Global unrest has one, massive root cause: inequality | Michael Massing

The 2008 crash stripped the sheen off global capitalism. We're still living with the effects

The popular protests that erupted in 2019 and have continued to rumble - from France and Spain in Europe to Hong Kong and India in Asia; from Chile, Colombia and Bolivia in Latin America to Lebanon, Iran and Iraq in the Middle East - have perplexed analysts. Because they have been so far-flung and have lacked an iconic moment like the fall of the Berlin Wall, the common thread hasn't been obvious. But there is one: rage at being left behind. In each instance, the match may differ, but the kindling has (in most cases) been furnished by the gross inequality produced by global capitalism.

Consider Lebanon. The demonstrations that erupted there in October were triggered by the government's plan to tax calls made through WhatsApp and other internet services, but they quickly mushroomed into a broader protest against high unemployment, sectarian rule, corruption, and the government's failure to provide basic services like electricity and sanitation.

The match may differ, but the kindling has (in most cases) been furnished by the gross inequality produced by global capitalism

In the United States, the three richest people have the same amount of wealth as the bottom 160 million

Michael Massing is the author most recently of Fatal Discord: Erasmus, Luther, and the Fight for the Western Mind