Middle Class Extinction

The television news and political commentary I watch, and the print news, magazines and books I read, and the information I view on the internet, plus my own personal experience all combine to give me the sinking feeling that the middle class is on its way out.

At a minimum, the middle class is being seriously eroded, especially over the last 2 years, but prior to that as well. If the current rate of erosion doesn't stop and actually turn around, the middle class will be on its way to becoming extinct. If that happens, watch out. The world will be composed of two classes: the super-rich and the super-poor.

I am so convinced in this regard that I don't feel the need or desire to do a bunch of research that would prove this discomfiting feeling beyond the shadow of a doubt. The cumulative picture is pretty damn clear. But today the CBS show "Sunday Morning" cited these statistics from the US Census Bureau, and they prove my gut fears:

- the American poverty rate is 14.3%, the highest it's been in 15 years.

- 4 million more Americans fell into poverty last year, increasing the total number living in poverty from 40 million to 44 million. This means 1 in 7 Americans live in poverty. The child poverty rate is 1 in 5.

- The number of Americans without health insurance climbed from 46 million to 51 million last year.

I've no doubt that Canada and Europe have the exact same sort of issues, except for the health insurance problem (thank goodness).

And what about the millions upon millions of people hovering just on the edge of the poverty stats? That is a really scary thought. The world's economic woes are far from over; we will never be out of the woods.

People all over are experiencing these fears, and reacting in different ways. These fears are probably at the root of the "Tea Party" movement in the US that is currently accused of "hijacking" the Republican party. Movements like this are polarizing and cloud the real issues we all need to grapple with.

Constructive, democratic, consensus-building leadership is under serious threat as the politics and political style (negative campaigning, fear mongering, "attack" politics that disregard the facts etc.) continue to proliferate and succeed. But, as long as people are deeply angry and scared witless, and are without any better leadership ideas and options, they will continue to rally to the simplistic and polarizing wings as it makes them feel better and that they are doing something.

Unfortunately, while they are busy raging and splintering society, the very things they seek to protect (jobs, economic security, freedom to pursue happiness etc.) continue to fade away.

A major, collective attitude adjustment is needed, one that the recent wake-up calls (e.g., economic collapse) have failed to produce. But will it happen?

Todo bien. (It's all good.)