The social class system

I used to think that there was a social class system whereby people distinguish themselves from others by displaying their wealth in the form of extravagant possessions. During and before the industrial revolution people of wealth were highly visible and respected as individuals of great capability.

Jump forward a few generations and now we have a string of generations clinging onto the coattails of their rich ancestors, the children of the kings of industry were raised with a permanent safety net and free keys to the top offices and penthouses. They may know how to go through some of the motions, but industry has devolved from being about the product and the consumer, to being about nothing but making the biggest profit possible, at the expense of quality and the labor force, which by the way, are the consumers. Corporations are driven into the ground, squeezed of every penny, then dismantled.

Now we are finding that performance by those thought to be professionals is falling short at nearly every level of government, from the local coroner, state legislators that cannot balance a budget, as far up as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Are we wondering how the heck they got there? Not really because we just take for granted that someone who has enough money to get on a political ballot and send mass mailings is somehow qualified to lead. We almost had a pawn broker for a lieutenant governor.

Politics has degraded to nothing more than a sport. The winner gets to the playoffs by getting the office and then keeping it. Beyond that there doesn't appear to be any real value of politics portrayed in the mass media. The grand prize is retirement with a huge pension.