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yes but we no longer have a federal government that believes in employing people or paying for things like scientific research. lots of traditionally stable career paths for people with college education have been slammed shut

Well said!

“Middle class prosperity” for my grandparents meant they owned their own house and their kids went to a good school. They did not have high paying jobs (teacher, factory foreman, secretary, insurance agent/ truck driver)

"high wage"+"middle class"? That's a poor wording choice or an intentional oversimplification. Also, if we're getting all dreamy about the manufacturing hey days of the 1950s-70s...understand that all industries had massive layoffs, union building/busting struggles & globalization dawned in the 70s

Not nonsense. Middle class disappeared because Walmart et al don’t pay a living wage.

Honestly I think tech is a big part of it. We spend a lot on it. Yes our parents or grandparents owned a house but they didn't spend so much on all the whistles and bells. People didn't eat out much either. We fritter away alot of money.

I mean.. his blame falls on immigration and his solutions are incoherent.. but that we have large cohorts in the past 20 years who entered crappy job markets (often with massive debt compared to past generations) along with an insane housing market is definitely different than what boomers faced

In the 70's my parents had two cars and their own 4 bedroom house with a very reasonable mortgage, they put 3 of their kids through college, all on a middle class income and my mom mostly staying home except for some temporary jobs as we got older. Its crazy to think this economy is similar.