PEW RESEARCHED JUST DID AN ANALYSIS OF THE MIDDLE
CLASS IN THE U.S.
AND FOUND OUT THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME THE MIDDLE CLASS IS
THE MINORITY IN THE U.S.
IN THE BEGINNING OF 2015 120.8 MILLION ADULTS LIVING
IN MIDDLE-CLASS HOMES COMPARED TO 121.3 MILLION AMERICANS
LIVING IN LOWER AND UPPER INCOME HOUSEHOLD.
THE 21ST CENTURY HAS SEEN MIDDLE INCOME AMERICANS FALL
BEHIND FINANCIALLY.
THE MEDIAN INCOME OF MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS
FELL BY FOUR PERCENT BETWEEN 2000 AND 2014,
WHILE MEDIAN WEALTH FELL BY 28 PERCENT BETWEEN 2001 AND 2013.
THIS IS AN ONGOING THEME IN THE U.S.
WAGES HAVE BEEN STAGNANT FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW.
BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME THE MIDDLE CLASS IS NOT THE
MAJORITY, IT IS THE MINORITY.
>> THINK ABOUT WHY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED IN THIS COUNTRY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE HALLS OF POWER REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I KNOW BECAUSE I GO TO WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, AND
SAN FRANCISCO ALL THE TIME.
BUT EVEN THOSE GUYS DON'T GET IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIVE IT.
I HEAR ALL THE TIME THAT THE STOCK MARKET IS BACK UP.
BUT IF YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE CLASS, NOT A LOT OF YOUR
MONEY IS IN THE STOCK MARKET.
IT IS A FACT.
IF YOU'RE MIDDLE INCOME HOUSEHOLD FELL BY FOUR
PERCENT IN 14
YEARS INSTEAD OF GOING UP, YOU WOULD HAVE A VISCERAL REACTION.
THEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THEIR WEALTH, THAT FELL BY 28 PERCENT.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GET RICHER AS THEY WORKED HARDER, BUT
INSTEAD THEY GOT POORER.
OF COURSE THEY ARE ANGRY.
>> CENK, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
>> BECAUSE WE ARE TAXING CORPORATIONS TOO MUCH.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS STOP TAXING AND THE MONEY WILL
TRICKLE DOWN TO EMPLOYEES.
>> THERE IS A GREAT NUMBER OF REASONS WHY.
OF COURSE I THINK THE PRIMARY REASON IS THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED.
THE FIRST THING YOU DO IN RIGGING A SYSTEM IS YOU FIX
THE RULES.
THE REST IS EASY, ONCE YOU FIX THE RULES ON YOUR BEHALF.
THE FIRST RULE YOU FIX IS WHO ARE THE ONES PASSING THE LAWS?
POLITICIANS.
THEY ARE MAKING INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT DECISIONS ABOUT
YOUR TAXES.
THE MINUTE THEY LOWER YOUR TAXES BY A LITTLE BIT YOU WILL
SAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO, HOW DO I GET CONTROL OF THE PEOPLE MAKING THE LAWS?
OH, I WILL MAKE THEM RELIANT ON YOU.
IF I DO PRIVATE FINANCING OF POLITICIANS, THEN THEY WILL
BE DEPENDENT ON THEIR FINANCIERS, WHICH
IS ME.
THEY FIX
THE SYSTEM TO ROB YOU, AND THEY HAVE ROBBED YOU.
HERE IT IS.
YOU LOST 28 PERCENT OF YOUR MONEY.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE IT WENT?
IT WENT TO THE GUYS THAT FIXED THE RULES.
>> SOME OF THOSE RULES ALSO MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU TO
ORGANIZE AS A UNION.
WHAT WE SAW SCOTT WALKER DO IN WISCONSIN WAS TAKE THE UNION
AWAY FROM PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.
THAT WAS ONE WAY THAT WORKERS HAD THEIR PIECE OF THE PIE.
IT'S NOT ONLY THE UNION WORKER IN A FIX, BUT NONUNION
PEOPLE.
THE UNION SETS THE WAGE RATE AND OTHER COMPANIES MATCH THAT.
THEY MAKE IT HARDER FOR THE WORKER WHO IS WORKING TO
ORGANIZE.
>> WHAT CENK HAS SAID AND LAID OUT SOMETHING THAT IS NOT
PARTY SPECIFIC.
IT APPLIES TO DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS.
IT APPLIES TO BIG POLITICS, AND SMALLER POLITICS AS WELL.
EVERYBODY WATCHING TYT IS AWARE OF THIS, THAT IS WHY WE
REALLY NEED CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM.
>> THEY ASKED DON YOUNG ABOUT INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE.
HE SAID THOSE GUYS SHOULD GET A JOB INSTEAD.
>> THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
>>
IF YOU ARE POOR OR MIDDLE CLASS, HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOU.
AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME ñ THIS IS FROM MEMORY
ñ AS A REPUBLICAN IN CONGRESS, HE DOESN'T NEED YOU ALL HE
NEEDS HIS MONEY FROM DONORS.
WE FIGHT TO GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS SO YOU CAN STOP
GETTING ROBBED.
WE'RE NOT LIKE THE LUNATICS ON THE RIGHT.
WE ARE PROGRESSIVE.
WE DO IT THE AMERICAN WAY, THROUGH POLITICS.
WE DON'T SIT ON A COUCH.
>> THERE IS NO REASON WHY A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE IN THE U.S.,
THE MOST WEALTHY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, SHOULD NEED
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE OR SHOULD STRUGGLE TO PUT FOOD ON HIS
OR HER FAMILY'S TABLE.
THERE IS NO REASON WHY.
>> THE ONLY REASON IS BECAUSE THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED.
THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER, ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS THEY
FOUND IS THAT THE BIGGEST WINNER SINCE THE 70S ARE THOSE OVER 65.
THEIR POVERTY RATE HAS FALLEN.
FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE THEIR POVERTY RATE HAS GONE UP.
WHY ARE PEOPLE OVER 65 DOING SO WELL?
LBJ INSTITUTED MEDICARE AND RIGGED THE SYSTEM FOR THEM.
HE TOOK SENIOR CITIZENS OUT OF POVERTY.
BEFORE MEDICARE, 33 PERCENT OF SENIORS USED TO LIVE IN POVERTY.
10 YEARS AFTER THEY ARE NOT.
THAT IS WHY THE PEOPLE OVER 65 ARE NO LONGER IN POVERTY BECAUSE
THEY ALL CAME TOGETHER AS A COUNTRY AND DECIDED THAT WE CAN
GIVE MEDICINE TO THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED THEIR WHOLE LIFE FOR US.
>> THE LESSON HERE IS THAT YOU NEED TO SET THE RULES TO
FAVOR THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY AND TO PROTECT ALL
OF US BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONES SETTING THE RULES.
OR YOU CAN SET THE RULES TO FAVOR ONLY THE POWERFUL,
WHICH IS THE SYSTEM WHERE WE LIVE IN NOW WHICH IS NO
LONGER A DEMOCRACY.
IF YOU PUBLICLY FINANCED ELECTIONS, REPUBLICANS HAVE MADE
THAT A DIRTY WORD, WHAT THAT DOES IS YOU WORK FOR THE PEOPLE.
THE OTHER WAY OF DOING IT IS ONE SIDE GETS A LOT MORE MONEY, AND
THEY CAN GET A LARGER MEGAPHONE AND SAY WHATEVER THEY WANT.
THE OTHER GUY CAN'T GET HEARD.
WHY?
BECAUSE THE RICH SUPPORT THAT GUY.
AND GUESS WHO HE IS GOING TO WORK FOR?
THE RICH.
LET'S RESET THE RULES THE WAY THEY USED TO BE WHEN WE GOT
MEDICARE, SOCIAL SECURITY.
THAT EXISTED IN THIS COUNTRY BETWEEN 1940 AND 1980.
WE HAD A POLICY THAT WAS SO PROGRESSIVE THAT RALPH
NADER COULD ALMOST GET RICHARD NIXON TO DO ANYTHING HE WANTED.
HE GOT NIXON TO PASS OSHA AND THE EPA.
YOU KNOW WHY?
BECAUSE BACK THEN WE LIVED IN A DEMOCRACY.
WE CAN LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY AGAIN, BUT YOU HAVE TO GET
UP AND FIGHT.
WOLF ñ PAC.COM WHEN YOU GET THE
POWER BACK AND WE FIX
RULES SO IT SERVES AMERICA AGAIN, IMAGINE 20
YEARS LATER AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HEAR ON THE YOUNG TURKS
ABOUT HOW MIDDLE INCOME HAS GONE UP 15 PERCENT IN THE LAST
20 YEARS.
WHAT HAPPENED?
MAYBE YOU HAPPENED.
WOLF ñ PAC.COM.