It's important to recognize that the rise of the middle class after WW2 was an aberration of history. Almost all societies had a few elites, a few middle class, and many more on the fringes of poverty.

The rise of the middle class did come about because of any great social engineering either. It was just a confluence of events where labor was in a position to bargain hard, got some good raises, and spent their surplus to help other people rise. This party probably started ending about 1980. We are just going back to the way things used to be.

Having said that, having a strong middle class is good for society. When citizens know there is an opportunity for them, that, in itself is satisfying, even if many of them just attain a little progress than their parents.

How to maintain the middle class? I don't think either of the two American political parties have a clue on how to do that. But they will give us lots of platitudes.

It's time for a new way.