My parents were the successful children of successful immigrants, the first created "middle class", lucky enough to "work hard" and reap the upwardly mobile rapid success available in the 1950's, 1960's, etc.
Then in my lifetime, I've gone from my 20's - 30's, where hard work would move you up the ladder as far and quickly as you wanted, with good jobs, great pay, where every job offered, even menial ones, had a pension, health insurance, etc. offered to you, savings accounts paid 5% at least, and you knew you'd retire safely with your savings, your pension, and Social Security ...
... to the 1990's and 2000's, where salaries have dropped, bennies are few, jobs are few, growth is impossible, saving is useless in a basic savings account. The same things: housing, utilities, food - cost the same percentage of a basic salary as it did 40 years ago.
The economic differences and opportunities between the first half and second halves of my adult working life is like night and day.
You young whippersnappers have no idea how awesome it was 30 years ago!
But, that still leaves elderly like my parents and other elderly relatives, who retired from very successful upwardly mobile lives before it all fell apart, who think nothing has changed since how it was when they worked, and that poverty and lack of success now can be due to only laziness.
Nope. The deck is completely stacked against workers now. Take away pensions, healthcare, zero life insurance, no vacation, longer hours (America works longer hours that many other first world countries for less) destruction of unions, demonization of workers as moochers.
Unbelievable. I don't know how most under the age of 35 can even possibly have a very good life in America any more. You will either be lucky enough to be born into an upper class, or you'll be a worker bee, struggling for work your whole life. Even being a doctor or lawyer or other professional won't assure you of being able to obtain an upper middle class lifestyle nowadays - you'll be paying that off your whole life.
BUT - if any of you think the Republican Party, the party who oversaw this massive transfer of wealth, and enabled and encouraged it, is on the side of those 47% of Americans who now are at or near poverty, you are dead wrong, and putting your trust into the people that stole your future from you in the first place. Believe me - I was along for their ride and helped them do it.