hey, look, do i look like i invented the definition for 'working class'? go ask your econn 220 prof about 'that frymaster guy'. guaranteed he's never heard of me.

so... is the definition of 'working class' based on 19th century economic realities? yup. does that mean that, as western capitalism has changed and morphed, the clearcut divisions of class that were near and dear to smith and marx and ricardo have blurred? you betcha.

i think the big problem here is that we really tend to forget about the artisan class. skilled owner-operators who work either independently or in a common 'workhouse'. a strong artisan class is a *good* thing to have. they're stable, mobile and way less likely to exploit or be exploited.

so, are car mechanics working class if they own their tools and are paid piecemeal? no. they're artisans. now, this artisanship is tempered somewhat by the fact that there are components of the means of production that are owned by an external individual (hoists, compressors, the shop itself), but they are still artisans more than anything else.

and in situations where messengers own their own bikes and are paid by the job (and yes, i know the formula is a lot more complex than that, but the bottom line is that the majority of the messengers are paid by the ticket in some way or another) they, too, are artisans.

don't freak out about it. love it. you can still listen to bruce springsteen or oi! music or whatever and eat out of a tin lunchpail if you want to, but economically you've got more in common with the watchmaker than the coalminer.