To me this is the source of all we have experienced since 2015.

ATL PAW MAN® · 2025-07-12T12:19:27.320Z

By “all we have experienced” I mean the rise of Trump and Bernie and our overall unrest. IMO it all comes down to the hollowing out of our middle class and the erosion of traditional values, which were reinforced by one bread earner families. The chart on the left is the America I grew up in. It was better. https://x.com/alpacaaurelius/status/1943753190295711921?s=46

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What hollowed out the middle class is a good debate to have

Jul 12, 2025, 10:45 AM

The middle class was probably the greatest invention of America.

One could tell the story of capital flight to the developing world which began by design back in the late 80s and 90s with opening of China and NAFTA.

The other story that is less told or understood is the power of Wall Street which led the export of industry. It resembled a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money. Its purpose was not to build things, but to extract wealth.

Hyper-financialized markets led to wave after wave of corporate M&A, facilitated by the absence of antitrust enforcement, led to further consolidation of capital and power into fewer and fewer hands. So instead of tens of thousands of local businesses competing in a robust and diverse market, we wound up with Walmart.

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Re: To me this is the source of all we have experienced since 2015.

Yep. Ross was right.***

On multiple levels.

1) More people working in health care = more people with low paying jobs with a few with super high paying jobs (more income discrepancy).

2) It reflects less manufacturing and more service jobs in general, which are lower paying.

3) The healthcare industry is controlled by a few private equity firms (Bernie talks about this, no one seems to understand why it sucks, but if you work in it as I do, you know).

4) It also reflects more sickness. Diseases of despair. Look at how fat we are now compared to 1990. Not to mention suicide rates, mental illness, etc.

5) Even without private equity, the healthcare system is a mess.

Compare that to when my diddy worked on factory job, with coworkers from all over and good paying jobs that spread across the middle class.

You cannot convince me we are better off now.

To me this is the source of all we have experienced since 2015.

Stupid Boomers growing older? And often more clueless !***

What hollowed out the middle class is a good debate to have

100. Graeber of Occupy Wall Street fame was not wrong.***

Reagan.***

Re: To me this is the source of all we have experienced since 2015.

Yep. Ross was right.***

Yeah. No.

I work in healthcare. The chart on the right is not good.

Better off? No, I cant.

I am talking big picture, not Trump/MAGA.

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