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Why do u.s. politicians obsess over helping the middle class? (hexbear.net)

submitted 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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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?

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

The "middle class" is an extremely nebulous class of people mostly defined by vibes, and since most people don't want to identify as outright poor, they like to identify as middle class since it's basically open to anybody due to how vague it is.

Poor people will call themselves middle class (maybe qualify it as "lower middle class"), wealthy people will call themselves middle class (maybe qualify it as "upper middle class"), and so politicians can make hollow but safe appeals to this nebulous class that tons of people identify as, but which nobody really coherently belongs too.

So basically, "I will help the middle class" is speaking to no-one, because the middle class doesn't really exist, but people will hear it and think you're speaking to them.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

this. it's a rhetorical tool that misidentifies the interests of the working class with those of the owning class.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 hours ago

...with the goal of suppressing class consciousness, and dividing workers. The same is true of anti-immigration rhetoric, sexism, and racism. "See that 'other' kind of person over there? They want what's yours." It all distracts from the capitalists robbing us blind.