Meet Me in the Middle

What’s at stake with a declining middle class

A large, robust, independent middle class is essential to keep a democratic republic like ours in check. Aristotle, that dead Greek guy, believed that a strong middle class was the only way to guard against oligarchy. He also believed that the middle class is more likely than the poor to obey the rule of law, to be more educated, and to act less vindictively against the rich. Because he called for all things in moderation, Aristotle was weary of the poor having the most political power as well as the rich having too much power because both would enrich themselves at the expense of others.

When most of a state’s citizens belong to a thriving middle class that has political rights, high rates of political participation, and economic independence, the people are a significant political force with which those in power must contend. Some in power don’t like this because a strong middle class gets in the way of their political ambitions, so they are working on diminishing the middle class. And this is how they’ve gone about it:

Step 1: Divided

Political scientists have been debating whether or not politicians or the public is more to blame for our increased polarization (I’d say it’s both creating a positive feedback loop). But political polarization based on ideology isn’t the biggest problem. Now we’re divided not just along political issues but also identity groups. We’ve gone from two big tent parties to fragmented tribes organized according to a moral hierarchy based on intersectionality, where the combination of identities of the most historically oppressed are the most revered.

For some, this tribalism has taken over the way they see their fellow citizens. Instead of being united against exploding violent crime rates in large cities like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and New York, everything about policing and the carceral state is colored by race. Instead of addressing the sexualization of children https://stephaniestanley.substack.com/p/return-to-innocence and all the psychological problems that creates, some people look for every opportunity to express their own sexuality and don’t tolerate other’s disapproval. And we’ve replaced honest discussions about boys over diagnosed and on ADHD meds and the decline in male life expectancy because of suicide and drug ODs with yelling matches about toxic masculinity and the evils of the patriarchy.

I’m not saying that if we can look past each other’s race, gender, and sexuality that all of our problems and political disputes will disappear. What I’m saying is that we need look past how we differ and recognize that most people want good policy outcomes like clean water, clean air, better schools, and lower crime rates. Then we could have more productive disagreements without throwing identities people can’t change in their faces. And then maybe our political elite would have a harder time manipulating us for their ends by using shallow, often insulting identity politics tactics to advance their own ends, which usually don’t deliver for those identities they claim to represent.

Step 2: Demonized

Of course, it’s not enough to divide the American people. We’ve been divided before and overcame our differences to challenge the elites’ misuse of power. For example, during the late 1880s through the early 1910s, the Farmers’ Alliance, Knights of Labor, and Progressives mobilized against the system of political patronage. Their efforts ended up democratizing the American republic through the passage of secret ballots, professionalization of bureaucracies, and the 17th Amendment (direct election of senators), among other things.

In fact, most successful, peaceful challenges to those in power require a coalition of those outside of the political system who recognize their common interests and mobilize together. When this happens on a large enough scale, politicians either get on board or get voted out of office. The sea change brought by the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s illustrates this point, as high-profile protests met with police violence added more sympathetic white Americans to the cause.

These days instead of seeing each other as allies in tackling skyrocketing inflation, an imminent increase in our electric bills, and addressing chronic employment issues, we’re too busy telling others how horrible they are. Do you wear a mask? Then you’re a pawn of communist overlords. Are you unvaccinated? You’re a selfish person who wants everyone else to get sick.

Instead of moralizing a stranger’s personal health choices, it seems to me that we should be criticizing bad policies like government overspending and extended unemployment benefits, both of which have a negative impact on our economy and the U.S. dollar. And while we’re focusing on demonizing entire groups of people based on how they voted or what they look like, our kids are being taught that the color of their skin determines how good they are and how far they can go in life.

Moralized Hazard

Like in The Wizard of Oz, we’re told not to look at the man behind the curtain… probably because that man isn’t really Joe Biden because he’s too busy chillin’ with Corn Pop. C’mon man! Let’s start calling the identity Scarecrow next to us a straw man and start holding politicians accountable.

Step 3: Dependent

Once we’re all divided into fragmented tribes that see each other as the enemy (and like-minded citizens are censored, shadow banned, or buried on social media), it’s easier for politicians to degrade us even further because we are less able to mount a meaningful campaign against them. It seems to me that one way those in power gain more power is to extend the scope of the state by making more of us dependent on the state.

Too many politicians have exploited the COVID-19 crisis to seize unconstitutional power by enacting executive orders that seem to have no limit. We’ve also seen some impressive institutional expansions, like the CDC declaring an extension to an eviction moratorium despite the fact that the CDC’s purview has nothing to do with housing… oh, and the Supreme Court said the CDC couldn’t do that. The CDC didn’t care and did it anyways.

Defying these unconstitutional measures is a collective action problem, and too many middle-class Americans are afraid, divided, isolated, and see those who would join them in the effort to restrain the government as bad people. A government out of control will only go as far as its people will let it, and a middle class in such a state can’t pull back a government that sees its constitution like the pirate code that’s more like a set of general, vague guidelines.

Most of us were told that we couldn’t work unless we had the kind of job we could do from home or our job was “essential” (to be clear, every paycheck needed to pay bills and buy food is essential). Since many middle-class jobs are impossible to do on a couch, like warehouse work, hospitality work, construction, etc., the middle class and the poor tended to suffer the most.

The solution? The government gave us extra money for being laid off and stimulus checks for all, which, among other things, is driving ridiculously high inflation rates. And the Biden Administration doesn’t seem to care.

Then the current administration opened up our southern border to unvetted, unvaccinated cheap labor while Americans are fired for refusing to comply with unconstitutional vaccine mandates.

If It Weren't for Those Pesky Facts and Rights

Influxes in low skilled, illegal labor depresses wages for working class Americans, but those who don’t vote enough or the way they should deserve to be replaced.

What’s to be done?

First, we need to realize what’s going on and what’s at stake. So please share this post or at least its information with those you know. Secondly, we need to act together and stand up for our rights and reassert our political power as citizens of a democratic republic. This doesn’t mean violence or criminal activity, it means living your life and exercising your God given rights. It means exposing some politicians for the power-hungry people they are and voting them out of office. It means paying attention to what’s going on in your schools, city, state, and country before it’s too late.

And finally, we must think for ourselves, educate ourselves on the issues, and learn the lessons taught by those who came before us. If you’re looking for a place to start, Hillsdale College has some great online courses. And Bill Bennett’s America: The Last Great Hope is a solid, well-written overview of American history.

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