Where Poor Matches Rich
The one thing which much of humanity, for most of its history, has, whether it wanted it or not, is the same thing, but for different reasons and ends, that the wealthy/elite/truly-connected strive to have unique forms of: invisibility.
Most of humanity has, and will, live on in:
obscurity but there is a small group which purchases/acquired/maintains
anonymity (Swiss bank accounts),
Pseudonymity (nomme de plume/bitcoin),
invisibility (art auctions/meetings with Oligarchs/RNC or DNC strategy),
privacy (gated communities), and
exclusivity (look at me all "unfiltered" but don't touch).
This disparity has been a lovely recipe for revolution sometimes but not all real change occurs violently.
Disintermediation upends the cart and new powerful emerges (innovators, new apex predators, legacy/connected applicants, rentiers, et al).
Simultaneously however, a new disenfranchised emerges in the process too (powerless, illiterate,luddite,segregated,underbanked, digitally divided,un/under-followed/liked/shared (inserted emoticon or meme)).
Is this time "different"?
We have an instrumentality which we can use to connect with others.
At first it was migration, a difficult and dangerous venture.
Then it was publication (to live on in someone's mind via text, long after we are dead).
But now we have been riding an acceleration of communication.
On a snowball rolling down for centuries from a mountain peak built on our capacity for invention, we have progressed from communicating on foot, via horse, "iron horse", planes, satellites and fiber optics, the equation changed. Lately it's all about connection, and its tightwire act with its cousin, invisibility.
I will not get all "Marshall Mclulan". No point.
But the ONE "legacy" software which remains is the human condition. We still do amazing things but we are still wired for the savanna - until kingdom (or singularity) comes. We fear/loathe rejection from people because there was a time it meant death.
Acceptance and exclusion are still a part of our wiring, and we express it economically and socially. But what happens when economics meets social behavior? (ah ha.) How much has really changed since the days of a select few controlling the temple granary, getting the most fertile women or land? ("Just how much is enough Gordon?"- Bud Fox in the film, Wall Street) And there lies some of the kernel of OUR "code".
If anyone read this, please pardon the random thoughts, I had a good walk and nice brunch, and had to help someone halfway around the world and my mind wanders.