"Should be" is a long way from "Will be" - I think that both left and right keep power because of perceived scarcity. People have been saying since the thirties that increased productivity would mean that people could work much fewer hours per week and have more free time with no impact on the economy - which was broadly true until about 1971 but productivity and wages diverged significantly at that point with all the benefits going to business but the workers got taxed more to keep people on benefits etc. The workers are working much harder just trying to keep up but the left and right continue to fight each other because they know that if things actually got better for the people, they wouldn't need the politicians any more... People on benefits will keep voting for socialism because they know where their money is coming from and workers will keep voting for the right because they know who is going to pay for it!