The specter of revolution had forced Western elites to use the power of the state to redistribute wealth and nurture the growth of loyal middle classes. But, when communism collapsed in its Eurasian heartland, the West’s rich, believing that they had nothing more to fear, pressed to roll back the welfare state, causing inequality to rise rapidly.
首先，过去25年来社会不平等现象在西方迅速恶化，这部分归因于苏联解体后，扩张共产主义的威胁也随之消失。革命的幽灵曾迫使西方精英阶层借助国家权力重新分配财富，从而培育出忠心耿耿的中产阶级。可随着共产主义在欧亚心脏地带的溃败，西方富裕阶层认为自己不再需要诚惶诚恐，他们施压终止福利国家政策，从而导致不平等现象迅速崛起。只要馅饼总体越做越大这点问题还可以容忍，但2008年的全球金融危机又让这样的好时光成为过去。