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Project Middle Class Death
2008-06-22 06:23:00 There have been quite a few articles lately about meatpacking plants in the US. Through the 1960's and 1970's, these were union jobs all filled by hard-working Americans. That's all gone now, and all of the work is now being done by illegal aliens or more recently refugees from foreign lands. Most of these articles have screamed about how no Americans are willing to do this kind of work.It's quite interesting how plenty of Americans were willing to do this admittedly unpleasant work in 60's and 70's, albeit at union wages that you could buy a house and raise a family on. The unions were broken via a corporate conspiracy. This plot has been unveiled an Atlantic Monthly article, but I have not been able to find it.First of all, the meatpacking companies moved their plants away from the large cities to smaller towns. It happened in LA - they moved to Las Vegas. There was no business reason at all to move to Vegas - it was done for the sole purpose of breaking the union. They hope...
By: Robert Lindsay
Middle class relaxing with marijuana
2008-05-15 23:02:00 A variety of middle-class people are making a conscious but careful choice to use Marijuana to enhance their leisure activities, a University of Alberta study shows.
By: Attuworld
Middle Class HELOC Abuse
2008-05-14 00:00:00 Country House -- Blur The posts we do on over-the-top HELOC abuse are gripping because the dollar amounts are so large. However, focusing only on the extreme cases gives the impression of HELOC abuse is an unusual behavior of a few spectacular cases. HELOC abuse is not unusual or uncommon: it is widespread, and it is going to pummel the middle class. What possesses people to borrow and spend so much money that they lose their homes? The simple answer is that they didn't think they would lose their homes. Most believed their house values would go up forever and their house would pay off all their debts. All they had to do was continually refinance with very low interest rates and service the debt will a little of their work income. It never occurred to them that they might actually be required to pay down this debt with their wage income. But even if people drank the kool aid and believed this pathological nonsense, why did they take the money out and spend it? Why not let it accumu...
90% Marginal Tax Rate for the Middle Class
2008-05-12 04:55:00 I gave some thought about how those making above $160K (for a couple) aren't welcome to receive the $7,500 First Time Buyer's tax credit and realized that we're actually getting more screwed than I originally thought.You see, the phase out for this tax credit starts at $140K runs to $160K; so it's a total of 20K in income that determines whether you get the full $7,500 or zilch. It works the same way for the Bushie tax credit: with two kids at $140K in annual income you'd get $1,200, but at $160K in income again, you'd get zilch. That is one expensive $20K in income, but how expensive is really?On 2oK we suffer the following losses and taxes:$7,500 exclusion from First Time Buyer's Credit$1,200 exclusion from Bushie Tax Credit$7,200 Federal Taxes (would have paid regardless)$1,800 State Taxes (ditto)For a grand total of $17,700 in taxes or loss of tax credits or the equivalent of a 90% marginal tax rate. 90%! I defy any reader to find a single group in America that pays the s...
By: OC Prudent Bears
Feds Set to Screw OC's Middle Class Again!
2008-05-09 19:51:00 Many of middle-class families in OC are still stinging from being excluded from Bush's tax rebate program. While many of our friends got checks of up to $1,200, we got nothing. The reason? We made a bit too much money to be included and were summarily "phased out" of that particular gravy train.Guess what? You're about to be "phased out" again.Yesterday, the House passed HR 3221 aka the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 on May 8, 2008. This piece of homedebtor rescue legislation spends billions helping those folks in trouble keep their homes, to refinance existing mortgages, for cities buy blighted properties and so on. So, if you're were unfortunate enough to have bought a house that you couldn't afford, the taxpayers are here to bail you out.You're welcome.Then there's this little provision called "First-Time Homebuyer Credit" which essentially says that if you are a first-time homebuyer then you can get a $3,750 federal tax credit if you are an ...
By: OC Prudent Bears
Indian middle class responsible for rising food prices: Bush!
2008-05-05 12:42:00 US President George Bush blamed the growing prosperity of India's large middle class for global rise in food prices. Bush joined his top diplomat Con2 Vote(s)
By: INDIANTAGS
Indian middle class responsible for rising food prices: Bush!
2008-05-05 12:42:00 US President George Bush blamed the growing prosperity of India's large middle class for global rise in food prices. Bush joined his top diplomat Con2 Vote(s)
By: INDIANTAGS
Indian middle class responsible for rising food prices: Bush!
2008-05-05 12:42:00 US President George Bush blamed the growing prosperity of India's large middle class for global rise in food prices. Bush joined his top diplomat Con2 Vote(s)
By: INDIANTAGS
Bush : Indian Middle Class Is Rising Food Prices
2008-05-04 00:00:00 WASHINGTON: US President George Bush has joined his top diplomat in suggesting that the growing prosperity of India's large middle class is contributing to rising food prices around the world."...the more prosperous the world is, the mo7 Vote(s)
By: Market Buzz
Tax Relief: For the Middle Class Posted By : Rob Daniel
2008-04-29 14:04:00 Tax relief for the middle class intends to assist them make their businesses thrive and encourages them to create new job opportunities. More: continued here
Cheap Car Insurance : A Service Cut Out For Middle Class
2008-04-20 03:29:00 Cheap Car Insurance : A Service Cut Out For Middle ClassBy: Allan ElvinOne of the vehicles that is liked world ever are cars. Those supremely useful machines that prove their utility on not one but several fronts. For starters they relieve one from the troubles of commuting. Once you own a car you get rid of the irritation of waiting long hours for bus or a taxi. The jostling that you have to do with fellow passengers for seat also becomes a thing of history. The cars also contribute hugely in elevating one's status in society immensely. However, there is one dark side of cars as well, their price. Indeed, for a majority part of society cars are still a commodity that can only be purchased after taking loans. Imaging the plight of all such people who have to shell out an exorbitant amount for the repair of the car. It is to help all such people that cheap car insurance was introduced. It relieves people from spending a single penny on the repair of their car as insurance companies ...
The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class
2008-04-17 23:25:00 Depressing times ahead for the US.They are working harder for more debt. 'It's the economy stupid.'Distinguished law scholar Elizabeth Warren teaches contract law, bankruptcy, and commercial law at Harvard Law School. She is an outspoken critic of America's credit economy, which she has linked to the continuing rise in bankruptcy among the middle-class. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Council Lectures" [6/2007]
By: Secret-Teachings
War on Middle-class
2008-04-16 08:09:00 Keith Olbermann and Rachael Maddow discuss the truth behind Barack Obama’s comments. The middle-class aren’t just treading water, rather, the middle-class has been taking on water for some time. As I mentioned in my book, “A Letter to America: Is President Bush leading us in the Right Direction?,” the Bush administration’s supposed economic ...
Why I won?t join the middle class
2008-04-15 16:12:00 Mrs Micah asked what’s wrong with being middle class focusing on not working enjoyable but not too stressful jobs and still having the time and money to live comfortably. Lazyman talked about the upper limit of trading time for money and made some comments about the poor choice of working overtime just to buy unsatisfying ...
How Does Barack Obama Really Feel About the Middle Class?
2008-04-13 04:33:00 Recently Barack Obama gave a speech in which he talked about the concerns of middle class citizens. He talked about job losses and the home mortgage crisis. “You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years ...
By: Wake Up America
Middle Class Britons Revealed To Be Under Financial Strain Posted By : Abbi
2008-04-08 07:00:00 Despite earning more money than the national average those with high incomes are developing financial difficulties, new research shows.
Middle Class Britons Revealed To Be Under Financial Strain
2008-04-08 07:00:00 Despite earning more money than the national average those with high incomes are developing financial difficulties, new research shows. A study carried out by Axa reveals that about three-quarters (72 per cent) of Britons earning at least 30,000 pounds a year are looking to cut back on their spending over the course of 2008. Meanwhile, 15 ...
By: Resources zone
Middle Class Perils in USA
2008-04-01 11:07:00 Drash: This is absolutely appalling and the direct result of various political egomaniacs allowed to spawn their machinations in the world (think of the Clinton-Bush dynasties)… What a sad hour for a once great nation; and what a disgrace that people have turned away from Ron Paul and REAL solutions to America’s growing litany of woes… Tick-tock-tick-tock. ====== USA 2008: ...
No country for the middle class: Scenes from an economic disaster
2008-03-23 22:06:00 I recently had the pleasure of seeing “No Country For Old Men,” the Oscar-winning adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel of a drug deal gone bad and how one man’s decision to take a case of stolen money leads to a meditation on fate, circumstance, and destiny. Of particular note was Javier Bardem’s portrayal of murderous hitman Anton Chigurh not only as the embodiment of pure evil, but as an avatar of capricious, merciless fate, striking down people left and right, with no regard for their circumstances. I was thinking about this when reviewing some recent news about America’s economic downturn–how so much of what people had been indoctrinated and reminded to expect had fallen apart due to forces completely beyond their comprehension. There’s a Chigurh-like specter roaming the country, wrecking lives, destroying futures, and leaving shattered dreams in its wake. Consider: * A controversial video appeared on the BBC documenting the rise ...
Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream
2008-03-19 00:46:00 The first-ever, nationwide, random sample survey of Muslim Americans finds them to be largely assimilated, happy with their lives, and moderate with respect to many of the issues that have divided Muslims and Westerners around the world.
By: Asiaing.com
"War On The Middle Class"? Just A Myth
2008-03-13 22:41:00 Economist Brad Schiller had this to say: The Census data originate from an annual survey of households. The data don't track individual households from year to year, but instead just take a snapshot of the households in existence in March of each year. From these annual snapshots, we try to infer what's happening to the typical household over time. The "typical" household, however, keeps... Click the Headline Link to Visit Copious Dissent and Read the Full Story.
Middle Class Millionaire Habits
2008-03-07 15:15:00 Marketwatch.com had an interesting article today on the views of America?s ?Middle Class Millionaires? (MCM) - Those with net worth of $1 million to $10 million.What was striking to me was that these MCM?s thought that you need $13 million plus to be considered rich! I would think $4 - $5 million would put you in the rich category ? but then again I am not a MCM.Here are some the findings from the Prince and Schiff report:- 7.6% of American households, or 8.4 million households are middle-class millionaires- The average middle-class millionaire works 70 hours per week- Middle-class millionaires are five times more likely than the average worker to say they are always available for work- 89% believes that anyone can attain wealth through hard work- 62% believes that networking, or knowing many people, is the key to financial success- Nine out of 10 middle-class millionaires say they made a bad career or business move, but almost three-fourths say that was crucial to their business su...
Since when is a house a ?ticket into the middle class??
2008-02-18 08:01:00 Thanks to L for forwarding a copy of a mailing by Rep. Brad Miller from North Carolina, which sadly was "prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense." The mailing is entitled "The fight is on to protect homeownership." The fight is also on to make sense of Congressman Miller’s remarks. Miller takes exception to predatory lending. ...
By: HousingDoom
Budget boost for middle class - Singapore
2008-02-17 12:44:00 Budget boost for middle class - Singapore By Zakir Hussain & Jamie Ee THIS year’s Budget has helped Singaporeans cope with their top concern - rising prices - by putting cash in the hands of both low-income and middle class workers, said MPs yesterday. While bonuses for the poor and the elderly have been par for the course for several Budgets now, this year’s Budget saw the so-called ’sandwiched class’ receiving a big boost from a 20 per cent income tax rebate. ‘The savings can be considerable and help middle-income earners cope,’ said Hong Kah GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad on the Budget package Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam delivered in Parliament last Friday. The economy grew by 7.7 per cent last year. But inflation - caused in part by high food prices globally - reached a 25-year high of 4.4 per cent last December, and is expected to rise further. ‘Some countries try to address the problem by putting price controls…The more...
Kenyas Middle Class Feeling Sting of Violence
2008-02-11 05:44:00 His life has all the trappings of a professional anywhere. He recently joined a country club and has even taken up golf. But unlike anywhere else, this executive has to keep his eyes peeled on the daily commute for stone-throwing mobs.
By: Get rich
Livin? Large - America?s Middle Class
2008-02-09 02:06:00 To hear the Lou Dobbses and Bill O’Reillys of the world–not to mention politicians ranging from Ron Paul to Hillary Clinton–the middle class of America (however you define that term) has never had it so tough. Between credit squeezes, out-of-control immigration, rising costs of education and health care and everything else, it’s all darkness out there for those of us who are neither millionaires nor welfare cases, right? In “Living Large,” Drew Carey and reason.tv examine the plight of the American middle class. What do they find? ShareThis
Can the world afford a middle class? - Los Angeles Times
2008-02-08 09:00:00 Can the world afford a middle class?Los Angeles Times, CA - 6 hours agoBy Moisés Naím The middle class in poor countries is the fastest-growing segment of the world's population. While the total population of the planet will ...
China's Middle Class: Listen Up And Listen Good.
2008-02-07 14:31:00 Professor Wayne Moyer, from whom I took many an international politics class, was one of the best teachers I have ever had. He taught that revolutions typically come from the middle class, not from the poor, who are usually too busy worrying about putting food on the table to revolt. I thought of Professor Moyer today when I read Andrew Hupert's post on DiligenceChina, entitled, "China’s Fastest Growing Economic Component: The Expectations of the Chinese People." Hupert starts by noting how China's "economy has surpassed every rational hope and padded, overly exuberant estimate," and then states "that’s how the trouble started:" Because now China has a middle class - and two things are true about middle classes everywhere and every time. 1) Middle Class wants more. 2) You screw with Middle Class at your own peril. Hupert believes China's middle class wants "parity with Middle Class all over the world:" For centuries rank and file Chinese have been told that t...
By: China Law Blog
Money And The Middle Class - Don?t Believe The Media
2008-02-05 17:01:00 Reason TV’s Drew Carey discusses how the suffering middle class is really not suffering that much. Post from: The Real Estate Bloggers Money And The Middle Class - Don’t Believe The Media
Middle-class rebels
2008-01-31 13:43:00 A recent article in Foreign Policy debunks a common myth about suicide bombers. They are not poor or bloodthirsty. They are quiet, middle-class types whose introversion lends them to being successful:The fact that suicide bombers are usually mild-mannered members of the middle class seems counterintuitive. After all, the middle class tend to be well-educated, well-behaved, good family members—nothing like the bloodthirsty tough guys or criminals we imagine when we think of terrorists. They bear little resemblance to English football hooligans or rabble-rousers. No other form of violence has a higher proportion of females than suicide bombers, even though females are usually more conformist than males.Why is this so? I suggest it is because suicide bombing is the easiest form of violence for conventional middle-class people to carry out, if they decide to commit violence at all...But suicide bombers are different. They usually face their victims alone. They neither threaten their e...
By: Don't trip up
Middle Class Tax Relief
2008-01-29 15:11:00 Middle class tax relief is tax relief targeted mainly at the middle-income families. For helping middle class families and to create job opportunities for this segment of the population, the U.S. Congress has approved and put in place major tax-relief programs. This is supposed to help millions of middle-income families, particularly families with children. The hope is that such a tax relief
Hustlin (Mercurius FM Middle Class Ghetto Mix)
2008-01-28 14:09:00 Found this new remix of Hustlin’ by Rick Ross. Pretty hot I think, no verses though. But worth grabbing. Hustlin (Mercurius FM Middle Class Ghetto Mix) - Rick Ross Catchdubs and Ricky Ross, I still like this one better for most dance floors so if you don’t have it grab it. Long cell phone intro by Rick ...
Cash flow diagrams for the poor, the middle class, and the investor class
2008-01-26 16:30:00 Being poor or unable to get credit 100% of the expenses must be covered with wage income. Schematically the cash flow looks like this Thus you put your time into your work which gives you a wage income that is used to pay for stuff that goes back to you.People with a credit score can go ...
Germany's Merkel attacks "middle-class anti-Semitism"
2008-01-26 13:10:00 By Sylvia Westall BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday Germany must tackle disguised "middle-class anti-Semitism" and attacked those who were silent about the country's painful past. Speaking ahead of a memorial day for victims of the Nazi era nearly 75 years after Adolf Hitler's party came to power, Merkel said that while anti-Semitism was often linked to poorer communities, the middle-class was also to blame. "I see, in the educated classes, a more disguised form of anti-Semitism, that is not so readily defined," Merkel told a conference, describing it as "a form of middle-class anti-Semitism". "There is, in broad parts of the population, an awful silence when faced with all the historical images, with our own history, and this silence is always a danger". Millions of people were deported, imprisoned and killed by the Nazis from 1933-1945 and politicians say the era's difficult legacy still haunts Germany today....
By: B4U India
Tribalism vs the African middle class
2008-01-26 00:05:00 It is sad to watch Kenya descend into tribal war. Essentially it is about one man of one tribe stealing an election…which of course will allow him to distribute all the perks of the government jobs to those of his tribes, not the other tribes. If you know your US history, this is why Garfield was assasinated, ...
Middle Class tomb found in Egypt
2008-01-19 00:55:00 An acient Middle Class tomb has been discovered in Egypt. Rare Middle-Class Tomb Found From Ancient Egypt Steven Stanek in Cairo, Egypt for National Geographic News January 18, 2008 Archaeologists have unsealed the intact burial chamber of an ancient Egyptian...
By: Stix Blog
A FAIR Deal For All Americans
2008-01-15 00:45:00 by Mike Huckabee Send to a friend A FAIR DEAL FOR ALL AMERICANS Five Principles of a Mike Huckabee Stimulus Package: Family, Fed, Fight, Fuel, Fair. I know that the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Plutocrats: Middle Class Warfare going dandily
2008-01-14 02:10:00 Video: John Edwards Senator Bernie Sanders: "Let's be very clear. A vicious and premeditated class warfare is being waged today against the American middle class." Oppressive, racist Pluto-Chiron's plutocracy vs America's once great middle class. Yep. The hourglass society hath returneth with a vengence...just the way the "elites" like it. Those are Bush's "base" you remember from his first
Suicide Bombers: Warriors of the Middle Class
2008-01-12 04:50:00 We tend to imagine suicide bombers as hardened, bloodthirsty killers. But most people aren?t nearly as ready to commit violence as you think. It?s actually the quiet, docile members of the middle class who make the best human explosive devices. And that?s what makes this weapon of mass murder so hard to stop. Read More…
By: 1913 Intel
Foreign Policy: Suicide Bombers: Warriors of the Middle Class [del.icio.us]
2008-01-09 20:54:00 Humans are not good at face-to-face violence. We are good at expressing emotions and we can work up an extensive litany of our grievances, but it does not follow that the final step into violence is at all easy to take. The image of the human being on a h
Pakistan?s Politics and the Urban Middle Class
2007-12-26 16:30:00 Anonymous Thailand?s parliamentary elections on December 23 provided fresh evidence (if evidence is still needed) of the futility of military intervention as a means of changing the fundamental political trends of a nation. The Economist recently referred to Thailand as ?Southeast Asia?s Pakistan.? The fundamental problem in both countries is the same: an overbearing military, which ...
Middle Class Rising In China-Headed Toward 100 Million
2007-12-26 15:08:00 China has witnessed a phenomenal growth in its middle class as the economic boom continues to fast forward their nation. A recent study defines the middle class as containing those who make $7,500–$25,000. About 20% of people in this income bracket attribute social connections and networking as among the most important factors enabling an individual ...
Understanding the ?middle class? urban teenager as consumer
2007-12-14 11:57:00 They are more adventurous than their elders and they care less for tradition and religion. The often are after a "New Look" and they seek novelties. They are quick to adopt new fashions that emerge. They are generally more receptive to change. They believe more in spending money in the pursuit of pleasure than saving for the future. It is not easy to dupe them but it is quite easy to motivate them. Teenagers are becoming quite a distinct market segment. They not only have products and services that been designed to cater their needs but also they are an influence on the decisions taken by adults. Some estimates show that around Rs.500 crore a year is the amount of money given to children as pocket money. That covers a general understanding of the Indian market on the whole and the middle class of the market (which is the biggest consumer base for industries) in specific. Now let us go into a detailed understanding of how the process of marketing is done.http://bigmoneyin...
Next - Understanding the Indian "middle class" wife
2007-12-14 11:57:00 The percentage of working women in India is growing at a steady pace. This is mainly because of the development in communication systems and growth of educational opportunities given to women. Because of this growth of working women, the women now-a-days also have an increased purchasing power. Due to this, industries that are directly related to women like cosmetics etc. have seen a major boost. Also, toiletries, food and beverages etc. have seen a growth. The middle class house wife is generally educated and is the purchasing agent for some of the products the family buys. She is also the "gatekeeper" for many products like new cooking medium, fast food etc. that cannot enter the house without her clearance. She also decides purchases meant for children. To get a much better understanding of the Indian house wife, consider the following characteristics of her buying decisions: Cautious, but not averse to change: The middle class house wife is generally educ...
Indian middle class ?male? consumer
2007-12-14 11:56:00 The middle class of India is for whom most of the advertising is targeted. Even in the lower middle class, consumer products like biscuits, talcum powder, hair oil, hair cream, toilet soaps, leather foot ware, casual foot ware, wrist watches, quartz watches etc. are purchased. To get a much better understanding of the middle class ?male? head of the family, consider the following characteristics: Security Seeking: The middle class generally consists of security seeking people. Even though they are receptive to new ideas, they do not very readily dash into new ventures. The middle class man does not only want economic security, but he also wants emotional security. He will not do something that is likely to upset his emotional ties. He wants social security. He wants to be part of society. He does not want to be a rebel or an outcast. Being part of society he enjoys a degree of protection. He is likely to welcome new innovations is they satisfy his sense of se...
Giuliani?s Plan to Destroy the American Middle Class
2007-12-13 22:29:00 Hot off the presses folks! Yes, that’s right, Mr. Patriotic 9-11 wants to make sure middle class workers are displaced and exposed to labor arbitrage! Aren’t you glad he’s such a loyal American? Loyal to corporations operating in America that is. Look at Rudy Giuliani’s top priority: Expand the number of H1B Visas for skilled foreign ...
By: NoSlaves.com
London artifacts reveal ancient middle class
2007-12-06 22:37:00 A unique collection of pots and pans found down a well in central London has given a rare insight into the lives of the bourgeoisie in what was then a remote northern outpost of the Roman empire.
Middle-class Prefab Homes
2007-12-05 16:22:00 Middle-class Prefab Homes In Tomoyuki Sakaguchi?s night photos of suburban Tokyo, familiar landscapes of densely arranged middle-class prefab homes, tightly parked cars, small gardens and anonymous street corners are somehow rendered strangely unfamiliar under the artificial glow of street lights. SEE PICS
By: Attuworld
The Middle Class is Disappearing. They are Moving to the Upper Class
2007-12-05 15:52:00 Woe to the middle class American. Things are awful in America and the burden falls on the masses stuck in the middle class. Or so some would have us believe. However, Dr. Walter Williams has a different story to tell. This one involves the American Dream and the reality of the middle class: The U.S. Treasury study confirms previous studies dating back to the 1960s, concluding, “The basic finding of this analysis is that relative income mobility is approximately the same in the last 10 years as it was in the previous decade.” As such, it points to a uniquely American feature: Just because you know where a person ended up in life doesn’t mean you can be sure about where he started. Most of today’s higher income and wealthy did not start out that way. What about claims of a disappearing middle class? Let’s do some detective work. Controlling for inflation, in 1967, 8 percent of households had an annual income of $75,000 and up; in 2003, more than 26 p...
Kiyosaki: The U.S. middle class will disappear soon
2007-11-23 17:33:00 The author of the bestseller Rich Dad, Poor Dad, told a Tel Aviv audience yesterday that the middle class in the U.S. is about to disappear, and the rich will get richer; and the U.S. is heading toward a recession that will last for a few years. This is bad news for many people, but ... |
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