this post was submitted on 18 Apr 2026
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[–] mech@feddit.org 10 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

"Middle class" is a term made up by the owner class to make parts of the working class feel like they're above other parts of the working class.
It shows workers a cliff they can fall down if they don't work hard enough, and tells them they have more to lose than their chains if they organise and revolt.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 weeks ago

But if you sell insurance you also exploit people

"middle class" is a meaningless distinction at best applied in ignorance and at worst an intentional effort at fragmenting the non-ownership class further.

Pretty much every job but "cop" is excusable in the western world if you have to work to survive.

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 weeks ago

This is oddly specific and oddly vague at the same time. Also β€œmiddle class” is ill-defined and means different things to different people.

[–] CatalpaRed@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 weeks ago

To be honest, I don't think these types of questions serve to do anything but alienate ppl. It doesn't really matter if you are a concrete pourer or an upper echelon administrator. As long as you realize what side of the class divide you're on, then how you "feel" about certain workers is completely irrelevant.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 weeks ago

Do they have investments and own property? Then they're bourgeoisified, they materially benefit when the stock market rises and property values go up. In this way their class position is muddled and they benefit from capitalism even as they are exploited by it.

[–] the_abecedarian@piefed.social 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

we are all forced to do unethical jobs to survive because capitalism itself is unethical

[–] decended_being@midwest.social 1 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

And yet that does not absolve us from all personal responsibly.

If someone has two otherwise equal job opportunities, one at a local nonprofit that provides eldercare assistance, and the other at a fortune 500 (two extreme examples to serve the point), I think they should choose the former.

I understand that not everyone has or is able to get these opportunities. But this is effectively the "all consumption under capitalism is unethical" argument, which some people use as an excuse to unnecessarily choose unethically.

yeah, I mean I can't say I consider an oil exec picking new places to exploit to be on the same level as the local car salesperson. Still, the question was ultimately about socialists' positions on middle class insurance salesmen as a category.

[–] iamericandre@lemmy.world 1 points 4 weeks ago

I try not to judge people based on their profession unless it’s law enforcement or military etc. people need to survive

[–] frisbird@lemmy.ml 1 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

They feel like they want to liberate them from wage slavery and join with them in proletarian solidarity to replace the leadership of their nation with a party organized to meet the needs of the insurance sales man, and their family, and bring about a sustainable future human society hand in hand with them