How to deliver economic justice to the deprived lot?

ONE of the subtle but defining trends in 21st century eco-politics is the advent of the concept of "economic justice". The world is split into one for the haves and the other for the have-nots. The concept itself is not new. There are metrics like the Gini coefficient that defines how well incomes are shared in a society. The Gini in Sweden is 24 (2012) while that in China is 73. The lower the number, the more equitable is the distribution. It is tracked to see if the distribution improves over time.

The concept acquired political significance when governments were voted in or out based on how effectively and perceptively they presided over a "just" distribution of incomes, wealth and prosperity. In many cases, the lack of such economic justice was the trigger for popular revolutions, from the Gdansk gathering in Poland to the Arab spring in Egypt and other countries. In these countries, the electoral system was weak or not seen by people as a good vehicle for change. Hence resentment took the form of protests. Governments changed after the hustings, if they were seen as too capitalistic or too paternalistic. It is interesting to note that a paternalistic regime, even if it conferred better living standards to the bottom percentiles of the population, was still seen as "unjust" as the process of income redistribution was not natural and was not based on "dignity for all". Socialistic, welfare-led, liberal and left-leaning slogans have caught people's attention.

In a world where 25 per cent of the population is represented by aspirational youth (age 10-24) and possibly by the social media generation, this feeling of lack of "economic justice" can be infectious. Their "dissatisfaction" vote can disturb electoral majority decisively. Governments have had to scurry to redefine the economic structures, opportunities, benefits and economic rights.