It is a shame that politics is so polarised, I suppose that it may be because only the extremists on left and right are passionate enough about their beliefs to make a lot of noise.
I think that the majority of people are disillusioned with the current system in both the UK and the US - one only has to look at the declining turnout of voters for elections in the UK at least, to see this. I don't think it's entirely apathy, people want good government but what they invariably get is opposing parties succeeding each other in power, changing half the things that the previous government has done with the consequent wasting of money.
There is also very little incentive for governments to plan for the long term benefit of their countries and the world because this may well involve some short term pain and what they are always focussing on is getting re-elected in 4/5 years time.
Socialists generally speaking have little concept of the darker side of human nature; greed, racism, laziness etc. etc. and think that everyone is as altruistic and caring as they are.
Conservatives, on the other hand, have to realise that not everyone who claims benefit is a lazy workshy slob. There are many people who do need looking after.
Personally, I think socialists have good and bad policies and conservatives have good and bad policies - and I'm talking about the UK parties here. I have no time for the Sarah Palin faction of the Republicans. What is needed is some kind of government that has a large amount of common sense and that's not going to happen so long as only the most passionate right or left wingers enter politics in the first place.

And Ces, as for the middle class of India - lol - I spent two months there last summer (working not "travelling") and I can assure you that I saw poverty like you would not believe. There is a huge, huge number of very poor people living on a dollar a day or less, a very few very wealthy people and a small number who could be called middle class if you redefine the Western idea of what middle class is. You really have to see it before making any comment. Don't just go by what the (extremely corrupt) Indian government claim they are trying to do. That is naive in the extreme.

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/oh-look-birthers-are-already-playing Just because CNN are covering crazy trump doesn't mean that Fox doesn't frequently give a podium to many fringe birthers.

It means people in the middle... not the very rich and not the very poor. A large middle class means an economy that is dominated by the middle instead of the extremes.

Economies without a middle are not healthy or productive economies. Anyone want to challenge that with an exception? Oil states don't count.