[El Gilroy]

This is about a broadly generalised tendency, nothing concrete.

The class that's both the focus of political attention and usually associated with good, hard-working people (and so on) is the middle class. The one every politician talks about, either because they're wanted as voters or because they're the ones to who's benefit new laws are, officially, being written for. In any case, they are usually presented as the main body of the population, with little attention being paid to the outer sides of the social spectrum.
For the upper classes, that's understandable - they're generally able to take care of themselves.

But what about the lower ones? I can hardly never see politicians talking about the issues affecting lower-class people, unless it's some short-lived debate initiated by some left-wingers.
Are they being given up on, or do they just have to save themselves? What IS expected of them?

[Dave]

Lower classes are perceived by middle classes as being parasitic and immoral. Indigenous lower classes are further victims of the ethnic lower class that the existing elite consensus insists upon empowering, and thus certainly not worthy of political attention.

[Zyx]

Actually, statistics show that around 90% of Americans identify themselves as "middle class."

I believe that everything follows from here.

[Dr House]

Actually, statistics show that around 90% of Americans identify themselves as "middle class."

Source? 13% of the American population are formally under the poverty line.

[NYYS]

But they don't identify themselves as such, every American from doctors to your grocery-bagger considers themselves "middle class." The great American drive for mediocrity goes on!

[Zyx]

Yeah Dr House, some stuff just doesn't need to be sourced. It's common knowledge.

However, I read it in a book a long while ago entitled "Classless Society."

To wit, even the wealthy would consider themselves 'middle class.'

Essentially, an appeal to the middle class is an appeal to a grand delusion of a classless society.

When people like you say that we don't have classes, you refer to this grand delusion.

[NYYS]

Yeah Dr House, some stuff just doesn't need to be sourced. It's common knowledge.

I'm not sure you understand sarcasm well enough to attempt using it, but I'll just assume you were indeed being sarcastic... does anyone have a source for the "all Americans think they're middle class" thing? I was just parroting what I thought was common knowledge, but now that it's mentioned I've never seen that sourced and have no idea if it's true.

[Verv]

The lower class is often produced by a variety of personal choices and/or unfortunate circumstances beyond their control.

I believe that there is a lot of good charitable work being done for them and that should be increased, especially granting opportunities to people to enjoy good educations and pull themselves up by the boot straps.

With hard work, you can do anything.

Two of the most influential people in south Korean history, Pak Jeonghee and Jeong Jungyeong, both were born in rural areas to families with over 8 children and were the sons of farmers. Jeong Jungyeong never graduated elementary school. Pak Jeonghee struggled to pass high school and then was an elementary school teacher.

But they worked hard and sought each opportunity -- one went on to become President of Korea, and the other went on to become the founder of Hyundai Group. From peasants to Presidents.

Work hard and maybe you will get a little extra cash and a little extra satisfaction.

It's all up to the individual!

[Okonkwo]

does anyone have a source for the "all Americans think they're middle class" thing?

Some 53% of adults in America say they are middle class

On key measures of well-being - income, wealth, health, optimism about the future - they tend to fall between those who identify with classes above and below them. But within this self-defined middle class, there are notable economic and demographic differences. For example, four-in-ten Americans with incomes below $20,000 say they are middle class, as do a third of those with incomes above $150,000.

[Dr House]

Some 53% of adults in America say they are middle class

Lower than I thought.

[Zyx]

The numbers vary, that may well be a lower-limit. The point is that it's an obscure comment in the U.S. that is more or less 'the people' to Politicians.

Middle-class values means American values means "your values."

[Potemkin]

It's at times like this that I'm glad that bourgeois values never took a grip of British society the same way they did of American society. Despite the Thatcherite neoliberal assaults against them in the 1980s, the British working class still has fierce pride in its identity as a working class.

[Dan]

But what about the lower ones? I can hardly never see politicians talking about the issues affecting lower-class people, unless it's some short-lived debate initiated by some left-wingers.
Are they being given up on, or do they just have to save themselves? What IS expected of them?

Depends on which part of the lower class.

The lower-class is divided into the working class and the underclass. The working class gets squat: the left doesn't give a shit about them (barring the old school commies who want to get them to overthrow the government), usually denigrates them whenever possible, and dumps on them as much as possible, usually for the good of the underclass. The right usually acts respectful towards them, but doesn't really help them.

The underclass are the pets of the left (ie. the welfare bums, the vagrants, the terminally unemployed, the criminal class, etc.), who pander to them as much as possible by giving them handouts and letting them get away with whatever shit they want, which, of course, keeps them permanently underclass and dependent on the left's handouts, much to the left's benefit.

[El Gilroy]

Wow...your view of the left really is a biased as my inflammatory speeches against the centre.

[Carl Justice]

A problem with the lower class is their inability to admit they are wrong unless they earn a certain amount. Not being in a position to, they resort to aggression to cover up the fact they can't do anything about it. This is a problem we have to resolve. I know about it. I encountered many people who were bellicose to cover up their inability to deal with things on a more economic level.

[Nandi]

In Europe the working lower class is still of great political interest to many (revisionist) social parties and in no way totally forgotten. Far-right parties have recently succesfully started courting the working class and have found a superb audience for their xenophobia and simplistic ideas.

[DubiousDan]

Nandi :

In Europe the working lower class is still of great political interest to many (revisionist) social parties and in no way totally forgotten. Far-right parties have recently succesfully started courting the working class and have found a superb audience for their xenophobia and simplistic ideas.

Me:
Unfortunately, in the United States, thanks to it’s one party, two label, system, us working class xenophobic simplistic stupes have no one to vote for. We keep waiting for a leader though, and in the meantime, we stockpile ammunition.

[Verv]

In Europe the working lower class is still of great political interest to many (revisionist) social parties and in no way totally forgotten. Far-right parties have recently succesfully started courting the working class and have found a superb audience for their xenophobia and simplistic ideas.

This sounds like lovely champagne socialism.

When it is convenient: "The right wing is the party of the rich trying to exploit the worker."

When it is otherwise convenient: "The right wing is dumb, uneducated working class people."

It all focuses on the idea that the poor are too stupid to take care of themselves, and we ought to babysit them. God forbid they have their own ideas.

Nandi, do you believe in intellectual trends?

Your ideology is currently en vogue.

However, in the 1890s until the 1940s it was intellectually trendy to be a Fascist or a Communist.

Before that, it was en vogue to be a free market libertarian and check out the cool ideas of Washington, Bolivar and the French revolution, and in some circles, it was cool to oppose those guys and listen to Metternich's words on the aristocracy.

History has a lot of ideas that come and go, and some come and stay a while and others go sooner.

Believing that history is some sort of linear progression to one set of permanent ideals is not accurate or right.

[Carl Justice]

I believe we ought to have faith that lower class people will do what must be done, in either a manual or intellectual capacity. Drawing lines for them not to cross is responsible for their discomfort or frustration. I have seen examples of this and I will never forget them. The pain I witnessed was really intense and the people who experienced it deserved better.

[Nandi]

When it is otherwise convenient: "The right wing is dumb, uneducated working class people."

The far-right does indeed have a larger proportion of uneducated working class voters. Their insecure socio-economic position makes them vulnerable to xenophobia.

When it is convenient: "The right wing is the party of the rich trying to exploit the worker."

Where in my post did I imply that? I don't believe in that statement.

It all focuses on the idea that the poor are too stupid to take care of themselves, and we ought to babysit them. God forbid they have their own ideas.

Nice strawman.

Nandi, do you believe in intellectual trends?

No I don't. Thanks for the history lesson though.