Comments on: What’s Wrong With WANTING to Be in the Middle Class? http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/wordpress/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/ Helping You Kick the Credit Habit, One Good Idea at a Time Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:56:04 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: rosc http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/wordpress/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-2734 rosc Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:28:53 +0000 http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/#comment-2734 Classism also imposes limitations on people, limits their resources and opportunities. In the US, this is largely seen in the form of land ownership. Let's face it, there's a very large number of us "middle class" who cannot even afford a home. The "american way of life" is in decline for a great many. We've been largely duped, and sorry to say we do NOT have a free market in this society - we have a prviliged few who exploit the resources of the land and exploit labor with subsistance wages. They are privilged, government does things to favor them, while hobbling the lower classes. For the lower classes, government serves very little useful purpose - police? They won't be there to stop you from being robbed or assaulted. Courts? Good luck getting a judgement in your favor without an expensive attorney. Military? Oh let's not even go there. We all know the US military is not acting in self-defense, it's just an instrument for those privileged fellows who are reaping mass profits (at the expense of the younger generations.) Maybe when people stop daydreaming about "working their way to wealth" and learn how to work outside the "official" markets (eg, stop using paper money!!) - then things will begin improving. Cos if you're waiting for some miracle, you'll die waiting. Classism also imposes limitations on people, limits their resources and opportunities. In the US, this is largely seen in the form of land ownership. Let’s face it, there’s a very large number of us “middle class” who cannot even afford a home. The “american way of life” is in decline for a great many. We’ve been largely duped, and sorry to say we do NOT have a free market in this society – we have a prviliged few who exploit the resources of the land and exploit labor with subsistance wages. They are privilged, government does things to favor them, while hobbling the lower classes. For the lower classes, government serves very little useful purpose – police? They won’t be there to stop you from being robbed or assaulted. Courts? Good luck getting a judgement in your favor without an expensive attorney. Military? Oh let’s not even go there. We all know the US military is not acting in self-defense, it’s just an instrument for those privileged fellows who are reaping mass profits (at the expense of the younger generations.)

Maybe when people stop daydreaming about “working their way to wealth” and learn how to work outside the “official” markets (eg, stop using paper money!!) – then things will begin improving. Cos if you’re waiting for some miracle, you’ll die waiting.

]]> By: Carnival of Debt Reduction #137 - Graduation Edition — Broke Grad Student http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/wordpress/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-1770 Carnival of Debt Reduction #137 - Graduation Edition — Broke Grad Student Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:06:39 +0000 http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/#comment-1770 [...] examines an intriguing topic in What’s Wrong With WANTING to Be in the Middle Class? at Credit Withdrawal - Helping You Kick the Credit [...] [...] examines an intriguing topic in What’s Wrong With WANTING to Be in the Middle Class? at Credit Withdrawal – Helping You Kick the Credit [...]

]]> By: Jeremy http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/wordpress/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-1721 Jeremy Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:35:26 +0000 http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/#comment-1721 @Llama Money: Sort of sounds like you agree with my statement. I meant to highlight the fact that while educational opportunities can be limited for those of modest economic means, members of the "upper class" (like, ahem, Paris) don't necessarily take advantage of their access to education. School may be boring to some, but education can be found in places other than textbooks -- someone with great wealth has the opportunity to travel and experience arts and cultures across the globe, for example. In other words, being wealthy doesn't always mean being educated, just as being poor doesn't always mean being uneducated. @Llama Money:

Sort of sounds like you agree with my statement. I meant to highlight the fact that while educational opportunities can be limited for those of modest economic means, members of the “upper class” (like, ahem, Paris) don’t necessarily take advantage of their access to education.

School may be boring to some, but education can be found in places other than textbooks — someone with great wealth has the opportunity to travel and experience arts and cultures across the globe, for example.

In other words, being wealthy doesn’t always mean being educated, just as being poor doesn’t always mean being uneducated.

]]> By: Llama Money http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/wordpress/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-1668 Llama Money Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:35:02 +0000 http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/#comment-1668 Jeremy: Though Paris Hilton is certainly no role model, I think you may be off base with regards to education. If I had her fortune in my bank account... I find it hard to picture myself signing up to go to college. Lavish vacations, luxurious living sure. Cracking open a physics book? Maybe not for me... Education is great to a point. But if you're already wealthy beyond imagination... why bother taking classes that bore you? Surely some will be interesting, but it's doubtful that every class needed for a higher education will be interesting to you. <em><strong>Llama Money's last blog post..<a href='http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LlamaMoney/~3/265876249/' rel="nofollow">The Swimming Pool Dilemma</a></strong></em> Jeremy:
Though Paris Hilton is certainly no role model, I think you may be off base with regards to education. If I had her fortune in my bank account… I find it hard to picture myself signing up to go to college. Lavish vacations, luxurious living sure. Cracking open a physics book? Maybe not for me…

Education is great to a point. But if you’re already wealthy beyond imagination… why bother taking classes that bore you? Surely some will be interesting, but it’s doubtful that every class needed for a higher education will be interesting to you.

Llama Money’s last blog post..The Swimming Pool Dilemma

]]> By: Jeremy http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/wordpress/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-1667 Jeremy Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:22:25 +0000 http://www.creditwithdrawal.com/2008/04/14/whats-wrong-with-wanting-to-be-in-the-middle-class/#comment-1667 Interesting post. Of course, you can have wealth without education -- just look at someone like Paris Hilton. Perhaps there is a danger that some people only view education as a means to earning more money. So when they already have money, they feel like educating themselves is unimportant. Interesting post. Of course, you can have wealth without education — just look at someone like Paris Hilton. Perhaps there is a danger that some people only view education as a means to earning more money. So when they already have money, they feel like educating themselves is unimportant.

]]>