are only about 50 houses in the whole neighborhood.
- People here are interestingly enough split on many things political as far as the person they vote for, but on the whole seem similar on issues. Things like being able to build what you want on your property, having garage sales without a permit, burning things - and so on. Key word here is freedom to the individual from the shackles of that damn ever growing government that wants to mould you into their image of how you should be.

2. Work - Yuppieville but interestingly enough a mix of pro/con bush people. Most have a hard line on working and doing your personal best to achieve in life, but some are from companies that screwed them over and know the score (ie, corporate life sucks, use it for your own needs only).
- Most people I have met seem to see the haves and have nots as divided along lines of those who want to work hard and make a living and those who do not. I myself interview and hire engineers on a regular basis and can see where that comes from on some levels. I hire people in who just don't seem to care and don't want to work while others bust their butts. Those that work make the cut from contract to hire, those that don't I go fishing - and that is because of the choices they made.

I have lived poor, on welfare, made 3.35/hr for sometime, now about 10 times that. Been all over the spectrum.

To me the avg american I have met sees the government as a greedy beast wanting more while at the same time pissed off at government for not doing more to help them when they need it to get by. Corporations are seen to be as bad as the government - waste a lot and don't care about the little guy. The * wet dream, use people and don't do anything to help them when they need it - but when you need bodies for war or money you suck it from the little guy. You need him - he better be there. He needs you, well it is his fault he is in the situation he is so screw him (and if we say screw you to govt we end up in jail it seems....)

[ClarkUSA]

1. Very thoughtful.

I wish I had the energy to do your question justice but I don't.