Hi everyone. I’m not sure if this is the best place to post this, since I myself am not anti-work. In fact I love my job. I’m paid well, they look after me and I have great opportunities. Of course I’ve worked hard to get here and been lucky with landing this role. And quite frankly I’m glad I don’t live in America – That place really sounds tough. But I realise that if not for a few key moments I could be living paycheck to paycheck.
Recently I read 1984 and was disturbed by the kind of dystopia dreamt up in the 40’s. The main take away for me was that the middle class has the power. Throughout history the middle class has called upon the lower class to help over throw the upper class. Then over time, a portion of the middle class becomes the new upper class and the cycle eventually repeats. It’s not the best system, but it’s essentially how the world has worked for thousands of years. In the book, the upper class attempts to break this cycle by distracting them with fake wars and promoting a constant state of hatred and fear, while at the same time slowly removing their ability to think for themselves.
The sad truth, as I see it, is that our world is essentially the same, but that rather than prevent the thinking of the middle class the aim is more simply to remove it. With lower and lower real wages the middle class, those with the forethought to realise they cannot afford a family, will start to stop doing so. Within just a generation or two when the upper middle class can no longer be supported by any family money (it’s common here for parents to assist for the first home deposit) it could very well be possible that the middle class dies out or dissolves into the lower class.
I’d love to hear peoples thoughts on the topic.