Summary Of Edward Mcclelland's Rip, The Middle Class

Growing up in the 1990s, I was always told that the middle class was the backbone of the American economy. The middle class was even more prominent from the 1940s to the 1980s. Factory jobs, mom and pop shops, and small businesses were everywhere and it was quite easy to get a job. “In the mid-60s, you could figuratively roll out of bed and find a manufacturing job” (McClelland 552). Unfortunately, this is no longer true; blue collar, middle class jobs are increasingly more difficult to find. In Edward McClelland’s article, “RIP, the Middle Class 1946-2013,” Edward blames the government for not being more involved instead of leaving the free market sustain the middle class. I agree with his position whole heartedly. The dwindling middle class that used to be the backbone of the American economy is the direct effect of the stepping to the side and not being involved enough in the
From the 1940s to the 1970s steel and manufacturing jobs were alive and well in the United States. As a country we relied on the hark working American people to produce goods and services that the American people needed.
The American people now have big companies that are forced to pay their workers a specific wage per the minimum wage. The American government forced companies to make a decision after establishing the North American Free Trade Agreement and appealing the Glass-Segall Act; the companies chose money over employment. Until the government gets its act together the American economy will continue to go further and further down until the American economy is no longer sustainable. The free market cannot sustain itself without government intervention. Congressman on Flint, Michigan, Dan Kildee summed it up perfectly when he said, “It is a myth that there is any market that is not supported or affected by the structure of government in one way or another. We’re making matters worse by nt intervening in these communities”