Political Forums - Why Aren't We Having a Middle Class Revolt?

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Why Aren't We Having a Middle Class Revolt?

I've been asking myself the same question.

I think the author raises some valid points, but I would add that the Plutocrats have managed via their right wing propaganda machine to successfully divide the public by convincing a large percentage of them that they are being screwed not by them, but by "those people".

I think this graphic demonstrates it quite well.

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/z...publican-1.jpg

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-pol...age=1#bookmark

Quote:

Our incomes are declining, the ranks of the poor are swelling, and almost all the new wealth goes to the wealthiest. So why aren't Americans rebelling against the system?

People ask me all the time why we don’t have a revolution in America, or at least a major wave of reform similar to that of the Progressive Era or the New Deal or the Great Society.

Middle incomes are sinking, the ranks of the poor are swelling, almost all the economic gains are going to the top, and big money is corrupting our democracy. So why isn’t there more of a ruckus?

The answer is complex, but three reasons stand out.

First, the working class is paralyzed with fear it will lose the jobs and wages it already has.

In earlier decades, the working class fomented reform. The labor movement led the charge for a minimum wage, 40-hour workweek, unemployment insurance, and Social Security.

No longer. Working people don’t dare. The share of working-age Americans holding jobs is now lower than at any time in the last three decades and 76 percent of them are living paycheck to paycheck.

No one has any job security. The last thing they want to do is make a fuss and risk losing the little they have.

Besides, their major means of organizing and protecting themselves — labor unions — have been decimated. Four decades ago more than a third of private-sector workers were unionized. Now, fewer than 7 percent belong to a union.

Second, students don’t dare rock the boat.

In prior decades students were a major force for social change. They played an active role in the Civil Rights movement, the Free Speech movement, and against the Vietnam War.

But today’s students don’t want to make a ruckus. They’re laden with debt. Since 1999, student debt has increased more than 500 percent, yet the average starting salary for graduates has dropped 10 percent, adjusted for inflation. Student debts can’t be cancelled in bankruptcy. A default brings penalties and ruins a credit rating.

To make matters worse, the job market for new graduates remains lousy. Which is why record numbers are still living at home.

Reformers and revolutionaries don’t look forward to living with mom and dad or worrying about credit ratings and job recommendations.

Third and finally, the American public has become so cynical about government that many no longer think reform is possible.

When asked if they believe government will do the right thing most of the time, fewer than 20 percent of Americans agree. Fifty years ago, when that question was first asked on standard surveys, more than 75 percent agreed

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more here

Because the Republicans have the middle class feeling guilty for what they've done to the rich.

Until this changes, the gap will continue to grow.

Dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Joad (Post 190926)

Why Aren't We Having a Middle Class Revolt?

Because the Middle Class is no longer the election deciding class: it doesn't matter if we do revolt. :(

This middle class person is too busy working her butt off for a revolt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by barbara (Post 190965)

This middle class person is too busy working her butt off for a revolt.

Lol! This one too.:D

Quote:

Originally Posted by barbara (Post 190965)

This middle class person is too busy working her butt off for a revolt.

Yes, this was my immediate response.

Quote:

Originally Posted by barbara (Post 190965)

This middle class person is too busy working her butt off for a revolt.

Good point.

The charismatic leaders with a good plan are pretty nonexistent also. The average Joe (me included) has no idea how to implement and finance that type of movement, If the right person/people would/could start a promising movement, I think they might actually get pretty strong support.

The agitators of past eras were influenced heavily by sociali$ts and communists from Europe.

the people coming in now are rightists, anti sociali$ts, fascists even.

Because right now your life is still to cushy.
When your willing to go out of the house with the mindset that your willing to die thats when.

When a country starts uprisings it's generally around 50% of the population out of work. With high inflation and food shortages, people just can't buy food.

This has been happening all over the world and will continue. Arab spring, Greece, Ukraine the list goes on and on. The 50% unemployment with the youth always seems to contribute to it. Don't worry the US is getting very close.

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/z...publican-1.jpg

The photo is funny to me because I look at it as the worker can vote Dem or Rep it doesn't matter. And the one holding the money bag is the Bankster and they don't vote for anybody. They control the system and who gets voted in, the politician can stay if the do there bidding.

As California is having a sever drought and the rest of the breadbasket is freezing think about this older survey.

Provisions Shortage Sparked Arab Spring
http://aheadoftheherd.com/Newsletter...rab-Spring.htm

“Social unrest may reflect a variety of factors such as poverty, unemployment, and social injustice. Despite the many possible contributing factors, the timing of violent protests in North Africa and the Middle East in 2011 as well as earlier riots in 2008 coincides with large peaks in global food prices.” M. Lagi, K.Z. Bertrand and Y. Bar-Yam, "The Food Crises and Political Instability in North Africa and the Middle East" New England Complex Systems Institute

Population growth and increasing demand for food supplies go hand in hand. Unfortunately yield increases have generally leveled off and supply is barely keeping up with demand. The fact is, that today, we’re one poor harvest, one Black Swan event away from a food supply catastrophe and a repeat of the food shortages that caused the Arab Spring. These facts should be on everyone’s radar screen. Are they on yours?