The middle class gets almost half of U.S. safety-net payments

[Aegon]

Today's update on America's rigged economy:

https://www.axios.com/us-middle-class-in...9dc35.html

As wages have remained stagnant, more people can't afford middle-class basics, and income inequality grows, the middle class is increasingly relying on the federal safety net, according to the new report by Brookings Institutions' Future of the Middle Class Initiative. "It is a mistake, now, to think of welfare as something just for the poor," Richard Reeves, the report's author tells Axios.

The trend is most clearly seen in the second and middle income quintiles, where the average household income was $31,087 and $54,041 in 2014, according to the Tax Policy Center.

One of every $7 spent on social program benefits went to families in the middle quintile of the income distribution in 2014.
Federal safety net money is also making up a greater share of lower-middle class incomes, according to the report. Meaning that not only is more money going to the middle class, some middle class families depend on it more.

One key finding: Health care is a big driver. Medicaid expansion has made more lower-middle income Americans eligible for the program, and now less than half of Medicaid spending goes to the lowest quintile.

Medicaid spending on elderly households (65 years or older) has tripled since 1979, and around 60% of it went to the elderly in the middle class in 2014, the study found.
Increased subsidies for the Affordable Care Act has also contributed to the overall trend. There has also been notable growth in the share of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that have gone to those lower-middle income quintiles, according to the report.

I also noticed that even Tucker fuckin' Carlson was criticizing Jeff Bezos last week for being a greedy billionaire. Revolution time?

P.S. There's a great chart in the article that doesn't copy and paste correctly.

[CapnAwesome]

When you consider the whole world, the American middle class is in the top 1%.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pe...-world.asp

Which starts at $32,050.

Pardon me if I don't feel a ton of sympathy.

[Shell B]

$32,000 is Middle Class? Weird.

[Aegon]

When you consider the whole world, the American middle class is in the top 1%.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pe...-world.asp

Which starts at $32,050.

Pardon me if I don't feel a ton of sympathy.

You'd have a point if the costs of goods, services, education, etc. were the same everywhere.

IIRC, last time you brought up a similar point. As if the problems in the American economy don't matter others are worse off in other regions of the world. That's a bit silly, since you can take that argument all the way down to: at least a war lord chopped your head off quick instead of slowly dying of ebola. Comparing problems and suffering as means of shutting down legitimate argument and criticism is incredibly unproductive. The American state capitalist economy is hardwired to hurt the working and middle class. More and more news stories come out every week detailing its impacts. 

These problems shouldn't exist in the richest country in the world. There is a ridiculous amount of wealth in America, but it's not going down. $32k the start of middle class? Absurd. They're one major, unforeseen cost away from personal bankruptcy and poverty.

[The Grand Nudger]

In the poorer half of the states, yeah.  Goes all the way down to 25k.  Mississippi, lol.

(wewt, I'm officially rich, just checked my states upper middle class boundary - odd...I don't feel rich.)

[Minimalist]

I also noticed that even Tucker fuckin' Carlson was criticizing Jeff Bezos last week for being a greedy billionaire.

Let's not forget that Carson's hero, Der Orange Turdfuhrer hates Bezos and Amazon.  You can bet your ass that Carson wouldn't criticize the fucking Koch Brothers.

Just another FOX FUK earning his keep from the moron in the white hourse.

[Aegon]

In the poorer half of the states, yeah.  Goes all the way down to 25k.  Mississippi, lol.

(wewt, I'm officially rich, just checked my states upper middle class boundary - odd...I don't feel rich.)

I live in NYC. $25k/year might get you a cozy cardboard box.

[Shell B]

We couldn't get by with 32,000 in our household, not and expect to own a house and at least a car, which pretty much defines Middle Class.

[The Grand Nudger]

We've worked out that...despite the fact that we own everything we have, no debts....we can't go below 50k.  Not without public assistance, obvs.

[Minimalist]