cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/9299269

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/12/06/top-1-american-earners-more-wealth-middle-class/71769832007/

  • kredditacc@lemmygrad.ml
    ·
    7 months ago

    Wtf is this "middle class" anyway? How do you define it? And where is the line?

    The classes I learned from my schools and university is simpler: If you work, you are the worker. If you exploit the worker, you are a capitalist.

    • Juice [none/use name]
      ·
      7 months ago

      We never learned about classes in school. My son was taught explicitly that the US was not a class society. Class is a vibe.

      Shorthand for middle class is whether someone owns or could "own" a house

      • SoyViking [he/him]
        ·
        7 months ago

        We never learned about classes either. We did learn about consumer segments, what papers they read and what brands of cigarettes they smoked.

        • Juice [none/use name]
          ·
          7 months ago

          Right, its interesting because a class (by this definition) is an affectation. Its a brand identity, it is a level of access that you can aspire to (or lose.)

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmy.ml
      ·
      7 months ago

      Right, middle class is a nebulous idea that doesn't really have much meaning behind it. I agree that class membership derives its meaning from the relations in society. If majority of the income comes from the capital the individual owns then they're a member of the capitalist class, and if majority of their income comes from their labour then they're a member of the working class. These two classes have contradictory interests since capital owners act as employers of the workers.