ruveyn wrote:
androbot2084 wrote:
No it's just that the selfish people hold the power.
As the always have and always will.
One of the dilemmas in forming a workable political/social/economic system is to recognize that the selfish, opportunistic, ruthless, rapacious, etc, will always gravitate towards positions that promise them power over others. Given that, how do you structure the system so they can accumulate and enjoy the perks of wealth and status while permitting them to do the least harm to everyone else? A capitalist, constitutionally-limited government seems to be a good way to accomplish this goal: capitalism permits the individual to accumulate wealth and enjoy its advantages; while the status–minded and power-hungry can participate in the political system; and constitutional limits prevent both groups, either singly or combined, from wielding unlimited power over everyone else.
It's not perfect, no human creation is, but it can be workable.
But wealth tends to lead to power, even within an enforced framework of laws preventing fraud and theft. Those with more can always outplay those with less. They have the bargaining leverage. Inequality taken to extremes will harm society no matter how one tries to legitimize it.