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Prisoners of class

<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times-Roman&quot;,serif">The Pressures of Perfectionism.&nbsp;</span></span><em><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica-Oblique&quot;,sans-serif">How Much Is Enough?&nbsp;</span></em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in">&nbsp;</p> <p>The growth of the middle classes is unprecedented and highly significant. The phenomenon is absent in only a limited number of countries where the middle classes have shrunk. Statistically what is happening in&nbsp;<strong>China</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>India</strong>&nbsp;&ndash;the world&rsquo;s most heavily-populated countries&ndash; is of great significance, as it is in Asia generally, from where nine out of 10 of the next 1 billion middle-class consumers will come. But the trend is widespread and has political consequences because the middle classes are more demanding in their insistence that governments should provide decent infrastructure and public services, institutional improvements and a functioning and reliable rule of law.</p> <p>Of course, such an enormous achievement does not eradicate two problems. The first is that the growth of the middle classes does not prevent certain countries from falling into what has been dubbed the &lsquo;middle-income trap&rsquo;, a type of development that enables economies to reach a middling rank, where they proceed to get stuck. How such countries assimilate the technological revolution will be decisive in this respect. If it is to be achieved and&nbsp;global technological justice&nbsp;secured, as I and my colleagues have argued, public and private policies will need to be devised at a global level.</p> <p>The second problem is that the emergence of middle classes in developing countries could clash with some of the interests of the middle classes in the developed world, who do not want to end up worse off,&nbsp;as occurred in the recent crisis&nbsp;and its uneven recovery and aftermath. A conflict of interests of this kind strengthens the populist arguments that are fuelled by the discontent among middle and lower classes that have fallen on harder times. Policies are needed&nbsp;to prevent such a confrontation&nbsp;and that implies a challenge if globalisation, in a reformed guise, is to continue and generate the fairly-distributed wealth that has given birth to a global middle class: a welcome revolution indeed.</p>

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Unforgettable Childhood Days: Without a care in the world.

<p>In every human life, there is an unforgettable childhood experience. There could be many experiences or just one. These journeys can be good or bad and possibly end up beneficial or not. I have had a few bad ones. However, they occurred around times when I was trying to fit in and find my inner-self. In a sense, these experiences help to define my personality. Cherish your warm, carefree childhood memories.</p>

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