Why You're Not "Middle Class"
Added 2022-06-22 14:48:08 +0000 UTCHowdy, friends! Fun fact, the vast majority of people see themselves as "middle class." That includes everyone from those making $20k per year all the way to those making millions of dollars per year. Surely they can't all be part of the same group, right? What's going on here? What is the middle class? In this episode, we'll take a look at how mainstream politicians and economists define class, and then propose a better definition. Hope you enjoy!
Comments
Very informative. There is a historic truth about the middle class. Beginning in ancient Greece and later in the Roman Empire, there arose a group of people who were not upper class (royalty, nobles, military leaders, clergy, senior government administrators, etc) and who were also not lower class (non-landed peasants, servants and slaves). They were mostly military infantry, small-scale farmers, low-level government workers, business owners and craftsmen who owned their means of production. What defined them was their relative independence. They did not need to depend on the benevolence of the upper class (subsidies, favours, charity) as the lower class did. During peacetime they got by on their own without much need for the government. Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution changed the dynamics somewhat and merged the middle and lower classes into the working class, with the upper class becoming the capitalist class.
Nathan Ngumi
2022-06-29 13:46:07 +0000 UTCThanks! There’s a book club in the Discord server!
JT Chapman
2022-06-24 15:44:12 +0000 UTCGreat work JT, very informative and accessible as always. Also provides a convincing narrative to reframe the position of the petit bourgeoisie - I feel like they are often overlooked by many socialists due to rigid class definitions but have the potential to be brought towards the cause as they are squeezed into precarity. And loved the clips of Channel5 smashing nangs, gotta have that comic relief PS: Any chance of a book club? Just finished capital and ideology and would be keen on discussions on similar works to Cit21C.
Dym
2022-06-24 15:42:27 +0000 UTC
