Middle Class Over: Recent Episodes
Frank Simon was Middle Class until 1980. Since then, it's all been an illusion.
The middle class is over. It was a lie. We have the 1%...and then everyone else. Does this explain your life? My middle class life was actually working class. My problem is that it's taken me years to learn the difference.Your host Frank Simon has 40 years of work experience from white collar to blue collar, in the public sector, private sector, GIG worker, and business owner.Perspective from someone having lived in all three provinces of Western Canada, and what makes us different.
They call it the Freedom Convoy.
But it has nothing to do with vaccine mandates.
It has nothing to do with masks.
It has everything to do with the overthrow of the Government of Canada, by people pissed off with Justin Trudeau and the establishment.
This is not going to end well...
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My personal experience dealing with my own mental illness.
What I didn't think were problems, because of self-medication, addictions, routines, and obsessions.
Welcome to my world of nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol.
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Our Prime Minister in Canada has a secret.
But he promises not to tell.
He can't even tell the Senate.
The Senate, that must ratify the use of the Emergency Act.
So what is the big secret?
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We almost had our Government of Canada overthrown by an insurrection.
So why did it happen?
Did we deal with the symptoms, but NOT the problem?
So what's the problem?
And how do we deal with it?
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Let me lay out the plot to overthrow the Government of Canada.
One day, they'll make it into a movie.
Because this whole series of staged events called the "Freedom Convoy" is about overthrowing the Government of Canada.
Don't believe me? Think I'm turning into a conspiracy theorist?
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Can you feel it? There’s a rebellion starting. There’s a lot of unhappy, angry people out there.
Because of Covid. Lost jobs. High prices. Interest rates going up soon. Wages not keeping up with inflation. That middle class dream getting farther and farther away.
Some people are feeling desperate. They are losing trust in the government.
They’re forming some type of resistance. Some joined the so-called “freedom fighters’ that were part of the Freedom Convoy of truck drivers in Ottawa that’s going into week 2.
The problem in Canada is that the three major political parties were all moving towards the centre…leaving the right side of the political spectrum wide open.
Tap into that groundswell of mistrust and disillusionment…and look out. Hell…it worked for Trump…why not in Canada?
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Now before anybody gets their knickers in a knot about the title to this episode….remember that I used to be a florist. A prick is that painful hole you get in your finger when you get stabbed with the thorn of a rose. Get your mind out of the gutter.
And a bouquet…well a bouquet is just a bunch of flowers. So in other words, on this episode I’m handing out pricks…those painful little holes… to those that I think are hurting the middle class …and bouquets to those I think are helping the middle class succeed.
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I’m really sad, because the singer known as Meat Loaf died this week.
I’m sad because I used to be middle class.
Now I’m working class.
I have this simmering anger that’s just under the surface. I’ve been like this for over 40 years. Meat Loaf put a voice to my anger…to my disillusionment…to my fears.
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Corporate welfare in Canada.
Have you ever played soccer, when one side had a regular size goal and the other side a hockey goal? Speaking of hockey, what if one side had 5 skaters on the ice and the other side 3…for the whole game? How about baseball, if one team had to hit a softball and the other side a baseball?
It wouldn’t be fair, now would it?
Speaking of fair…let’s take two businesses. One business gets an interest-free loan or even a non-repayable grant from the government. The other business gets nothing. Zilch…nada…zeeero.
Yet that’s what our Canadian government does…time after time after time. Corporate welfare. All to help the middle class. It’s killing the middle class!
Prop up those businesses instead of letting them die a natural death.
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Evan Siddall is the former CEO of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Siddall says it’s time Canadians have the debate on whether to implement capital gains tax on primary residences, which he says could help minimize the housing inequality gap.
“One of the things that's really driving people apart in terms of inequality in our country is the amount of money people are making off houses who own them versus the amount of money people aren't making on their homes that rent them. It’s a real problem,” he said.
“Why don’t we tax gains on houses but we tax gains on other investments? It’s a serious, non-progressive situation in our tax code.”
He acknowledged that it’s an idea not on the minds of policy makers, as it would lead to “political suicide.”
“Politicians just aren't allowed to have this conversation because the opposition, and it's any colour, will skewer them for it. And so we don't have the debate we have to have.”
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It's MY party, and I'll cry if I want to.
But you don't have to invite Covid-19 to your next party.
You're the host...you can have a guest list...you can restrict access to your party.
There's no need to cry.
Let Covid mutate itself out of existence, looking for the next host.
It worked for the Spanish flu, and it WILL happen the same way with Covid.
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Covid-19 has created a new normal. But there's no such thing as normal. It's just reality.
Reality is that it's going to take at least 5 years for global herd immunity.
A new reality where we don't have to put up with crap jobs.
A new world experiencing the Great Resignation.
A world where inflation is up and wages lag behind.
Where we have expectations and demands that our salaries increase.
A world when it sucks to be an employer.
A world when the middle class and working class can say Take This Job and SHOVE IT, I ain't working here no more!
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What I’ve learned from sports is a life lesson. There are rules. There are systems. There are limits. There are boundaries. And we all push those boundaries. And sometimes we go over the line. And then we pay the penalty. And sometimes we don’t.
It all depends on who makes the rules. Who devised the system. And what if we could design our own system…our own rules…and not have to rely on somebody else making the rules? Well then, it’s pretty easy to play by the rules…when we’re the ones making the rules! Wouldn’t you make rules that would benefit you? Now don’t lie…of course you would! So what kind of screwed up system lets you make your own rules? Glad you asked...
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What you talking about, Willis?
Spend more?
This Middle Class Over podcast talks a lot about saving money, not spending it!
About ways to maintain our middle class lifestyles!
I spent 18 years in the world of e-commerce, before online ordering became a necessity. Let’s find out what secret ways I used in my online business to get you to spend more of your hard-earned cash.
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So here is my prediction. You are going to get Covid-19. Hopefully you are double-vaxxed and maybe even have had a booster or two. If you are, there’s a good chance that once you get Covid your symptoms are mild and you can avoid death…or the hospital…or at least stop the spread for a while.
If you’re an anti-vaxxer, you’re still helping with herd immunity. Once you get it, you develop some immunity. That adds to the count, as you’re part of the herd. The downside is that your chances for serious illness has multiplied if you get Covid. Good luck with that.
In a global pandemic, we’ve found ourselves in a pissing contest. As Canadians, we feel superior to Americans because a higher percentage of us are double-vaxxed. And people in B.C. feel superior to people from Alberta and Saskatchewan for the same reason. Feel better about yourself?
But it doesn’t really matter what we do, until the entire world reaches herd immunity. Because this is a GLOBAL phenomenon, not a local one. Not something we can throw money at and hope it goes away. Because we’re rich.
Let’s look into worldwide herd immunity on this…episode 49…of Middle Class Over…
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The Top 5 reasons that I think everybody should consider self-employment…even if it’s the smallest venture…
1. Independence. When you work for somebody else and come up with a great idea…most of the time nobody listens. Believe me, it’s great to make your own decisions. And if things don’t work out with your current employer, at least you’ve got something to fall back on!
2. Self-worth. When talking to people, I feel much better about myself saying that I own a business…rather than saying I work for…
3. Tax write-offs. Vehicle expenses. Home office. Meals. There are so many things that you can write-off when you own your own show!
4. Passion. When you have your own business, it’s easy to get passionate about your work. Not so easy when your work goes to profiting somebody else.
5. Time. Even my tiny yard maintenance business is great…in that I set my own hours. Too hot? Too rainy? Not working today…but on nice days, a 10 hour day working outside is fantastic! My time…my choices…
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First there was the heat dome, with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius. Then there were the fires, with the town of Lytton burning to the ground. Then we had a windstorm, which caused 109 shipping containers to fall off of a barge and into the ocean. Now we have atmospheric rivers, with rainfall shattering records…with over 7 inches falling in three days at my house. Evacuations, floods and landslides soon followed, with major highways washed away, oil pipelines not pumping, and rail lines all screeching to a halt.
The Premier just declared a State of Emergency. Rules against hoarding and price gauging.
You can’t make this stuff up. It’s all happened in my province of British Columbia Canada in 2021. And like when the pandemic hit, it makes people do strange things.
I like the zombie apocalypse analogy much better. According to Wikipedia, “the spreading "zombie plague" swamps law enforcement organizations, the military and health care services, leading to the panicked collapse of civil society until only isolated pockets of survivors remain. Basic services such as piped water supplies and electrical power shut down, mainstream mass media cease broadcasting, and the national government collapses or goes into hiding. The survivors usually begin scavenging for food, weapons and other supplies in a world reduced to a mostly pre-industrial hostile wilderness. There is usually a 'safe-zone' where the non-infected can seek refuge and begin a new era, usually held by other survivors or the government.”
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Natural resources. In Canada, we have a lot of them. We build towns around them. Mill towns. Mining towns. Fishing towns. Oil and gas towns. You can see them all over British Columbia. Towns like Mackenzie, Tumbler Ridge, Gold River, Tahsis, and Port Alice. In the 1960’s and 70’s, there was even a provincial government policy governing how these instant towns should be created and maintained.
Millions…no check that…billions of dollars were spent in creating these towns. They were in remote areas…so roads had to be built. Schools, recreation facilities, and even hospitals had to be constructed. Water, gas, and power lines. Sewage facilities. Everything from scratch. Infrastructure that cost a HUGE amount of money.
Rape the land…rape the water…it’s apparently what we’re good at. Boom and bust. All in pursuit of good paying, working and middle class jobs. Make hay while the sun shines…at least until the resource is depleted or the price collapses.
But nothing describes this boom and bust cycle better than the story of Kitsault. From start to finish, it took only five years.
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Over the years, we’ve always had people living with us. Some were friends…others were relatives…and some complete strangers.
We used to call them boarders. Today, we call them mortgage helpers.
I now realize that I grew up in a working class family…that was living the illusion of a middle class life…because of boarders.
The key was creating the illusion. Then…and now.
Middle class reality in those days was often quite different, at least it was for me. …as I’m sure my life growing up was WAY different than most people.
It feels like therapy and my kids will be horrified, so I’m going to get into it…on this…episode 45…of Middle Class Over.
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My wife Dale and I were only about 3 minutes into our hike, when she puts out her arm to stop me in my tracks. I was looking down to see where I was walking…so I responded “what the hell?” She pointed down the trail…as a black bear went lumbering across the path only 10 yards away. My heart jumped 3 feet out of my chest!
We had just spent a week on the wild West Coast of Vancouver Island B.C. We haven’t been to this area for almost 20 years…and we absolutely loved it! Our base was Ucluelet, but we also made the 40 minute trip to Tofino and Long Beach one day in the pouring rain to watch the waves crash onto the beach.
But rain or no rain…tourists are coming…especially in the summer. Hiking, surfing, kiteboarding, windsurfing, fishing, whale watching, kayaking…there’s so much to do!
According to weleavetoday.com, “don’t plan to arrive and just find a place to stay though, or you will end up sleeping in your car; everything is sold out on long weekends in the summer!”
All those resort rooms…b & b’s…hotel rooms…campgrounds…and no place for tourists to stay?
It’s one thing when tourists have to sleep in their car…but what about all those people working in the resorts…the restaurants…the construction crews fixing the highway…where do these people live for months at a time?
That’s when I learned about “bush people”…on this…episode 44…of Middle Class Over…
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As Canadians, we don’t like doom and gloom. We’ve become quite cynical…especially about our politicians. They’re all in it for themselves. Nothing ever changes. We’re happy with the status quo. A third of us can’t even bother to vote.
Because we like calm. We like consistency. In a world of the unknown…when we don’t know if and when Covid will ever end…we like stability. But it wasn’t that long ago that Canadian federal politics were different...
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Yes, Facebook has become the number one source of news, in only 15 years.
We’ve stopped thinking for ourselves…by choosing which channel to watch on t.v.…because we’ve allowed Facebook to do our thinking for us.
All based on algorithms and artificial intelligence…to decide what is important…what is newsworthy…what we might be interested in.
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As a result of the recent federal election…the breakdown in seats for Western Canada shows one Green Party Member of Parliament…18 for the NDP…21 for the governing Liberals…and 64 Conservatives! 64!!!
That’s more than 3 times what the Liberals elected!
If Western Canada was its own country, it would have a majority Conservative government…with Erin O’Toole as the Prime Minister.
You could almost run an election blindfolded…because it’s so predictable…at least in Western Canada.
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Trying to stay in the middle class, we all have choices on how to make money.
We can rent out our time, in the form of wages. That covers everything from working for the government…to big multi-national corporations…right down to the small, mom & pop business. But in every case…we have a boss…a manager…someone that controls your time.
Or you can rent out your assets. Like your home…or a few homes like my friend did. Or your car, and become a delivery driver. The downside is that assets depreciate…they get old…and there’s the cost of constantly maintaining things. Like if the pipes leak in your home…or if your car needs a new transmission.
And if you can’t find a warm body…if an app just won’t cut it…then innovation in the form of Artificial Intelligence kicks in. Necessity is the mother of invention!
But using rented assets can have some unexpected results...
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Please remember one thing.
It doesn’t matter what inflation is doing in Canada.
We are powerless. What really matters is what inflation is doing in the States. If the U.S. has a protracted period of inflation that’s over 3% for months or even years, their Federal Reserve Bank will have no choice but to increase interest rates to put a lid on it.
Don’t think higher interest rates can happen? Central banks in Iceland, Brazil and Russia have already raised their interest rates to counter inflation.
And if interest rates go up south of the border…we will HAVE to increase our rates in Canada accordingly. Otherwise, capital will go south to get a better rate of return. Talk about foreign influence…yes…it’s true…Americans control Canada’s economy.
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They say that a rising tide lifts all boats. In the old days…they called it the horse-and-sparrow theory. If you feed the horse enough oats, some will pass through to the road for the sparrows.
I call bull crap.
It’s been 40 years. The experiment went horribly wrong. Unless you’re a one percenter, or a Fortune 500 company. Let’s look back as to what happened…why it happened…and where do we go from here… on this,..episode 38…of Middle Class Over.
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Way back in 1887, Lord Acton stated that “power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
People…society…don’t know how to behave when nobody is there to enforce the rules.
So we give certain people power.
They become authority figures.
Anarchy ensues when authority collapses.
Authority is a story.
Resistance is when you don't believe the story.
Life is all the stuff in between authority and resistance.
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I started this podcast claiming that the middle class was over starting in 1980. The era of Ronald Reagan in the U.S., Margaret Thatcher in the U.K., and Pierre Trudeau and the National Energy Program in Canada. Trickle down economics. Reduce taxes on the big guys…give them more money…and it will trickle down to the little guy.
Mainly because of the second OPEC oil crisis in 1979, when the world was dependent on oil and gas from the Middle East. It was a time right after the Iranian Revolution, when the price of crude oil doubled to $39.50 a barrel, equivalent to about $110 a barrel today. Long line-ups at gas stations, as the world was coming to an end…or so we thought...
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So how big is big, bad retail? Let’s look at sales. In 2019, Costco had sales of $153 billion. Amazon came in at $158 billion. And Walmart? $524 billion. Half a trillion dollars…every year. Almost double what Costco and Amazon sold…put TOGETHER! That’s insane.
If Walmart was a country, it would rank 27th in GDP…bigger than Austria, Ireland or Israel. If you add all of them together…the Big 3 in retail would rank 17th…bigger than Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, or Taiwan.
Which of course got me thinking…is this where the world is really heading? On this…episode 35…of Middle Class Over…
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That’s just it. For capitalism to succeed, we have to consume. We have to buy more and more things. And if our income doesn’t match the lifestyle that we’ve become accustomed to…if we don’t have enough money to consume what we want…well then…we’ll just borrow the money…most of the time from a bank. But banks are in the business of making money, at the expense of the middle class.
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I don’t like what’s happened with formal education these days. You come out of high school, and whether it’s your parents…friends…or society as a whole…there is an expectation that you continue your education in college, trade school, or at university.
And once these institutions figured out supply and demand, they started to charge more for the privilege.
When I went to university, it was affordable. But big education has changed all that. University and colleges have developed a recipe to print money…and for you to take on debt for years to come.
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So what is it about “The Donald” that makes him so appealing to almost half of voting Americans…and so scary that Republicans blindly follow his “Big Lie” conspiracies…or risk the wrath of God a.k.a. Donald Trump?
The modern day Archie Bunker…who taps into the fears that many Americans hold?
As the most powerful country in the world, the United States and its citizens seem afraid of everything. A lot of them are afraid of government. Others are afraid to go to the hospital, as they’re scared they can’t afford the bill. Some are afraid of immigrants…who at their worst are rapists and murderers…and the best of them will take your job…like fer sure!
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Coming out of the pandemic, it must suck to own a hospitality business. Places like bars, restaurants, and hotels. They just can’t find people to work! Well why is that you wonder? Maybe because the pay stinks and the working conditions are horrible? Duh!
Instead of going back to their old jobs, many hospitality workers found better jobs. Jobs that didn’t simply pay minimum wage. Where you don’t have to rely on tips to make a living wage. Where you’re not on your feet for 8 hours a day. Where shifts don’t change. Where your co-workers simply don’t show up for work.
At least for now, hospitality businesses don’t hold all the power…the workers do! Let’s look into it, on this…episode 31…of Middle Class Over…
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Do you need to be rich to be happy? Sure it helps, but that's not all of it. Instead of individual happiness, let's look at the happiness of a whole country, compared to the rest of the world!
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Branson, Musk, and Bezos. They are truly pigs at the trough. The pigs that eats as much as they can…then upsets the trough so that the other pigs can’t eat.
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I believe that the working class wants change. We’re just not sure how to go about it. We would love to go back in time to 1980, when things were good. When the working class actually felt like they were middle class. But for society to change…to get back to the good old days…we need leadership. From the top. From our political leaders. From those people that have the power.
And for change to happen, we need a political leader that inspires us. Who lets us believe that change can happen. Someone who gives us hope. Faith. Is there anyone out there that captures your imagination?
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By definition,Sheeple are people who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced. Unlike herding cats…herding sheep is fairly easy. After all, it’s how the middle class disappeared.
We were told that trickle down economics works…and we all believed it. Give the rich all the money, and it will trickle down to you. Silly Sheeple!
Compared to the United States, Canada is a nation of Sheeple. Have you ever been to a Sheeple farm? No? Well then you’ve never been to Canada!
Credit for "10 Signs That You're a Sheeple" goes to https://truedemocracyparty.net/2013/07/rise-of-the-american-sheeple-10-signs-youre-a-sheeple/
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When is old...too old? From Hollywood actors to pro athletes, everybody has an expiry date. When employers decide we are too old to work. Whether it's 30 or 80, there's always someone determining your value. What your worth is. But who REALLY decides what you're worth?
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We used to play cowboys and Indians as kids. Nobody wanted to be an Indian. We thought they were bad. Systemic racism at an early age? The plight of First Nations in Canada...how it came about, and what to do about it moving forward.
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There's the middle class and the working class, but how do we assign a class for the homeless? When many have lost hope of ever attaining middle class status. When poverty, lack of affordable housing, poor physical health, mental health issues, addictions, and a breakdown with family and community ties make it seem impossible. A local perspective from Victoria, B.C. Canada, looking at the plight of the homeless in one of the richest parts of the country...
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As Canadians, we look on our neighbours in the U.S. with shock and dismay about how Black people have been treated in history...and today. But we're not any better about how we treat our Native or Indigenous people. It's all come to a head, when 215 children were recently found in a mass grave near Kamloops, B.C. We shouldn't be surprised, as we have a long history of prejudice and racism in this country. Here are just a few examples...
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In Canada and the United States, we complain about the decline of the middle class. But there is one country...one of the emerging BRICS nations...that has between 22% and 33% unemployment each year for the past 20 years.
Middle Class Over?
In the case of South Africa, their middle class never had a chance to start.
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Oh the price we pay to be entertained! It's through the roof.
How can a middle class or working class person afford it?
The cost of our simple pleasures, and some are even free.
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Most of us gamble, in one form or another.
So what are the odds of winning big?
Better yet, what are the odds of losing it all after you've won?
And finally, what are YOUR odds for a middle class life?
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When times are bad, banks avoid you like the plague. But when times are good, banks are MORE than willing to lend you money...lots and lots of money.
Until it's too late.
Just another middle class dream shot to hell...
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You think Baby Boomers have it hard trying to be in the middle class? Try being a Millennial, it's almost impossible. As my daughter used to say, "It's NOT fair"!
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When you're rich, you have choices. Choices that wealthy people like Jimmy Pattison have. Choices that middle class and working class people don't have. The choice to work, relax, or the choice to work three jobs...it's your choice.
We also have choices politically, when it come time to vote. To vote for the status quo, where change won't happen. When our politicians try to find the middle ground where they can get the most votes...ensuring substantive change will never happen.
And then along comes Joe Biden, with the promise of change and a better future for the Middle Class...
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Instead of moving to a retirement home, many elderly are choosing to retire in place. It's fun to imagine the possibilities for exciting and exotic, yet affordable places you can live after you retire. Remember my episode 12 called “Let’s All Move to Mexico?”
But most people don’t actually follow through with a move to a new home. According to an AARP study on aging in place, nearly 90 percent of people over 65 want to stay in their home for as long as possible, and 80 percent believe that their current residence is where they will always live.
Let’s take a look at the 7 things to consider if you don’t want to move when you are retired.
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So think about it for a second. The average person has to work their whole life just to pay off a “mortgage” on a house. Just having a place to live takes a lifetime’s worth of paying off debt. What the hell? Does that make any sense to you? How on earth is it that incomes aren’t high enough that people can afford places of their own to live? Don’t we call people that don’t even own their own home or little slice of land “serfs” — or more to the point, shouldn’t we?
What really happens in our economies is this. The banks lend people exorbitant amounts just for the privilege of affording the basics. No, not designer wardrobes and luxury cars. Just the basics — retirement, education, utilities, right down to having a place to live — are paid for with debt. And banks charge a fortune for the privilege, too. So capital takes this cycle: from the bank, to you, back to the bank — and all the while, you are going nowhere, more or less, while the banks are getting colossally richer, precisely because they charge you a fortune for being perpetually indebted.
So my opinion is a house is simply a place to live. It’s NOT an investment.
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FOMO. The fear of missing out. But do we really need all these things, or have we been brain-washed into thinking we want them. It's all designed to control our mind, and it's working...all too well.
10 steps on how to avoid the evils of consumerism, today and into the future. All designed to lead a happier, more fulfilled life!
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There's a lot of legit ways to make money...and a lot of illegal ways too! Why do so many middle class and working class people resort to the underground economy, the cash society, and working under the table just to make ends meet? Drugs, sex, guns, telephone scamming, tiger parts (yes, it's true) and even your local electrician might be part of this hidden economy.
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The Middle Class life is alive and well. You just have to go to Mexico to experience it. The prices are cheaper, the weather warmer, the language, the culture, the food! No wonder so many Canadians flock to Mexico every year...it's a lifestyle we can get used to!
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What goes up...must come down.
The American Empire has been great while it lasted.
But the end of the Middle Class is a mirror image of the end of the American Empire.
It's happening, but what to do to stop it?
From Donald Trump to Marjorie Taylor Green.
From QAnon to the insurrection on the Capitol.
What divides the U.S. will lead to its downfall....
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It sure is fun to stick it to the man.
Just think of all those Redditers from WallStreetBets.
All those small investors...all those middle income earners...sticking it to the one per centers...those guys that run the big hedge funds.
It showed the world the holes in the Wall Street system.
It cost the hedge funds a lot of money. It cost Robin Hood too.
But in the end, it has to come to an end.
And if you didn't get out in time...it only cost the little guy once again.
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What's a welfare state, and how does it impact on the middle class. From Scandinavian countries to Canada and America, there are stark differences in welfare state programs in the western world. Universal programs with little bureaucracy, needs based programs with lots of bureaucracy, and a country with relatively no welfare state programs at all. There is talk of the Green New Deal in the States, maybe not today...but the process is beginning...
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We can't wait for societal change. We need a boost. We need it now!
Welcome to the world of the Universal Basic Income (UBI), and how it can help the working class and middle class survive.
For more UBI information, please check out:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mincome
https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-basic-income-pilot
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/03/stocktons-basic-income-experiment-pays-off/618174/
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Did you ever watch the t.v. show Breaking Bad? Did you like the main character Walter White? Can you relate? It might be for all the WRONG reasons. On this… episode 7 of Middle Class Over…welcome to the world of the Angry White Man.
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Middle Class life is totally different for city people compared to country folks.
Country people were raised differently...with different cultures...language...food...way of life.
It effects the way farmers think and what they believe, that is NOT the same as the homogenous mix in Canadian cities.
And most importantly, it effects the way Canadians vote. It's not that different than the American experience.
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1978 was the first year that more than 50% of women worked outside the home.
1983 was the first year that more than 50% of university grads were female.
Did these milestones help or hurt the Middle Class?
Is part-time work like the GIG economy the new normal?
What's a "good job" anyway?
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The middle class is declining, and now we have the pandemic of Covid-19. The effect on the one per cent is profound...their wealth went through the roof. But the lost jobs, the threat of eviction, the long line-ups, have all had a profound effect on working class...middle class people.
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In this episode, we'll discuss:
- why having a middle class is not normal,
- economies of scale,
- monopolies,
- oligopolies,
- supply management and
- the rise of self-employment
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Global recession. High unemployment. Skyrocketing interest rates. Inflation through the roof. It was the early '80s, a time when Middle Class Over all began.
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Before the Middle Class was Over and even before Donald Trump, I grew up with Archie Bunker and All in the Family.
It wasn't a t.v. show...it was my reality.
Before things hit the fan, the line between working class and middle class was already blurry, but life's been good to me...at least so far...
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It was 1978.
Being middle class was great.
Gas, smokes, music and booze were cheap...and then something changed.
Something that has affected us...forever.
It was the beginning of...Middle Class Over...
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