Agree or Disagree- Lack Of A Middle Class Is America's Real Problem

[StillFaggyAF]

When asked to share his thoughts on the controversial stop-and-frisk policy, Jay-Z commented on the lack of a middle-class and how much of a “real problem” that is in the United States. He also touched on the widening economic gap and the oppression that will eventually reach a tipping point.

“I don’t really wanna scare America, but the real problem is there’s no middle-class,” said the Magna Carta Holy Grail rapper. “So, the gap between the have and the have-not’s is getting wider and wider. Let me finish this point because I do want to scare them a little bit. It’s gonna be a problem that no amount of police can solve because once you have that sort of oppression and that gap is widening, it’s inevitable that something’s gonna happen, period.”

Joining Jay-Z during the round-table discussion was former Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank who argued for added police presence, especially for those in public housing. As a former resident of Brooklyn’s notorious Marcy Projects, Jay-Z countered Frank’s remarks by stating that instead of more cops, people need to be moved out of public housing all together.

“They deserve to get out of there. Public housing was a temporary stop…I grew up in Marcy Projects, public housing was a temporary stop until you got yourself together and you moved on,” Jay-Z explained.

 

[Gold_Certificate]

Depends on the cause. If it's because people are rising to the upper-class--as indicated by the US Census Bereau's data--then it's not a problem at all:

 

[haute]

i didn't realize middle class and upper class started that low

Interesting........

 

[Gold_Certificate]

Word, it varies as wide as $20,000-$100,000 and as narrow as $33,000-$64,000.

 

[Tymoney19]

I always figured middle class 45,000 to 100,000

 

[Copper]

Middle class is 25?

 

[7figz]

Middle class is 25?

Word ? Must be some new shit.

In any event, I can see how that growing gap would be a problem.

Identifying it as the root of the problem, I'm not too sure about.

I gotta agree, in the context of having more police, that the argument about the middle class makes more sense than just saying get more police.

If more people could afford to live, less people would be out robbing other people (in theory). But I'm sure racist and elitist people don't think like that. They think criminals are by nature.

 

[haute]

I just don't see how anything under 40 wouldnt be poverty

Like how does one pay rent, car note, insurance, utilities, and gas with that

 

[GettinLo]

I watched it last night and find it funny that a dude that throws his wealth in your face is 'concerned' about the middle class.

 

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[aneed123]

naw its not the lack of middle class its the huge amount of poor... ... they dont care about poor folk so

 

[jono]

naw its not the lack of middle class its the huge amount of poor... ... they dont care about poor folk so

The poor has increased because the middle class is disappearing.

The "middle class" is splitting. Those that were barely middle class are becoming poor and those that were upper middle class are becoming rich.

Problem is there are fewer people moving up, more people are moving backwards.

 

[Crude_]

get the fuck outta here... aint no way im upper class...

i drive fucking scion.

Self ether at the bolded.

 

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[rantanamo]

Eehhhh I'm not gonna touch on this one. IMO Jay-Z should just stick to music and Hip-Hop. And nooo it is NOT real problem in America. I see what you tryna do tho Hov.

How is it not a real problem? Study this very thing world wide and throughout the last 100 years and see what you find. Stability within a nation is all about having a sizeable middle class. A sizeable middle class means a lot of things. The middle class are your primary tax payers, they are your volunteer standing army soldiers. They create higher quality products. They generally don't overthrow their governments. They perform a nation's social services. They buy the majority of consumer goods. They committ the least white and blue collar crimes. They make up the most children. You take this away and you eliminate the stability of any nation and you have hords of poor people and no real way to pay for them. This must be understood by tomorrow's leaders of industry. You can't just stake your success off of making shareholders money. Society itself has to be looked after.

I hate hearing how the problem with America today is some behavior by poor people, or gay people or black people. The problem with America is corporate greed. When everything is the bottom line and CEO pay rises at incredible rates, you're creating unstable workplaces and lower pay for the majority. Yet prices of everything continue to rise while real wages are stagnant. So you get these commentators coming on tv complaining about the minimum wage going up when they know gas continues to climb, food continues to climb. If wages were staying in the middle, these rises wouldn't be a problem. But in the current mindset its a problem. You get too many in this group and people in the streets will snap at some point. Those in power in this country will be forced to act like those countries they accuse of having poor equal rights. You think this isn't all a problem?

 

[LEMZIMUS_RAMSEY]

No middle class is a very very bad new.

In France we are witnessing the same phenom.

Thats why i m chasing extra diplomas. Either you rich either you are poor nowadays

 

[Crude_]

get the fuck outta here... aint no way im upper class...

i drive fucking scion.

Self ether at the bolded.

not if i can laugh at myself... while swimming in my backyard pool...

That shit is a good look I own my own home to but it doesnt have a pool too much liability for me in the wife.

We got quite a few folks in the family that can't swim.

 

[sniperk]

@theodis

You old "get a shot of my fuckin' pool in the back" type cat...

 

[supYo]

agree like a mothafucka...but obama is going the right way

 

[MrCrookedLetter]

Eehhhh I'm not gonna touch on this one. IMO Jay-Z should just stick to music and Hip-Hop. And nooo it is NOT real problem in America. I see what you tryna do tho Hov.

Nigga you in Canada though.... its obviously a problem here