sirdroseph wrote:
 
Bold 1: Try comparing to other industrialised countries. Yes, most people in the US have it pretty good by many standards. Unlikely to be killed by a bomb dropped by the government. That hasn't happened in decades. Poor isn't just about material possessions. If you can't afford to see a doctor, you are poor. And no scrimping on your cell phone or avocado toast is going to change that.

Bold 2: Yes, it is a bit of hyperbole, but the younger generations are seeing less opportunity, lower real wages, and less financial security than the previous ones. They are quite right to be upset about that.

Bold 3: Not sure how this is measured. I am less impressed by a few billionaires donating a fraction of a % of their income. I am totally unimpressed if you include in religious donations. Is it normalised to population and GDP? Besides, in effect some of the donations really just counteract societal failure to address poverty. I don't think it is a particularly good thing if people have to rely on go fund me as their safety net.

Bold 4: Correct. They don't matter if your personal situation is insecure. 

Bold 5: The old-school democrats believe this isn't a crisis as long as a rising tide lifts all boats. But the working class has been going backwards. So increasing inequality is the crisis.

Bold 6: False. There are plenty of socialist (by american standards - managed economies by other country standards) that are more prosperous than the US by many measures.

Bold 7: Just because other countries are worse clusterfucks, doesn't mean things are ok for you.

Bold 8: This is true of the rich. They feel entitled to gain control of all the wealth and are ungrateful for the work of others that supports them. For the poor and working class, you can be grateful for your phone but rightly pissed that you are one illness away from living on the street. The whole idea of wealth gets distorted when dealing with different levels of costs and security. A gym membership seems like a luxury to me, but it is a necessity for the working homeless, living in their car, who need a place to shower before going into work.

Bottom line, it is the trend that counts and the flat or declining income for lower-class people and the erosion of the safety net are genuine problems for many.