re: The rabble and the oligarchy.
The world isn't populated by progressive techie startups run by Stanford graduates any more than capitalism is like corner lemonade stands competing for customers. Out here in the heartland its Walmart and Home Depot where the masses work and shop. Outside of a few places like Silly Valley, America is about retail sales of Chinese products, fast food, telemarketing and data entry. We're rapidly devolving into a sweatshop economy and the fastest growing labor category is the ex-manager who suddenly realizes he's lucky to be stacking produce at Publix. I'm willing to concede that maybe this is nobody's fault, that it's just "blind economic forces" but don't tell me it ain't happening.