Canadian middle class wealthier than American middle class

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thomas81
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24 Apr 2014, 5:10 pm

http://www.alternet.org/economy/were-no ... ss-america


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0_equals_true
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24 Apr 2014, 5:14 pm

define middle class.

I'm always skeptical when comparing national statistics, between countries.



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24 Apr 2014, 5:19 pm

Having said that the Canadians did really get their finances in order, and there weren't as affected but the downturn becuase the have a strong banking sector.



mr_bigmouth_502
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24 Apr 2014, 5:23 pm

Hah! I knew it all along! :P



DevKit
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24 Apr 2014, 6:11 pm

Did you ever wonder why some people are middle class and other are not? Why would anybody have average as their goal in the first place?



mr_bigmouth_502
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24 Apr 2014, 6:20 pm

DevKit wrote:
Did you ever wonder why some people are middle class and other are not? Why would anybody have average as their goal in the first place?


Maybe because being rich isn't a realistic goal unless you're born into old money? :roll:



AspieOtaku
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24 Apr 2014, 6:26 pm

Dammit why did my mom have to immigrate to America and marry an American to give birth to me in America when she could have stayed in Canada and marry another canadian so i can be born in Canada I would probably be born NT if that happened! My dad Undiagnosed with ASD.


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Kraichgauer
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24 Apr 2014, 6:40 pm

I heard this last night on MSNBC.


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trollcatman
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24 Apr 2014, 6:58 pm

DevKit wrote:
Did you ever wonder why some people are middle class and other are not? Why would anybody have average as their goal in the first place?


Even if everyone became super wealthy there would still be a middle class. Like median income, it's just a definition. There will always be a person who ears the median income. Now, why would you want your country's middle class to be poorer than another country's middle class?
It is by definition impossible for all citizens to be part of the 1%. If all people strive to become the 1%, only 1% will succeed.



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25 Apr 2014, 11:08 am

Here is a historical representation of the change over 30 years by income decile.

[img][800:375]http://cdn.theatlantic.com/newsroom/img/posts/Screen%20Shot%202014-04-22%20at%209.06.29%20AM.png[/img]

Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/arc ... ch/361053/

It should be noted, however - as the article points out - that one of the reasons for the apparent superior Canadian performance might be a housing bubble in Canada which could collapse in the following years.



DevKit
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25 Apr 2014, 6:50 pm

mr_bigmouth_502 wrote:
DevKit wrote:
Did you ever wonder why some people are middle class and other are not? Why would anybody have average as their goal in the first place?


Maybe because being rich isn't a realistic goal unless you're born into old money? :roll:


Well as long as your think that way Mr_Big it will always be impossible for you, but not for me since I strongly disagree. Ill put it to you this way, you couldn't walk through an open door if you didnt believe you could.



starvingartist
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25 Apr 2014, 6:54 pm

DevKit wrote:
mr_bigmouth_502 wrote:
DevKit wrote:
Did you ever wonder why some people are middle class and other are not? Why would anybody have average as their goal in the first place?


Maybe because being rich isn't a realistic goal unless you're born into old money? :roll:


Well as long as your think that way Mr_Big it will always be impossible for you, but not for me since I strongly disagree. Ill put it to you this way, you couldn't walk through an open door if you didnt believe you could.


what about people who don't give a s**t about getting rich or other materialistic concerns? where do we fit into your extremely distorted view of reality?



ruveyn
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25 Apr 2014, 9:39 pm

One of the burdens our middle class carries is the tax load produced by our insane military expenditures. Even if median wages are lower in Canada, some of the tax revenue pays for social services that our state provided in Canada and strictly out of pocket in the U.S.

Here in the good old U.S.A. we are pissing our wealth away on unnecessary military expenditures.

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25 Apr 2014, 10:17 pm

ruveyn wrote:
One of the burdens our middle class carries is the tax load produced by our insane military expenditures. Even if median wages are lower in Canada, some of the tax revenue pays for social services that our state provided in Canada and strictly out of pocket in the U.S.

Here in the good old U.S.A. we are pissing our wealth away on unnecessary military expenditures.

ruveyn


True, to be sure. The American middle class is supporting a war machine, while the industrial base that had provided said middle class with the wages to do so are jumping ship like the rats they are.


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25 Apr 2014, 10:26 pm

GGPViper wrote:
It should be noted, however - as the article points out - that one of the reasons for the apparent superior Canadian performance might be a housing bubble in Canada which could collapse in the following years.

Isn't that the truth! Housing prices are INSANE here even in high unemployment areas. Literally nobody can afford houses right now and the prices are astronomical compared to similar US cities. I work in a cushy government job and still pay almost half my wages to rent a lower income apartment because I could never afford a house. Something has to give!



starvingartist
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25 Apr 2014, 10:39 pm

GiantHockeyFan wrote:
GGPViper wrote:
It should be noted, however - as the article points out - that one of the reasons for the apparent superior Canadian performance might be a housing bubble in Canada which could collapse in the following years.

Isn't that the truth! Housing prices are INSANE here even in high unemployment areas. Literally nobody can afford houses right now and the prices are astronomical compared to similar US cities. I work in a cushy government job and still pay almost half my wages to rent a lower income apartment because I could never afford a house. Something has to give!


indeed, our bubble is primed for popping north of the 49th.