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;void(0)) We have been hearing much talk lately about “class warfare” on various radio talk shows. The subject usually comes up in the midst of discussions about taxes, gasoline prices, and interest rates. These and other economic topics tend to effect people in different earnings categories in different ways. Conservatives tend to get incensed about the subject because they do espouse maintenance of the social status quo. Since this country was founded on certain principles antagonistic to the old European class system (aristocracy, nobility, and serfdom) they find it insulting that many liberals accuse them of espousing laws that favor the upper financial bracket of society. Are we a society made up of a hierarchical configuration of families and unrelated individuals who have differential access to valued assets (a working definition of social classes)? In our last newsletter we discussed some of the ways that we look at money. To most people around the world the very mention of America conjures up images of money and gold. We are a highly productive people and are paid well for our efforts – compared to wages around the world. We discussed how most of us are quite comfortable with our financial station in life. We also touched on the fact that this is mainly due to the fact that most of us live and associate with those that tend to earn salaries similar to our own. Our point of reference is directly related to that which we are familiar with. Thus, a family that earns $100,000/ a year tends to associate with people of similar means. If John Jones and his wife (who together earn about $150,000/a year) happens to go out on their next door neighbor’s yacht one weekend they are likely to go home and discuss why it is that they cannot purchase a yacht themselves. Therefore, they will strive to purchase a yacht of their own - something that is entirely within their means to obtain. Meantime, as the Joneses and their neighbors sip champagne out on the deck of their yacht one Sunday afternoon, the Smiths (who together earn about $50,000/ a year) are ecstatic about their brand new economy car. A yacht, for most people in the Smiths’ earning range, is inconceivable. At the same time, for the Joneses, although an economy car may be acceptable in their upscale community, it would never be the type of thing to show off to the neighbors (after all, impressing the neighbors – conspicuous consumption - is a major part of life for people like the Joneses). In short, according to sociological research, yes, there is something of a class system in America. Whether there is an ongoing “class war” taking place is another issue (although there is evidence to indicate that those at the upper level are very protective of their circle and tend to put safeguards in place to offset any intrusion from “outsiders”). In the interest of brevity we will present a short summary of the American class stratification and its dimensions. There are a number of factors that affect social stratification however, in order to make it easier to comprehend I will break it down to three broad headings: money, prestige, and power, each of which, in itself has subdivisions. There are about 5 identified classes in our society but we will eliminate the middle classes and just deal with the two extremes, the upper class (top 1-3%)and the lower class (lower 20-25%): Upper Class (1-3%) Money: These people have affluence; economic security and power. Prestige: They have integrated personalities; consistent attitudes; psychic fulfillment due to deference, valued associations, and consumption. Power: They have the power to influence public mechanisms, giving control over social values. Lower Class (20-25%) Money: These people are generally destitute; and are worthless on the economic market. Prestige: They generally have unintegrated personalities; inconsistent attitudes, and suffer with a sense of isolation and despair. Power: They are politically powerless and lack legal recourse or rights. This breakdown neglects to mention the Middle (10-15%); Lower Middle (30-35%), and Working Classes (40 – 45% - a name that has virtually become obsolete over the past two decades). They are each important in themselves and were only neglected out of concern for space, however, they play a dynamic role in our economy and are very important in our struggle to comprehend the psychology of money. Most intriguing is a recent survey that showed that very few Americans consider themselves Working Class anymore. This dynamic certainly plays a major role in how we think of ourselves as consumers and in the rapid erosion of organized labor’s effectiveness. One of the important points to keep in mind is that the Upper Classes tend to be very protective of their class, taking major steps to block “outsiders” from entry through various means. Nevertheless, these classes are not impenetrable. They are quite fluid and are constantly in a state of change. Rags to riches stories may be rare but it is not rare to see families work their way either up or down the class ladder over generations through various means. Oh yeah, don't forget your autographed copy of “The Ackee Chronicles”. Tony VanSluytman - the Author Now let’s explore the solution to last month’s Ackee Quandaries. More of you had the answer than I had anticipated. Thank you for the overwhelming response.  QUESTION: Who murdered Peter Calloway, and how? ANSWER:If the poison was not administered by food, drink, or inhalation it must have been administered by touch, through the victim’s skin pores. The only thing that Calloway touched shortly before his demise that he hadn’t touched earlier, and that no one else had touched was the inside of the napkin served with his hor d’oeuvres. (Notice that Ms. Wayne was still holding a napkin.) Therefore this had been doctored with poison. The critical event was Calloway being bumped and spilling his champagne. Since he was not carrying a handkerchief he must have opened his napkin to wipe up the spill. Investigators found that Jackson was not in on the crime. Further investigation brought out the fact that Mr. Calloway, a gourmet cook in his own right had been in the process of writing his own cookbook.. Ms. Wayne’s publisher was thinking about setting up a major marketing campaign for his book while giving Ms. Wayne’s most recent book (like her last two) little to no attention. Ms. Wayne was convicted of murdering Mr. Calloway after feeling threatened by his book’s success. 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