Re our electorate and concentrated wealth, it seems to me that the greater problem is the expansion on the other end. When government is viewed as an equalizer and wealth distributor and when fewer than half of us are adding to the pot, there's an inevitable consumption of the seed corn.
This is exactly the argument made by the whites in Rhodesia: They brought the vast bulk of the knowledge & $ needed to run a country, (and the blacks benefitted as a result), therefore they (the whites) should have the bulk of the say in how to run the place. Looking at whats happened since, would appear to vindicate this view.
But that does not change the fact that the 95% hated how things were, even if intellectually some of them (many in fact) were well aware that life in Rhodesia was much nicer than any of their black run neighbors at the time.
I agree, that the drift towards a large fraction of voters in the USA (approaching 50%) net receiving $ from the government (to them its a source of wealth) is alarming. But my approach to solving that would be to look at any methods which increase the economic prospects of the lower end of the spectrum.
Having said that, I find it interesting that only our species has created a system where wealth is concentrated into dynasties (this is much different than evolution/natural selection gene survival BTW). This is a result of "civilization" and "rule of law". I find it an interesting question as to whether this was wise or not. Its not just wealth either. There is a trend of setting up land use restrictions, (read up on land trusts) where one generation attempts to dictate the long term use of land. Again, there is no equivalent to this notion outside of civilized humans on the planet. Of course it breaks down if the civilization breaks down, but ignoring that, is it wise? Why should I, owning some land for the short duration of my life, think that I have any "right" to direct what transpires there long after I'm dead?
To the degree that civilization & rule of law has decided to back ideas which have no precedent in other biological systems, one should at least anticipate unexpected consequences. Note that we keep finding out more about the biological underpinnings of "fairness" and why it might inspire the downtrodden to cut off their nose to spite their face from outwards observation. Again, a fascinating issue, and we know very little about it. |
