[turtlemir]

I don't think you're wrong in your advice to build wealth, but the situation I see the working class in doesn't sit well with me. And building a society were the prime directive of life is buying property and stocks seems doomed.

I see the situation as this: The middle and upper-middle class have become invested in a perpetuating a system that ultimately will strangle them or their descendants.

Wealth begets wealth, power begets power. It might be a law of nature that things like to polarize. Likely we'll see a return of society consisting of two groups: rich and powerful, poor and powerless.

Most older engineers I meet seem to associate with the mindset and politics of billionaires and multi-millionaires, and see themselves almost in the same club sometimes. I guess making a lot of money does that to people. Add to that the truth expressed by Steinbeck about the USA "The poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."

I think we have a problem where housing and stocks must continue to make return on investment. Housing prices must keep raising, hurting the next generation. Young people increasingly don't have the luxury of job stability to buy a home. Companies must keep increasing profit, leading to offshoring, outsourcing, stricter working conditions. And now middle class government jobs must be cut and privatized so that capitalists can make profit on providing a service. All the while the top percent owns and increasing share of the wealth pie.

I felt I needed to reply because while what you are saying is the way things are, I wish it didn't have to be that way.

[amanaplanacanal]

I totally agree with you! If we can work to change the game we should, I'm probably just being pessimistic as to our chances.