America Crosses The Tipping Point: The Middle Class Is Now A Minority

 

Americans have long lived in a nation made up primarily of middle-class families, neither rich nor poor, but comfortable enough, notes NPR’s Marilyn Geewax, but this year – for the first time in US history, that changed. A new analysis of government data shows that as of 2015, middle-income households have become the minority, extending a multi-decade decline that confirms the hollowing out of society as 49% of all Americans now live in a home that receives money from the government each month. Sadly, the trends that are destroying the middle class in America just continue to accelerate.

Back in 1971, about 2 out of 3 Americans lived in middle-income households. Since then, the middle has been steadily shrinking.

The Detroitification of America

A 2010 article that couldn’t be more relevant today:

 

Like a forgotten downtown billboard, Detroit proclaims a warning about the rest of America for any who will stop and look.



If ever an American city was a warning for the nation, it is Detroit. Its crumbling mansions, overgrown boulevards and abandoned factories drive a message home to those who will pay attention. We cannot afford to ignore this once-great city. Why? What killed Detroit is killing America.

Detroit used to be synonymous with wealth and prosperity. It was a city humming with big-finned cars and Motown rhythms. Factories churned out products that ended up on store shelves around the world. Full employment empowered high salaries, flourishing schools and manicured storefronts, with flashy neon lights lining the boulevards. Multiple generations of families shared the same streets and barbecues.

5 Sure Signs the U.S. Economy is Finished

And the fact is, the gap between high- and low-income groups is the widest it has been in 100 years and the share of U.S. consumers who call themselves middle class has never been lower.But those aren’t the only signs the economy isn’t all that it’s cracked up be. In fact, there are five unmistakable signs the U.S. Economy is teetering on the brink.

Overall State of the Union – Unbiased Economics

The definition of the “rich” has become anyone who has investment income. Home ownership has declined since mortgages generally now want 20% down and taxes have risen. Of course, the socialists say this is not fair and the rich are getting richer yet this is not income from wages, but rather investment. The gains go predominantly to mutual funds and pensions not to mention foreign investment since retail participation has also declined since the Great Recession. This means the yelling and screaming is by no means reflecting a purely domestic situation. Furthermore, had Congress privatized Social Security long ago, then those funds would have been invested in the stock market so the very people they say are not participating would have a stake in the economy.