the importance of a strong middle class

Being able to maintain a basic sense of human decency while doing what it takes to have a reasonably prosperous life shouldn't be a luxury. It should be the norm. What that means is that economic policies that build up the middle class need to be a priority. There are other reasons for ensuring a stable middle class besides the benefits that are experienced at a personal level. An economy that fosters a large middle class is a healthy economy and an essential ingredient of a healthy society. One of the main features of politically and/or economically oppressive countries is that they don't have much of a middle class. They simply don't offer any opportunity for individuals to, through honest means, improve their socioeconomic status. And when there are few people who have much money to buy products, the economy remains stagnant and depressed. In addition, when there are few people who are not either in a desperate struggle for survival or among those who benefit from a corrupt political process that supports economic and social injustice, human rights and governmental accountability inevitably go by the wayside.