How do we make the working class/middle class happy.

[Deleted]

In respect of Britain, cocaine for the middle class and cheap alcohol for the working class.

cocaine stopped being middle class years ago, now it's ecstasy champagne

[Gamdwelf]

That's not really true. There are a lot of people that go mad if they don't have a job. My dad looked for work and was getting very depressed for 2 years after getting laid off at 67. Only recently has he been able to get over it by focusing on house improvement and going back to fixing electronics he finds on the garbage.

That's not cus he didn't have a job but how society views not having conventional 'work'

[Deleted]

Honestly at this point I fear it's too late.

Assuming Trump gets elected, he'll be up against 2 parties opposing everything he stands for. He'll be even more of a sitting duck than Obama.

Still gonna vote for him of course, but I'm not exactly hopeful. The best we can accomplish is keep Clinton out of office to avoid a complete catastrophe.

But America's soul was sold to international corporations and globalism decades ago.

[Kalis]

cocaine stopped being middle class years ago, now it's ecstasy champagne

Don't be silly.

[apples]

i thought the working/middle class was destroyed when they let the gays live together?

[Deleted]

i thought the working/middle class was destroyed when they let the gays live together?

Wai wha? o.O

[Rasulis]

Affordable housing and health care. Especially health care. It does not seem right that you pay more for health insurance than a 300k mortgage. Its not even tax deductible.

[apples]

Wai wha? o.O

i was just making fun of politicized generalizations like those this thread is based on

dont mind me

[PC2]

The EU free travel policy got the EU the Brexit IMO. All those workers in poorer EU countries flooding into Britain.

They're still in migration denial.

[Dadwen]

No one in the "working class" is suffering because of taxation.

I mean, it's basically a political meme at this point, but the reality is that taxation overall is the least of your issues if you're an average working Joe.

Not sure I think I'd be a bit happier with more of my money.....

[Deleted]

Don't be silly.

No Party Champagne for you

[Kalis]

No Party Champagne for you

Scotch and Charlie, the choice of the sophisticated hedonistic gentleman.

Champagne is for the rappers, Russians and Essex girls.

[Dadwen]

Yeah, and I'd be happier with a lot of things, but largely none of those things are the actual crux of the issue here.

seems with that extra money I could buy a "lot" of those things, seems to be fairly on point seeing how much I pay into it every year and what I could buy with that money.

Don't believe that old hype money can't buy happiness, for the most part it can.. (or at least let you have a really comfortable misery)

[Gamdwelf]

seems with that extra money I could buy a "lot" of those things, seems to be fairly on point seeing how much I pay into it every year and what I could buy with that money.

Don't believe that old hype money can't buy happiness, for the most part it can.. (or at least let you have a really comfortable misery)

Like roads and fire departments.

[Tinykong]

That's not really true. There are a lot of people that go mad if they don't have a job. My dad looked for work and was getting very depressed for 2 years after getting laid off at 67. Only recently has he been able to get over it by focusing on house improvement and going back to fixing electronics he finds on the garbage.

I didn't say get rid of jobs, I said get rid of the need to work to live. Some form of basic income is going to be required, as the distance between the number of jobs needed, and the number of jobs available shrinks.

[Dadwen]

Like roads and fire departments.

See shared services I don't mind, I don't even mind if it's a temp service we all can have bad luck but I've personally seen it abuse that's were I take issues with it. (Plus if more of that $$ when into roads or the fire Dept I'd be a little less upset about paying it out too)

[Independent voter]

I didn't say get rid of jobs, I said get rid of the need to work to live. Some form of basic income is going to be required, as the distance between the number of jobs needed, and the number of jobs available shrinks.

A lot of these people their sense of self worth depends on their job, making a living, making things of value used by society.

They're going to suffer a huge hit to their self esteem.

[Gamdwelf]

A lot of these people their sense of self worth depends on their job, making a living, making things of value used by society.

They're going to suffer a huge hit to their self esteem.

Maybe they shouldn't derive their self worth from something like that then.
Have to be careful what you derive your self worth from .

[Theodarzna]

So people with less than college educations are getting squeezed economically. They voted for brexit, they might vote Trump in, some of them where Bernie supporters. So they are starting to cause problems and may cause more in the future, mostly they are using the ballot box.

These people had fathers who made good money, could buy houses, a new car occasionally and they didn't have college educations either. They worked at GM or GE, had health insurance with no deductible and unions who looked out for them.

I think globalization is what is hurting these people. Why pay a guy in Peoria IL to fasten a plate on a refrigerator for $28 an hour when you can pay someone in Vietnam or Mexico $3 an hour? In the case of Britain the working class was competing in part with immigrants from poorer EU countries, again immigrants happy with lower pay.

Globalization is good for the rich and bad for the not rich.

How do you fix globalization?

The problem is ultimately the technocratic minded have no solidarity with the people they are governing, and are a tad delusional. Technocrats will never consider themselves, their families or peers to be up for the choping block, because the working class has no voice in power they will always be considered the expendable acceptable cost of doing business, or making elite people feel good.

First, Trade deals never have labour groups at these negotiations? Were is the voice of labour? environmental groups ect at the discussions for such things as TPP/TTIP or even NAFTA back in the day?

Second, where is labour in any of these discussions on policy?

Third, where is labour in our culture?

Ultimately the elite and professional class have worked very hard to marginalise the working class and largely thrown them and their livelihoods to the wind for self enrichment. Which is why I find it rather odd that now that they strike back some people act with indignant fury, like they have been personally insulted.

[Theodarzna]

The EU free travel policy got the EU the Brexit IMO. All those workers in poorer EU countries flooding into Britain.

Ultimately though it was the influx of North Africa and Middle Eastern migrants, had the EU maintained the outer border the Brexit fight would not have been so dire. But the political and media class in Europe decided "Refugees!" was the new cause celebre and paid no mind to its ill effects and even actively ignored them.