From news reports of the numbers it appears there is a widening gap between the rich(mostly on the coasts and DC) and the middle class. The middle class is what's always made this country great. They drive this economy because it's such a large cluster of people...the average guy.

My old man was a pretty smart feller...I know, I know, everybody's dad's are pretty smart fellers but this one, mine, taught classes in college most of us have trouble pronouncing. Book smarts don't always make a person smart, I know that as well, but my old man could do anything...build houses from the ground up...rebuild cars from the ground up...and teach classes most have trouble pronouncing. That's not what he did for a living, though. He was in administration at Universities.

I mention all of this just sort of as a resume'. The man wasn't stupid but what was most impressive about the man was that he was a see'er of sorts in that he was what people call a forward thinker. He wrote a paper in college about the feasibility of private company carriers competing with the USPS. The prof poo-poo'ed it and pretty much dismissed it out of hand. 30-40 years later, enter UPS, Fedex etc.

He told me once, pot is like alcohol and prohibition. One day it will be legal. That was back in 1980.

Told me once that all the people in the USA, one day, would all be light brown in color due to mixing of the races.

But the thing he told me once when we were talking about the civil war and I asked "will there ever be another civil war?".

"Yes, when the middle class is ruined by the rich.

Can't recall the old man missing many, if any, of his long range predictions but it always took time for time to catch up to his thinking.

When do you think this will happen, Dad? Soon, son...very soon. hahaha just kidding.