Jim -

My comment about 'us' and the 'boom' years was parenthetical to my point about the inadequacy of left/right, liberal/conservative divisions. As an illustration, I posted a conservative writer's positive review of an excellent book 'of the people' that many observers might pigeon-hole as a 'left-wing' analysis. I thought my meaning should have been fairly obvious, but perhaps not.

During the 'boom' years, I worked as a school teacher, warehouse worker, and 'temporary office worker', and I currently work in a bookstore. So I obviously am a fat-cat priest of Mammon, worthy only of immolation by an angry mob.