The system is set up to keep rich people being rich and in control, just like always. It's not at all random who is in control. Someone makes those decisions and it's not the public through elections :)
We never left the age of kings and peasants. We just have different names. The difference in income has only increased, and the gladiator arenas used to entertain the masses was replaced with sports and computer games.
We are more comfortable now though but so are the rich people.
However, history does seem to show a continual tension between the rulers/land-owners and workers. There have been many documented instances of the wealthy colluding to increase their wealth and modifying laws to increase their power.
It's a good example of why a stable government, strong property rights, and rule of law are necessary (but not sufficient) conditions for long-term wealth development.
All politics are controlled by wealthy landowners. Whether this is cause or consequence of landlords eventually capturing all income gains in the unlanded class is another question.
The biggest trick ever played by the ruling elite was convincing people that private property rights and capitalism were somehow related to and necessary for democracy. Democracy should be that power comes from the people, but wealth creates unaccountable power structures that have far more power over the lives of most people then any government.
In the way that the existence of various government-maintained infrastructures (that is, "the system") is what permitted them to acquire wealth in the first place.
The people overthrew kings, and they were up against the same imbalance of power. I think it's going to be even easier this time. Potential loyalists will be able to see those who would bribe them lose buying power as the people declare that they won't accept any money they've touched. The playing field is actually lopsided in the people's favor. They just need to be told and given the tools to use their power.
Wealth is a social construct, and we now have the technology to modify that social construct without anyone's permission. If we wield it carefully, we might be able to build a better society with this power.
We've always had greedy and powerful rich people around. These conditions are new. Complex systems fail in strange ways so there are almost certainly both multiple contributing factors and multiple ways to improve the situation.
"the system" is designed by people with wealth and is absolutely biased towards protecting it. Its just that encouraging productivity generates them more wealth.
I think this is spot on. Wealth gives you power that you can use to protect that wealth and thus the endless cycle begins.
It's not that hard to build a system where everyone benefits. However, it's even easier to build a system where special interests benefit the most because they are the ones who are in charge after all.
reply