Mechele Dickerson

So even if you don't care about the stability of human beings, the economic stability of human beings, you ought to care whether or not you can sell lots of pickup trucks and trash cans and microwaves.

That's what the middle class also does.

They drive spending in this economy and

And if they're struggling financially or if they're scared and we're seeing a lot of fear now, which is also unhealthy, then we're going to have a weak economy.

And one of the things when I talk about the middle class that I always stress is people who are struggling financially are not saying we need to be billionaires.

They're simply saying, why is it so hard for me to find a full time job 40 hours a week with benefits, including health insurance and a retirement plan where I am called an employee?

when I go to work and not an independent contractor.

So why is that so hard?

Why is it so hard for me to be able to either go to college myself and not drown myself in student loan debt or help my kids go to college?

Why is it so hard for me?

And I'll tweak one thing that you said.

It's not so much now to be able to own your own home.

It's to be able to find affordable housing, even to rent in a lot of cities.

Why is it so hard for me to find stable and secure housing?

Why am I drowning in debt?

Why don't I have savings?

So you're absolutely right.

My book isn't arguing that everybody needs to earn the same thing.

But everybody in this country that works hard and wants to achieve, whether we call it the American dream, upward mobility, I really don't care.

But everyone that wants to be stable should have the opportunity to do that.