Many thanks to The Other Shoe for this post.
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I ask the question, “What is an ‘American’ middle class individual?”, as opposed to the more general question, “What is a middle class individual?”, because I believe there is a subtle and distinct difference between the two questions.
If you were to ask someone on the Left, or anyone for that matter, to define “American middle class”, the likely answer would be expressed as some dollar amount of income. In fact, an Internet search will yield the same result with some degree of variation – expressed in terms of median income, a range of median income, a certain quintile, etc .
A “dictionary” definition of middle class gives us:
mid·dle class
noun
1. the social group between the upper and working classes, including professional and business workers and their families.
Note that it states “including professional and business workers”. This would include small business owners, professional and non-professional alike, including those who are self employed.
To define middle class only by a dollar amount of income is both inaccurate and incomplete.
It is inaccurate because cost-of-living varies from location to location. It is incomplete because it omits the reference to small business owners, including self-employed.
So what do I mean by “American” middle class?
The definition I prefer is: An American middle class individual is one who works, or worked, for a living, enjoys a comfortable life style according to their own standards, is self-sufficient, self-reliant and cherishes their independence. These are American values that are rooted in individual liberties.
By that definition, a self-employed individual might be considered as the quintessential American middle class person.
Now, in some of the more recent campaign speeches by Hillary Clinton, there has been a noticeable shift away from using the term “middle class” and, with increasing frequency, the use of the term “working families” in its stead – implying “working class.”
On another matter, when confronted by a small business owner with questions about rising healthcare costs, Hillary seems to be at a loss for words or simply offer platitudes.
She doesn’t know what it means and certainly can not represent the American middle class. She has abandoned them and is “transforming” them into their new “working class” status as individuals who are dependent upon government programs.
