The relentless hereditary elasticity of privilege

The persistence of power and privilege with high status children inheriting their parents status with intergenerational elasticities of .7 to .9 across the entire world regardless of ideology or religion means that the 'egalitarian' that is urging you to vote for more redistribution in the name of fighting entrenched elitism is likely descended from some elitist toff and is seeking your support simply so he can retain or enhance the high status he already has*.  Because as Bill Clinton or Raul Castro could tell you if they weren't so busy being 'men of the people', for the motivated, power is readily translated into a fortune. Thus even egalitarianism turns out to be a wheeze thought up by one mob of elites as a means to wrest power from some other rich and powerful mob so that they, the 'egalitarians', can have the power, wealth and status for their families.

And you? You provide the excuse for why they need to get more wealth enhancing power. Either you're too poor or you're too rich or you're making the planet too hot or too cold or you're not living long enough or there are too many of you. You see, there is always some looming catastrophe or incipient disaster to justify why the high status need to take more of your power and money to get more status and wealth for themselves.  Understanding this makes all the neo Marxist blather about inequality intelligible. They don't actually believe the ravings of that exiled German nutter, they simply believe in themselves and their will to power, status and wealth.

It's the old Roman war between the Optimates and Julius and Augustus Caesar's Populares to see which side gets to control all the state's marbles. The only way to limit greedy, resourceful men's power is to limit the state's reach, keeping most of the battle for power, wealth and status in the private sector where 'ambition counters ambition' best. And it is because the Populares understand better than the oligarchic Optimates that state power with its guns, shackles and small steel boxes trumps private wealth that your up-to-date, 'modern' tyrannies tend to come from the left. 

And they can keep that power and status for a good long time if they can restrain the lusts and envies that they inflame to get and stay on top.  Because the thing that the Optimates understand much better than the Populares is that even if you have all the power and most of the money you can still burn the whole thing down around you.  Which is why your spectacular 'modern' economic collapses also tend to come from the left.

Sniff.  It that smoke I smell?


*The most relentlessly elite institution in the world is the Elite 'Ivy League' or equivalent university.  They obsessively comb the nation and the world for the 'best and brightest', bring them to a common location where they spend vast tax exempt sums per pupil on enhancing their knowledge, skills and connections, ensuring that most of them will marry each other and breed more elites. They then unleash them on a credential mad world where they possess the best brand.  All from institutions that are relentlessly, overwhelmingly 'progressive' and 'for the people'.  And despite the obvious and clearly cynical conflict between their words and deeds they get away with it.  Talk about having a lot of power.