What happened to the middle class, blue collar man?

[Wonkish1]

They're still out there. Most of non service blue collar work is being shifted to the south and it will continue to grow from there. For the time being union states are pretty screwed on that front.

Granted those working in the south aren't making quite what those in union states did 20 years ago, but their cost of living is much lower and their incomes are continuing to grow.

[republicanism]

One could argue that the term 'middle class' was largely a psychological construct. People who described themselves as 'middle class' could range from people just above the poverty level [...]

Very good point Orthodox. The term "middle class" (and in Germany "Mittelstand" even more so) is therefor a powerful political weapon of the Right.

And for the "middle class poverty" you mentioned, small-scale farmers are one of the best examples.

[minionofmidas]

Prole drift, a term the inimitable Paul Fussel coined. The thing is, so many of those higher skilled blue collar, and lower middle class jobs, got "commodityized" as it were.

And all the time well-paid whitecollar people whose jobs could be done by a zombie try and fail to commoditize the remainder...

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Which of course is exactly what the second grandpa in LBJ's example did.

[minionofmidas]

One could argue that the term 'middle class' was largely a psychological construct. People who described themselves as 'middle class' could range from people just above the poverty level [...]

Very good point Orthodox. The term "middle class" (and in Germany "Mittelstand" even more so) is therefor a powerful political weapon of the Right.

Because I'm average even though 90% of the population earn less than me! Rich begins at 20% more than whatever I take home!

[republicanism]

Because I'm average even though 90% of the population earn less than me! Rich begins at 20% more than whatever I take home!

And the other way around:

"Hell, why do these politicians keep milking us, the middle class, with their high taxes?
Just to pay welfare to the lazy!? I swear to God, next elections I'll give them a slap in the face and vote for the lower-taxes-party! At least they care about the middle class!

By the way Darling, I'll get no pay increase this year, like the year before and the year before and the year before. Also, I'll have to work three hours more the week and I'll have to pay more for my health insurance.

Besides, the rent is up, too. And the heating costs are sky-high. And they implemented tuition fees now, so our girl needs some extra money to get around.

Can't believe how we, the middle class, are screwed all the time!

[All Along The Watchtower]

-Automation/technological innovation reduced the supply of available-particularly "unskilled"-jobs in those "blue-collar" fields (and consequently, the demand for low-skilled laborers likewise fell)

-Outsourcing and union-busting under neoliberal policies since the 70s have lowered wages for "blue-collar" jobs in general.

-As a result of the above, those of the  kids of blue-collar neighborhoods who can go to college and get a white-collar job in the cubicle do so. Those who can't  do that find a low-wage "service" job, start their own business, or if they're lucky, find work in one of the few remaining unionized fields.

[opebo]

Prole drift, a term the inimitable Paul Fussel coined. The thing is, so many of those higher skilled blue collar, and lower middle class jobs, got "commodityized" as it were. Damn those computers and scanners and all. Now a zombie can be a supermarket clerk.

Sheer poppycock.  These jobs were always 'simple' and easily learned.

What has changed, folks, is a political policy, not technology (which is largely irrelevant).

As Lief notes above about the jobs moving thither and yon, what has been reinstated is slavery.

[Torie]

Sure an internationalized labor market, and mass immigration, much of it low skill and illegal, has had an impact, no doubt about it. Sorry I didn't list everything in one post!

Economic autarky however has been tried before. It failed.