Isn't that the definition of Zeitgeist?
Once the labourers become middle class they lose their class consciousness and become individualistic. Pandering to "middle class concerns" tends to result in regressive policies, for some reason.
The 'middle class' is a largely rhetorical category in Anglo-American politics.
Used to be that middle class meant you had some economic power, some economic independence - professionals, successful small business and so on - and working class meant you depended on a boss to pay you.
Still, it is at least on the medium term suicidal for social democratic parties to practice actual middle class politics that negatively affect labour, like, say, labour market flexibilisation and union-busting policies. Or cutting the top income bracket tax rate below 50%.
That should have been obvious, but the third way social democrats seem to have practiced a wilful blindness to longer term political economy.
