This week The Irish Timeshas been reporting on the phenomenon of Ireland's Squeezed Middle and offering you the chance to comment through irishtimes.com. Here is a selection of responses
FitzerThere will always be the naysayers who believe the middle classes have this coming to them. They should suck it up. How dare they feel aggrieved. If there is an upside to this recession it's that it has allowed people to become more honest, open. I suspect there are many who have found out who their real friends are, what really matters in their lives.
BremlinThe property bubble gave many people the illusion that their investment in their home or holiday home or three buy-to-rent dwellings could earn them more than their earnings from their own labour. The popping of the bubble resulted in negative social mobility. The Squeezed Middle is a term for people who were middle class in 2007 but are now de facto working class, even if they need some years to see it that way themselves.
LauraThe point of this article should not be the slight pinch in finding school fees, paying multiple property taxes or losing one's holiday, but the impact on the loss of domestic spending on the economy and its knock-on impact.
David WalkerIt is amazing how Irish people bought into the idea that owning your own home made you middle class even if you were paying off a huge mortgage.
Conan DrummThose of us being squeezed will, if we're honest, concede that there are many people considerably worse off than we are – people less organised, less able, less vocal, less educated and less connected. And that, while our expectations may be frustrated, we still have more resources at our disposal and, even in adversity, more opportunities to get by.
Tigerisin thezooYoung people are going to bear the biggest burden, even though many of them haven't been born yet or are still in school. Many have to emigrate and will not be able to access third-level education. It will build up a lot of anger. The position of the grey vote buying the politicians will be replaced by a growing youth anger at the lack of opportunities.
ShellshockYou seem to claim that the middle classes are the only ones being squeezed, whilst the unemployed enjoy a lifestyle of Hawaiian massages. The truth is that the poorest, as always, are taking the biggest hit. The beleaguered middle classes have time, resources, education and intelligence to take this Government on. But they choose instead to pay voluntary fees to schools, schoolbook fees, increased taxes etc. . . The only thing this series will do is continue the divide and rule strategy of the beneficiaries of the ruling elite. And if this comment is not posted, we will find out whether this is a serious journalistic endeavour, or just piece of agit prop on behalf of the Government.
Johanna WalshThe Squeezed Middle says it all! We would have been considered middle class a few years ago, but because my other half is self-employed and his business has hit hard times, he is not entitled to any social welfare. I am in a low-paid job and we have three third-level student children still living at home. We are seriously finding it hard to live, not to mention spending a spare cent on anything that is not absolutely necessary. We have used up all our savings on day-to-day living and there is not a week that goes by without being refused cash at the ATM. We have not had a credit balance for about five years now. The Government needs to sit up and see the people that are truly living in poverty now are not those on social welfare.
