A Short, Middle Class Commentary on the US Economy

So I hear the economy in the US is bad, really bad. They say it's equivalent to the great depression and that areas of the country have already fallen into a recession. Did that sentence make sense? Hmm. The historical newsreels I watched in college come to mind. You know, the ones where the people are piled into and on top of cars and trucks heading out on the road to escape the poverty of the dustbowl states. I mean we see it all the time now since we've entered the second great depression.

OK, wait a minute, I haven't seen this mass migration of poverty stricken friends and neighbors piling into their SUV's or 4 wheel drive trucks and heading out of town in search of a better life with nothing more then a suitcase in hand and the clothes on their backs. In fact, I don't see anybody who's changed much of anything in their daily lives. Joe blow across the street, (or is it Joe the plumber, I'll have to check the mailbox) he doesn't seem to be doing things differently. He still has his same job and he still drives there every morning and drives home every night. His wife hasn't left him and his kids look well fed. Hmm. Maybe this deserves a closer look.

I consider myself run of the mill, standard lower middle class. Yes folks, I am part of the poverty stricken middle class that brings in less then 250,000 a year; I hear you have to bring home 250,000 now to be considered high end middle class. Oh, poor me, I can't afford that in ground swimming pool or an open bar at my parties! I don't even have a vacation home on the beach or a time share anywhere. I don't own an Escalade or a new hybrid. Yes folks, in this economy life is tough in the suburbs.

Every news show I turn on tells me how bad I'm doing and it's a good thing I watch them because if they hadn't told me I wouldn't know. Dummy me. I'm poor and I'm pissed about it. I'm mad that I'm probably days away from losing my job. Why do I know this? Because THEY say so! Unemployment is at 6% and hundreds of jobs are being lost daily right here in my state. I'm only a paycheck away from a bread line. You can't see them all the time but I'm catching up quickly to the homeless and dirt poor. They are everywhere, are you blind?!

OK, wait a minute. Where are all these poor people anyway? I mean we always have the poor but shouldn't there be a lot more of them? Millions have supposedly lost their homes so why isn't my local shelter overflowing with these families. I don't see them begging on the streets as our politicians would have me believe and where are all the people walking to work now because they can't afford gas? I hear them talking all the time, it's all over the news, NO ONE can afford gas. I don't know who's buying it but no one can afford it. If they can't afford it why aren't they walking to work? I don't see them walking to work. I don't see any increase in foot traffic at all in my town and I don't see the bicycle shops raking in the money because now everyone is of course riding a bike.

OK, wait a minute. Where are all the bicycle riders? I don't see the bicycle riders. In fact I don't see any decrease in automobile transportation at all regardless of the time of day. And shouldn't there be an over abundance of cars for sale. After all I know they can't afford the payments let alone the insurance. Think of the money they could save getting rid of the families two cars, why they could pay the mortgage with that money. Hmmm

OK, wait a minute.

Things just aren't adding up, but don't tell me I'm being lied to. Don't tell me I'm not just around the corner from financial disaster. I already canceled my vacation because they told me I couldn't afford to go. They think I'm pissed now just wait until I find out I could have gone to Disneyland.