Here’s troubling news:
“In February 2009, the Economist magazine announced that over half the world’s population now belongs to the middle class.”
Why do I find this to be troubling and not a sign of progression?
Well, first and foremost I’m happy about about the fact that the world is improving considerably and that there continues to be fewer and fewer “developing” countries in the world. I am happy that more and more people don’t have to starve and die for senseless reasons. I’m happy that more and more people have achieved the so called “good life”.
However, have we taken a look at what we have given up in order to attain “middle class-hood”? Have we taken the time to realize that more and more people are working 12+ hour plus days in order to keep their “middle class” status? Have we taken the time to realize that once we attain what we consider a good/reasonable livelihood that we will most likely have lost all our friends in the meantime? Have we taken the time to realize that this “middle class” status was, in fact, defined by the “upper class”? Have we taken the time to realize that by letting these so called “upper class-men” set the standard for what it means to have a good life, we have let them control/lead us into pursuing their lively hood even though they 1- don’t consider us good enough to attain it, and 2- don’t particularly like being “upper class” themselves? Have we taken the time to consider that by forever chasing this so called “upper class” we end up being eternally unhappy with the things we do have? Have we taken the time to realize that we can abolish this divider (because that’s what it is) and that by doing so we greatly diminish the amount of people who don’t consider themselves happy? Have we taken the time to consider that these titles basically go against everything equality stands for?
I guess with all these questions I really have one MAIN question constantly running through my mind:
Have we taken the time to realize that by abolishing such dividing terms as lower class, middle class, and upper class we can make people happy with the things they DO have, and go one step closer to making the world a better place?