Class Consciousness Matters ....."In These Times"

[stevebreeze]

Great article about class discussions missing from the recent series on class in America.


<snip>
Class Consciousness Matters
What’s missing from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal
By David Moberg



The myth of the self-made man is American culture's own special heart of darkness, helping to explain both its infectious optimism and ruthless greed. The idea holds enough truth and seductiveness to make it easy to forget its delusional dangers. To reprise Marx's famous formulation, individuals, like humankind, do make their own personal history, but not under conditions they choose. But in America, we choose to ignore the caveat about conditions at our peril.
<snip>....


...<snip>
But even if there were mobility, such inequality would be problematic. Is it fair that society's wealth be divided so unevenly? Isn't there a decent standard of living--rising as economies become wealthier--to which everyone who "works hard and plays by the rules," in the Clintonian formulation, should be entitled? Great social disparity means that the financially well-off use their money and greater political leverage to protect their privilege rather than to design policies for the common good.
...<snip>

Link
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2175/

[barb162]

1. For much of our history, a self made man existed. Not now.

Rising in class was a lot easier 50 years ago than today. There is little movement between classes these days.

[Matilda]

2. Except downwards.

I see Australia as a reflection of US society, and there's no doubt
that here too, the middle class is slowly being squeezed downward.

[barb162]

3. The middle class is disappearing here although there is still

a great presence of it. What's happening is middle middle is slowing going to lower middle as good paying jobs disappear forever to the Far East and elsewhere. Then the lower middle is stepping down to lower. Without a middle class, there cannot be a well-functioning republic form of government. Nothing good can come of this. Nothing.

There was a wonderful set of articles in the NY Times or someplace a few years ago on the increasing lack of upward mobilty in US society the last several years. It was well-documented statistically.

As I write this, there was an article today in the local paper that the place my brother has worked the last 30 years is closing its doors. It has been there 90 plus years and the remaining 500 people will be out of jobs as they move production elsewhere. He won't be able to find a job at his age. This is going on all over the country. Too many people are just sliding downwards. The lucky ones are still holding on to their jobs. I don't see how there won't be a depression. I am sorry to hear this is happening in your country too.

[Dirk39]

4. Except across the Atlantic

I see Germany as a reflection of US society, and there's no doubt
that here too, the middle class is slowly being squeezed downward.
These numbers are from the European Commission:

Growth of Real wages in Europe and the U.S.A. from 1995-2004 in %:
Sveden: 25,4
U.K.: 25,2
USA: 19,6
Irland: 19,4
Denmark: 15,6
Netherlands:11,9
French: 8,4
EU 15 average: 7,4
Belgium: 6,4
Spain: 5,4
Austria:2,8
Italy: 2.0
Germany: -0,9

http://www.boeckler.de/pdf/pm_ta_2005_06_13.pdf

It feels so Weimar here in Germany these neoliberal days,
Dirk