Edited to add - To be clear for anyone, it's Oligarchs/Billionaires paired with rampant, unfettered corporate greed. (at least in my view)
Someone reminded me that I was using dogwhistle parlance in my use of they which may have suggested otherwise.
Here are some visual aids to accompany my clarification:
The F’d up thing is that being solid middle class and having sufficient income to help with a kid’s college money, put away money to actually retire, and pay a mortgage is top 10%. That’s literally what middle class was 50 years ago. Now you have to be a ~10%-er to do it.
I make twice the average household income where I am by myself. I'm doing okay, but like, not great at the same time. How the fuck are other people surviving???
Edit: Just kidding, I got the stats wrong, I make a bit above average household on my own, not twice. Point still stands, however.
Yeah, remember when "Wow, I could make $100,000 a year?" was impressive? It was not that long ago.
It's still better than what most people make, but it's really not a lot anymore.
Barely.