In Latin America, however, rigid class divisions and deep income inequalities created fertile ground for populism. And when populist experiments collapsed, as they often did, under the weight of unsustainable debt and high inflation, it was right-wing budget-cutters, allied with conservative businessmen, who took over.
但有两个问题：中间派政客并不总能稳固根基，也往往无法持久。中产阶级公民在政治上往往比较温和；开放社会和改革政治往往携手共进，这样的老生常谈不无道理。但是，在拉丁美洲，顽固的阶级分裂和深刻的收入不平等造就了民粹主义的温床。而当民粹主义实验失败时——经常如此——在不可持续的债务和高通胀的压力下，右翼削减预算派就会与保守的商人结成联盟，夺取权力。中间派无法得势。