226 Aristocracy

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The aristocracy in America has changed: a century ago, the concept of Social Darwinism was fashionable, the idea that wealthy people became that way through some kind of natural selection, even mystical intervention. Aristocrats thought Divine Providence justified their feelings of superiority & self-righteousness, and simply took it for granted that they were meant to occupy the top notch of the social hierarchy, and the prosperity of the whole nation flowed down from them. However, their ambition & reach was limited by the practicalities of the time: slow communication, poor data collection, and the religious indoctrination of charity & duty to their fellow man. Powerful individuals with marque names like Carnegie, Mellon, Getty & Rockefeller, showed some semblance of a conscience due to guilt, self-interest, or desire for accolades from the masses. But now, the power of elite individuals have been replaced by unaccountable Stateless corporations whose only goal is profit, and technology has magnified their omniscient power.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The rise of the corporations has facilitated the rise of the aristocracy, especially as the U.S. Supreme Court has granted corporations Rights that used to only be the purview of individuals: Free Speech & Freedom of Religion. This subversion of what-vs-who aids the aristocracy because it hides them from social censure. People do not feel an alliance with corporations so it is difficult to feel betrayed by them or envious of them, and because the vast majority of corporations are in fact beneficial, the aristocratic sock-puppeteers can hide in their aura. This is how the aristocracy manipulates the levers of power and escape the justifiable outrage of the public. Eliminate the aristocratic Class & corporations go back to being benign business vehicles of good.</p>