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What is middle class in Ireland

2

Comments

  • #32
    Owen_S
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Owen_S


    Being middle class in Ireland is having decking outside your house. Lots of Celtic Tiger decking.


  • #33
    zenno
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,377 ✭✭✭zenno


    These are the words of the middle class...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSqQ-0TwMiM


  • #34
    Mahogany
    Closed Accounts Posts: 343 ✭✭Mahogany


    mike65 wrote: »

    The social welfare class (in the broadest sense ie pensioners too) have lost the least in this crash, but don't anyone dare suggest that eh?

    You're wrong, people with feck all income took a hit in the child benefit, explain how that is fair?

    If you wanted to buy a house, you should've known what you were getting yourself into.


  • #35
    The Aussie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,440 ✭✭✭The Aussie


    Mahogany, I think you might be chronologically lost, was Children's Benefit not cut at the start of December 2012 and you dig up a post from what September 2012????

    Now unless Mike69er is Nostradamus or something. :pac:


  • #36
    Mahogany
    Closed Accounts Posts: 343 ✭✭Mahogany


    Doesn't mean I'm wrong. He's suggesting people on welfare havn't klost out on anything the last few years, well thats far from true


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  • #37
    Chucken
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,459 ✭✭✭Chucken


    The Aussie wrote: »
    Mahogany, I think you might be chronologically lost, was Children's Benefit not cut at the start of December 2012 and you dig up a post from what September 2012????

    Now unless Mike69er is Nostradamus or something. :pac:

    Are you saying he's not? :eek:


  • #38
    macsauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 136 ✭✭macsauce


    As someone said already, class has nothing to do with money or income. "Class" is fundamentally about breeding.


  • #39
    carlmango11
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭carlmango11


    Mahogany wrote: »
    You're wrong, people with feck all income took a hit in the child benefit, explain how that is fair?

    Everyone took a hit when **** hit the fan. It's unfair if those on the lower end of the scale were made immune to losses by higher tax rates for those of higher income.
    Chain_reaction wrote: »
    I thought we didn't have a class system in Ireland?

    Every country has classes.


  • #40
    humbert
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,238 ✭✭✭humbert


    If you don't say "I done ..." you are middle class. I don't really believe Ireland has an upper class.


  • #41
    Mahogany
    Closed Accounts Posts: 343 ✭✭Mahogany


    carlmango11 wrote: »
    Everyone took a hit when **** hit the fan. It's unfair if those on the lower end of the scale were made immune to losses by higher tax rates for those of higher income.



    Every country has classes.

    So cut child benefit and make families struggle to put food on the table while middle income families think they have it bad because they can't afford the second car. Aw, thats so sad :(


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  • #42
    tayto lover
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 55,030 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    Middle income are the middle class that are keeping the country running.
    The people at the top and those at the bottom are paying feck all.


  • #43
    Chop Chop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 343 ✭✭Chop Chop


    humbert wrote: »
    If you don't say "I done ..." you are middle class. I don't really believe Ireland has an upper class.


    What planet are you living on? There are plenty of upper class in this country. The likes of JP Mc Manus, real billionaires not Sean Quinn the paper billionaire. There is an elite upper class in this country, it's made up of very shrewd business men.


  • #44
    carlmango11
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭carlmango11


    Mahogany wrote: »
    So cut child benefit and make families struggle to put food on the table while middle income families think they have it bad because they can't afford the second car. Aw, thats so sad :(

    What's the alternative? Take more money from the middle class? This will do nothing but discourage people from working. It sends out the message that if you stay on welfare everything will be handed to you; if you work your money will go towards those on benefits. I know so many people who don't work purely because it's better for them to stay on welfare payments.


  • #45
    The Aussie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,440 ✭✭✭The Aussie


    Mahogany wrote: »
    Aw, thats so sad :(

    Can I read this after I've finished eating my Venison and Caviar while I watch my 200 inch TV, oh and after I go for a dump and get my servent to wipe my asre (:pac:) with fresh €20 notes, yes I know the horror I used to use €50 notes but you know there is a recession on and all.....


  • #46
    cosbloodymick
    Closed Accounts Posts: 191 ✭✭cosbloodymick


    Being middle class has nothing to do with income.
    Middle class is a question of attitude.
    Its the desire to achieve in life. To work hard and provide for yourself and your family. To educate yourself and broaden your mind, to experience different things in life, to educate your children so that they may achieve even better than yourself.


  • #47
    Beef_Injection
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18 ✭Beef_Injection


    Anyone living behind the barbed wire fences south east of west and south inner city Dublin and East of the Howth road. ;)

    Damn plebeians.

    *Deeply inhales gaseous matter from Waterford crystal champagne glass*


  • #48
    Madam_X
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,327 ✭✭✭Madam_X


    cosbloodymick wrote: »
    Being middle class has nothing to do with income.
    Middle class is a question of attitude.
    Its the desire to achieve in life. To work hard and provide for yourself and your family. To educate yourself and broaden your mind, to experience different things in life, to educate your children so that they may achieve even better than yourself.
    Those can apply to people from all walks of life though.


  • #49
    carlmango11
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭carlmango11


    Madam_X wrote: »
    Those can apply to people from all walks of life though.

    Unfortunately they often don't but where they do I would consider that person middle class. It's not about money really - they just often go hand-in-hand.


  • #50
    Augmerson
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,162 ✭✭✭Augmerson


    cosbloodymick wrote: »
    Being middle class has nothing to do with income.
    Middle class is a question of attitude.
    Its the desire to achieve in life. To work hard and provide for yourself and your family. To educate yourself and broaden your mind, to experience different things in life, to educate your children so that they may achieve even better than yourself.

    That could be just about anybody. From working class to middle class to the upper classes. Wanting a better life for yourself is in 99% of us.

    I think, in this country, that an overwhelming number of us are working class. There's nothing wrong with being working class - genuine and proud working people. Not the horrible negative stigma that the media has attached to it over the years. I work for a living - I'm working class. Simple as that.

    If I didn't need to work for a living because I was well off, I'd be middle to upper class.


  • #51
    annascott
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,271 ✭✭✭annascott


    Don't confuse wealth with class...


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  • #52
    dbrunson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 212 ✭✭dbrunson


    If your TV is smaller than your book shelf your middle class, if your TV is bigger than your book shelf your working class.


  • #53
    tdv123
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,292 ✭✭✭tdv123


    dbrunson wrote: »
    If your TV is smaller than your book shelf your middle class, if your TV is bigger than your book shelf your working class.

    My TV is so big it can't be measured in book shelf's. It's actually pretty overwhelming having such a big tv, the people on it feel like there really in my living room. I don't think I want the technology of television to go any further.


  • #54
    Agricola
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,547 ✭✭✭Agricola


    My father's friend had a university degree but after being made redundant in his mid 30's with young kids, took a job in a factory. He stayed there for 30 years, doing 12 hour shifts, nights, bank holidays etc etc because the money was pretty decent. He read the Times, liked the theatre, knew tax affairs inside out (routinely did friends tax returns) and I remember him helping me with algebra when I was 15/16. Genuis at figures. Guy was middle class in every way except the job and status it brings I suppose.

    Generally speaking I think you have to categorize it by wealth though, people like him are the exception to the rule.


  • #55
    shopaholic01
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,916 ✭✭✭shopaholic01


    annascott wrote: »
    Don't confuse wealth with class...
    I don't remember anyone defing themselves as working or middle class until the Celtic tiger years. Suddenly people were casually referring to themselves as middle class in conversations, and laughing at those they considered working class.

    So middle class could probably be defined as being accustomed to a reasonable standard of living, without feeling the need to advertise it.


  • #56
    Stinicker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,099 ✭✭✭Stinicker


    The poor don't owe a penny whilst the rich all live in debt. Class is more about attitude and behavior than wealth. I know people who have money and they are absolute scumbags and also know people with very little and I'd trust my life to them.


  • #57
    humbert
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,238 ✭✭✭humbert


    shopaholic01 wrote: »
    I don't remember anyone defing themselves as working or middle class until the Celtic tiger years. Suddenly people were casually referring to themselves as middle class in conversations, and laughing at those they considered working class.

    So middle class could probably be defined as being accustomed to a reasonable standard of living, without feeling the need to advertise it.
    Well, I would hazard a guess that even during the Celtic Tiger those people weren't middle class despite what they might have believed themselves.

    Edit: Actually I think that's what you were saying...


  • #58
    shopaholic01
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,916 ✭✭✭shopaholic01


    humbert wrote: »
    Well, I would hazard a guess that even during the Celtic Tiger those people weren't middle class despite what they might have believed themselves.
    That was my point!


  • #59
    Miss Lockhart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,639 ✭✭✭Miss Lockhart


    I don't think Ireland has such a defined class system as our nearest neighbours.

    I honestly don't know what middle class is or where I fit in. I'm from the so called underclass but I'm probably working class.


  • #60
    Greentopia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,221 ✭✭✭Greentopia


    Chop Chop wrote: »
    What planet are you living on? There are plenty of upper class in this country. The likes of JP Mc Manus, real billionaires not Sean Quinn the paper billionaire. There is an elite upper class in this country, it's made up of very shrewd business men.

    They are an elite business or Capitalist class, not upper class. JP McManus, Dermot Desmond and others of their ilk usually come from lower middle class or middle class backgrounds. They don't suddenly become upper class because they have lots of money.

    The only real upper class in this country are the Protestant (mainly) Anglo-Irish landed class.

    Class is not about money, it's about breeding and education.


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  • #61
    macsauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 136 ✭✭macsauce


    Mahogany wrote: »
    So cut child benefit and make families struggle to put food on the table while middle income families think they have it bad because they can't afford the second car. Aw, thats so sad :(

    Yeah, let's further penalise those who are net contributors to the state. It is, after all, this group of people who are keeping the economy going.


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