Are intact airplanes too expensive for the shrinking middle class
Social media was ablaze this week following the Claudine Gay incompetence scandal at Harvard, the Boeing 737 MAX airplane scandal at Boeing, and the ongoing scandal of fanatic, destructive DEI hiring rules at airlines, air traffic control towers, colleges, corporate America, and everywhere else that matters. It got so wild that Elon Musk actually responded positively to one of my anti-DEI rants, and Matt Walsh gave me credit for my airline tweets on his show. Thanks, guys!
Decline Is Our Strength
Flying serves as a perfect metaphor for the decline we’re experiencing. I remember flying home from college, comfortably seated in coach for six hours on a plane piloted by a former Top Gun pilot who resembled Chuck Yeager. He always made an effort to find smooth air for us and would even announce it over the intercom. American Dad Guy was in control, and I felt safe.
I would sit in a luxurious leather seat, in coach no less, wrapped in a cozy fleece blanket and pillow, enjoying a hot, three-course meal served on a tray with real silverware, and topped off with dessert. In coach! Grown-ups used to complain bitterly about the free hot meals served on planes. Airplane food jokes were a staple of comedy routines in the ’80s and ’90s.
We truly don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. I now regret rolling my eyes at those coach dinners of breaded chicken cutlets with gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Please come back! We’re sorry!
Goodbye, Middle Class America
In my case, the middle-class lifestyle of my childhood wasn’t replaced by indigent illegal immigrants. It was replaced by the super-rich. Those of you born in small towns that later became popular among hedge fund managers and A-list celebrities may have similar stories of woe.
I grew up in a quaint little town just north of Santa Monica called Pacific Palisades. In the mid-1970s, it was unfashionable, a vintage backwater frozen in time. The main street was lined with mom-and-pop stores, greasy spoons, and old-fashioned clothing shops. The hippest café in town was Baskin Robbins. It was like Mayberry by the Sea. My parents managed to scrape together a down payment on a 1,300-square-foot, three-bedroom ranch house that cost around $40,000 in the mid-1970s.
The Great Hollowing Out
I now live far from the Palisades, in a more affordable suburban area. There’s a charming local public library nearby, but I’ve only been there once. On that visit, I encountered three homeless men sitting at tables, staring into space and at my toddler daughter. That was the end of our enriching library experience.
Close to the library is a beautiful public elementary school, built a century ago to serve the local children within walking distance. However, none of the children in my neighborhood attend this school anymore. It’s rated a six on the GreatSchools.org website, and the student body is predominantly low-income and Hispanic. While its politics may align with the new regime, it doesn’t represent the local community at all.
Every time I drive by the school, I see a new mural or poster on the fence with slogans like “All Are Welcome” in multiple languages, along with symbols of BLM, the Earth, and the trans flag. It’s a clear warning to keep your kids away from this place.
Wholesome children’s entertainment? I used to go to Disneyland every year with my family. Now, only the wealthy residents of Pacific Palisades can afford to enjoy Disneyland with their transgender children.
As for my childhood home, when I looked it up on Zillow, it still looked the same, except for the price. It’s now worth $4.4 million. Things are so messed up that the black schizophrenic homeless guy who lived at the corner bus stop for two years was replaced by a white schizophrenic homeless guy. Gentrification comes for us all in the end.
What steps can be taken to rebuild the middle class and create a more equitable society in Pacific Palisades
Time. My father was a middle-class accountant, and my mother was a schoolteacher. We lived in a modest house, drove a reliable car, and went on family vacations once a year. Life was simple, but comfortable.
But as the years passed, Pacific Palisades transformed into a playground for the wealthy. The old shops and diners were replaced by high-end boutiques and gourmet restaurants. The houses became grand mansions with perfectly manicured lawns. And the people who moved in were not like us.
They were celebrities, CEOs, and billionaires. They had private jets, luxury yachts, and multiple vacation homes around the world. They lived a life of excess and extravagance, while we struggled to keep up with rising costs and stagnant wages.
The middle class was slowly being squeezed out, pushed aside by the wealthy elite. Our neighborhoods became unaffordable, our schools overcrowded, and our opportunities limited. We watched as our friends and neighbors were forced to sell their homes and move away, unable to afford the skyrocketing property taxes.
And as the middle class shrunk, so did the values and priorities that once defined our nation. Hard work, education, and community were replaced by greed, materialism, and individualism. The gap between the haves and the have-nots grew wider, and social inequality became the new norm.
America’s Decline
The decline of the middle class is not just a personal tragedy for those of us who have lost our way of life. It is a collective tragedy for our nation. The middle class has always been the backbone of America, driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.
But without a thriving middle class, we risk becoming a society divided between the ultra-rich and the struggling poor. We lose the engine that fuels our economy and the sense of shared responsibility that holds us together as a nation.
It is time for us to recognize the importance of a strong and vibrant middle class. We must invest in education and job training, provide affordable housing and healthcare, and ensure that everyone has a fair chance at success.
We need to prioritize the needs and aspirations of everyday Americans over the interests of the wealthy few. We must rebuild our communities, support small businesses, and create good-paying jobs that provide dignity and security.
Only by doing so can we reverse the decline and ensure a future where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their dreams. The path to greatness lies not in the exclusivity of the elite, but in the inclusivity and strength of a united middle class.
Conclusion
The decline of the middle class is not inevitable. It is a result of policies and choices that prioritize the interests of the wealthy over the needs of everyday Americans. But if we come together and demand change, we can reverse this trend and build a more equitable and prosperous society.
We must remember the comfort and security we once had, and fight for a future where everyone can experience the same. It is time to say goodbye to the decline and embrace a new era of strength and opportunity for all.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
