this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2024
59 points (100.0% liked)

askchapo

22766 readers
459 users here now

Ask Hexbear is the place to ask and answer ~~thought-provoking~~ questions.

Rules:

  1. Posts must ask a question.

  2. If the question asked is serious, answer seriously.

  3. Questions where you want to learn more about socialism are allowed, but questions in bad faith are not.

  4. Try [email protected] if you're having questions about regarding moderation, site policy, the site itself, development, volunteering or the mod team.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Sorry for this question. I am still learning.

Something that has always bothered me is how much u.s. politicians obsess over helping the middle class. Seems like the two major parties talk about it a lot. Why do they endlessly talk about helping the middle class, but never seem to acknowledge or focus on helping the (lower?) or poverty or proletariat class?

To me it sounds like the middle class by definition should be not be as in need as other classes that don't have as much? What's the purpose of this?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] [email protected] 18 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

One thing I've heard from Americans is that what everyone else calls 'working class' they call 'middle class'. This is probably due to a hope that one day they will 'make it big', and a reluctance to see themselves as 'below average'.

[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

one thing i've noticed in british political discourse is that "middle class" is still used, but it emphatically does not include the working masses. my sense is that it encapsulates professionals and petty bourgeoisie, as well as having more rigid cultural identity connotations? and then "upper class" is like, multimillionaires and people with titles? someone tells me if i'm off here.