Thursday, September 27, 2007

Middle Class

I hate being part of the middle class. It is like I am being boxed into a corner and finding myself in a corner is something I detest. I know I am part of a relatively narrow slice - larger in numbers than the wealthy, but obviously less numerous than the poor. I am part of the only class in the society to which all the laws of the society apply. It is only us who pay tax, it is only us to whom all the rules & regulations are enforced on. Everyone in the upper or the lower most strata indulge in drugs, murders, polygamy, and every other illicit activity and are not deterred by the outcome. The upper class just buy their way out, the lower class are not just bothered.
I have to move out of this jailed class of the society. How will I move between strata; what kind of environment is conducive for me to do that? Analyzing this I have realized that when the economy is consumer centric, upper class take over. When the economy is focused on infrastructure or goods and services for the masses, the middle class prospers. Also history shows that the strongest economy in terms of volume presently – American economy was built on products-consumers. No-one can tell yet, if India is moving towards a product economy or a service economy. I am ready to be a bookie on this one, I have already placed my bet and the roulette wheel is in motion. The bet I have placed along with my partner for life may be our ticket out, we are betting on Services - the underdog.
The greatest problem with a "service" based economy is that the only factor of production that can be changed is wages. So over a period of time when we grow big how we manage wages will surely be a big deciding factor. I being part of the middle class will have to work hard and play by the rules and go by the understanding that the game is already stacked against me.