Thursday, August 1, 2013

Contradictions of Urban Middle Class

I find it contradictory (hypocritical is perhaps a little too strong a word) when a person (mostly with an urban middle class profile in my experience) supports economic laissez-faire but sneers at "vote bank" politics. Apparently, he can clearly see and approves of the "invisible hand" of profit motive in business but fails to see the working of a similar "invisible hand" of power motive in politics. So, while his economic understanding is based on the assumption of human nature as essentially self centered and egoistic, his political understanding inexplicably expect the same human nature to be altruistic.

What gives?

I offer the following thesis: while economically urban middle class starts off from a relatively advantageous position, it is quick to shout "let it be" (laissez-faire, literally) but politically, where its single vote counts just as much as another person's and it can not get its own way, it's equally quick to shout "vote bank politics".

P.S. Personally, I hold both the adversarial systems (capitalism in economics and electoral democracy in politics) in equal regards. To the extent I accept lassiez-faire economics, I am also fine with vote bank politics.
Contradictions of Urban Middle ClassSocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

No comments: