Middle Class and Economic Inequality

It was getting late and very cold. The simple shop was still crowded. You could hear chatter amid the music of Dave Brubeck\'s Take Five from the jukebox in the corner of the room.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Muhamad Chatib Basri

Next to me there sat a young boy. I did not know him, but because the shop was full, we had to share a table. We engaged in casual conversation. When he found out I was from Asia, he began to talk about the poverty he saw in Asia. Then, he mentioned the issue of economic inequality in the United States. He talked about a magnificent apartment in Tribeca, lower Manhattan, New York. Then, in gloominess -- while quoting CNBC -- he said the average income of the richest one percent population in the US is US$1.32 million per year. Meanwhile, the remaining 99 percent earn an average of US$50,107 a year. I did not know how accurate that number was. However, I was able to catch his state of confusion.

He is not alone. These days we are dealing with a world that is anxious and easily angered. Algeria, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, France, Hong Kong, Lebanon, and many others completed the story of protests in 2019.