The middle class also keeps the economy balanced. Without a healthy middle class income continues to accumulate at the very top, creating a kind of black hole that sucks up ever-increasing percentages of national wealth. That leads to an ever-growing drop in consumption, increased use of social services, and an unstable economy. Over time it also leads to an unstable society where the risk of social unrest, extremism, and political violence begins to grow exponentially.
Saving the middle class
If we want to reverse this trend we'll need to attack the problem on a number of fronts. These include: increasing the minimum wage; expanding social programs; rebuilding our infrastructure; renegotiating those bad trade deals: promoting union growth; and demanding that corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share (while ending rewards for bad behavior).
We'll also need to explore ways to expand the role of public ventures and communitarian institutions at all levels.
We know what, and who, is killing the middle class. It's time to stop those forces in their tracks, take back our democracy, and create a middle class that's more vibrant and inclusive than ever.
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