The Death of the Middle Class: A Tragedy in Three Acts

by Don Hall

Let’s pour one out for the middle class, folks. Not that they can afford the drink. Once the backbone of American society, the middle class is now little more than a nostalgic talking point in campaign speeches and a cautionary tale for the ambitious. If you’re middle class today, congratulations: you’re the frog in the boiling pot, and the thermostat is set to “slow simmer.”

But let’s not kid ourselves. This isn’t some sudden tragedy. The decline of the middle class has been a slow-motion train wreck for decades. What’s shocking isn’t that it’s happening—it’s that we’re all just sitting here, watching it go down, pretending we’re not next. Let’s break it down, shall we?

Act One: The Golden Years (A.K.A. The Lie)

Once upon a time, the middle class was the American Dream incarnate. A steady job, a modest home, a couple of kids, and maybe a boat or an annual trip to Disney World if you played your cards right. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was solid. Dependable. Aspirational.

But here’s the thing about the so-called “golden years” of the middle class: they were always built on shaky ground. For one, the whole system relied on cheap labor (not yours) and exploitation (probably someone darker-skinned and poorer). It wasn’t that everyone was thriving—it was that enough people were, and that was enough to sell the narrative.

And let’s not forget the real kicker: the middle class only got its golden years because of government intervention. The GI Bill, strong unions, and affordable higher education didn’t happen by accident. But as soon as people started getting too comfortable, the powers that be started pulling the rug out. “Trickle-down economics” wasn’t just a bad policy—it was an inside joke. Spoiler: you’re the punchline.

Act Two: The Great Squeeze

Fast forward to the 1980s, when the middle class went from thriving to merely surviving. Wages stagnated, but no one told the cost of living. Houses got more expensive. Healthcare? Forget it. College tuition ballooned like a party clown with a grudge.

The middle class didn’t die all at once—it’s been strangled slowly, methodically, by a thousand tiny cuts. Outsourcing. Deregulation. The gig economy. Every time there was a chance to prioritize workers over profits, guess who lost?

And yet, the narrative persisted. “Work hard, and you’ll make it!” Except now “making it” meant working two jobs and driving Uber on weekends just to cover the rent. Meanwhile, the people at the top kept getting richer, tossing breadcrumbs to the rest of us like they were doing us a favor.

But we ate those breadcrumbs, didn’t we? We bought the flat-screen TVs and the SUVs and the avocado toast because it was all we had left. If you can’t afford security, you buy the illusion of success instead.

Act Three: The Gaslighting (A.K.A. The Present Day)

Now we’ve reached the final act: the gaslighting phase. This is where the people in power look you dead in the eye and tell you everything’s fine while the house burns down around you.

“Unemployment is low!” they say. Sure, but what they don’t mention is that most of those jobs are low-wage, no-benefit gigs with zero job security. “The economy is booming!” Great—if you’re a billionaire or a Fortune 500 company. For the rest of us, the economy is a minefield, and the mines are labeled “unexpected expenses.”

And then there’s the endless guilt trip. Can’t afford a house? Stop eating out. Struggling with medical bills? Should’ve gotten better insurance. Drowning in student debt? Why’d you pick a useless degree? The system doesn’t fail you—you fail the system.

The truth is, the middle class isn’t declining because of avocado toast or poor financial decisions. It’s declining because the deck is stacked. The game is rigged. And the people in charge have no incentive to fix it because they’re too busy counting their chips.

The Comedy of Despair

Here’s the real punchline: we still believe the middle class can bounce back. We talk about it like it’s a sick relative who just needs the right medicine. “Bring back manufacturing jobs!” “Raise the minimum wage!” “Tax the rich!”

All good ideas, sure. But let’s be honest: the middle class isn’t coming back. Not in its old form. The safety nets are gone, the ladders have been pulled up, and the people who could make a difference are too busy arguing over whose yacht has the better espresso machine.

So where does that leave us? In survival mode. The new middle class isn’t defined by stability or comfort—it’s defined by adaptability. You’re not saving for a rainy day; you’re praying it doesn’t storm. You’re not climbing the ladder; you’re hanging on by your fingernails.

The Way Forward

The decline of the middle class is not just an economic problem—it’s a moral one. It’s a failure of imagination, of empathy, of leadership. It’s what happens when a society prioritizes profits over people, convenience over community, and short-term gains over long-term stability.

Fixing it won’t be easy, and it sure as hell won’t happen overnight. It’ll require systemic change—real change, not the kind that fits on a bumper sticker. Universal healthcare. Affordable housing. A living wage. But most of all, it’ll require us to stop waiting for the cavalry and start building the damn rescue team ourselves.

Because the middle class isn’t just a group of people—it’s an idea. A belief that hard work should be rewarded, that opportunity should be available to everyone, and that no one should have to choose between feeding their family and paying the electric bill.

And if that idea dies? Then the American Dream dies with it. And all we’ll be left with is a nightmare.