We‘re courting disaster by ignoring income inequality

One remarkable thing about revolutions is that they are impossible to predict. With hindsight, everyone likes to say the collapse of the Soviet Union or events of the Arab Spring were ineluctable. That before the uprisings all the signs pointed to the eventual collapse of these regimes. But almost no one predicted the timing and scale of these revolutions. That is because factors that motivate revolutionaries are often hidden from the view of leaders, academics and analysts alike. While living under an autocratic regime, few sane people ever dare to express their true opinions about the government. Many simply falsify their true preferences for policies, political leaders, even music and food. They participate in cultural activities organised by the dictator. Many routinely pledge their allegiance to the ruler on national holidays and other public events. All these they do simply because they have to.

People perform these acts for two main reasons. The first is simply to survive. Most oppressive (politically and otherwise) regimes thrive through control over means of earning a living. If the livelihood of your family depends on your allegiance to the regime, you are often left with no choices but to support the regime and its activities – whether you agree with them or not.