Americans seem to fixate on the notion that our society is the best there is, despite having slipped from that perch in longevity, health, education, happiness, and many other categories. How ever, starting before I was born, The US has always had the most well-to-do middle class in the world, until now.
The American middle class, long the most affluent in the world, has lost that distinction.
While the wealthiest Americans are outpacing many of their global peers, a New York Times analysis shows that across the lower- and middle-income tiers, citizens of other advanced countries have received considerably larger raises over the last three decades.
Middle-class incomes in Canada — substantially behind in 2000 — now appear to be higher than in the United States. The poor in much of Europe earn more than poor Americans.
The numbers, based on surveys conducted over the past 35 years, offer some of the most detailed publicly available comparisons for different income groups in different countries over time. They suggest that most American families are paying a steep price for high and rising income inequality… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
Photo Credit: Big Fish Ink
Congrats to Canada, but their success may be short lived. because Harper’s Harlots are doing everything they can to mimic the US Republicans responsible for this.
In real terms, middle class income in the US has failed to keep pace with other nations, because virtually all the income goes to the 1%.
15 Responses to “We’re Number One? NOT!”
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GW must be very proud of himself. The "dumbing down of America" was obviously a huge success.There is no other way to explain how so many people believe that more Americans are the laziest people in the world rathr than 400 of them are the greediest bastard alive. St. Ronnie RayGun is smiling up from Hell too. His "trickle down" economics turned out to be the biggest joke on the Middle Class ever. Too bad the trickle down can't quench the flames of Hell and turn down the heat for him down there.
I pity the Canadians if they don't wake up and get rid of Harper and his gang of thieves.
Me too!
Harper and his harlots are a blight on the Canadian environmental, social, economic, constitutional and political landscape.
2015 can't come soon enough! The approval rating of Harper's Conservative party have slipped well behind the Liberal party and the NDP is catching up.
YAY!
The US was advancing forward and out pacing all other countries in science and technology. That has been in a rapid spiral decline for three decades now. I have friends that live in Canada and as the article states, they are doing much better in education than the US. Though many are fearful of the direction things are moving under their current dictator Harper. Both the education and medical system are being attacked by this twit.
Many will say that we can not compare the US education system to others, we do have a population of over 300 million. Though the Federal government does give block grants to each state for education, the state does make decisions on how the grant money will be used. With the exception of a few states, most states can compared one to one with countries like Denmark or Finland. We fail and those countries succeed. There is nothing endemically wrong with the children of the United States, there is much that has been eroding at core of US success in education. Money is often funneled to the newest darling of politicians, the Charter schools. These schools are limited by making the choice of who will or will not be allowed into the school. Schools of the inner city or poor neighborhoods begin with less funding for classrooms and teaching staff, so of course those schools do not show great results.
If politicians and non-educators would leave education to those trained to educate, things would dramatically improve. We do not need each new president, Senator or House Representative, attempting to implement their personal ideas into the education system. Education should not be the pet hobby of politicians, and teachers by the essence of their profession are inundated with paperwork, they do not need the constant increase in useless paperwork. This money spent on testing alone would help to feed and improve the daily concentration of the student. Hungry children do not learn.
Thanks TC – I do believe the erosion of education is intentional, with the ultimate goal being privatization.
AMEN!!!
One small nit to pick w/ the Big Fish Ink graphic: Last census in 2010 had a TOTAL US population of just 308 million – including the poor people.
Yes, and 150 mil is just about 47% of 308 mil. That's the allusion, not to the total.
Bingo!
We, in the USA, may not be number 1 in many, many categories these days but we certainly are number 1 in drone attacks…
Yea, the erosion of public schools into privatization is a very serious matter as well as the privatization of the prison system. We cannot allow both to take place in our country. Let us not forget what is happening with our postal system either.
Drone attacks – yes. And a couple of other things not to be proud of. We are Number One in Defense budget (bigger than I believe the next 10 biggest). We are Number One in prison population as a percentage of total population. Is that what Republicans want us to be Number One in? Oh, wait – yes, they do. Never mind.
I read this in Daily Kos, and also heard Bernie Sanders discussing it on the Ed Show on MSNBC today. The sad part is that so many Americans don't realize it. They know they are having a hard time financially, but think it will get better because it always did before. Too much Faux news and Republican propaganda has turned the middle class against itself.
Thanks everyone. I overslept again and am way late.
I agree – so sad.
Red Sox Nation…!
Big $-Money buys big propaganda…