I think phrasing this in terms of "middle class" is off. It sounds like he's got the seed of something, but it isn't fully thought out. It's true that the worl

I think phrasing this in terms of "middle class" is off. It sounds like he's got the seed of something, but it isn't fully thought out. It's true that the world of the 50s-80s is done. It's true that there are fewer jobs where employees above a minimum standard of competence are interchangeable. Factory workers with decent aptitude that arrives on time & doesn't steal does not vary much from another one. I think these kinds of jobs is what he is defining as middle class. But, the more common definition of middle class is bigger than ever. Most engineers would generally be considered some flavour of middle class by most people. BTW, I recently heard an interesting argument that suggests it's too late to compete based on cheaper less regulated labour markets at this point, even for low wage countries. Unskilled labour is decreasing as a percentage of total manufacturing costs and is unlikely to draw in manufacturers.