re: #80 Gus

I was going to add more but just got up from a nap. But yes I would agree. I also see it as idolitry in which people like Romney and other venture capitalists become the idols for which the masses to worship upon. The rewards are wealth rather than eternal happiness. The masses then worship these business “leaders” at the expense of the individual or individuals (i.e. the masses or our fellow citizens). Those that oppose these predatory idols are seen as apostates to the God of wealth. This is done even by the very same class or group of people that fall victims to this predation.

The whole bootstrapping I did it by myself by-God rugged American individualist meme is real powerful stuff and very easy to sell here…hence the tendency for people to want to identify with the top one percenters. It is also largely a myth. It makes great movies when the poor emigrant gets off the tramp steamer and hits the big time with a little pluck and hard work…but the odds of that happening are about the same as hitting the lottery. Pluck and a good work ethic got you nowhere but the Bowery and a shitty 12 hour a day job in a boiler room doing “hunky work”.

Who you know (your social class) and what school you go to (does anybody think Obama would be President if he had gone to a state college in Hawaii?)are far better determiners of future success then any other metric.