On: Lead poisoning probably did not cause the downfall...

[ztrww]

Historically the middle class in the past is the modern rich of today. It consisted of the bourgeoisie and the well educated elite who still had to work for their living (i.e. business owners, lawyers etc.) it wasn’t much more than a few percent pf the total population. Prior to the 20th century describing any person earning an ‘average’ income as middle class wouldn’t make much sense.

[thaumasiotes → ztrww]

The whole point of the term "middle class" was to refer to very rich people. Modern use has somehow forgotten that.

But the idea of being "middle class" is that you aren't upper class (because you're lowborn), and you aren't lower class (because you're rich).