I think the ruling class “controls/exploits some things” and they are “in control” is the difference? Like yes they have bled us dry with their grip but as WikiLeaks, Epstein, Panama papers etc suggests, they weren’t really “in control”. Right now, there’s a decent chance that Pakistan falls to the Taliban and their nukes will be in their hands - is actually anyone “in control” of this situation?
Did anything meaningful come from those leaks? People can try to do stuff to powerful people to reveal their misdeeds, but they’ve written the laws and are barely bound by the reach of nations in the first place. Few receive consequences for their crimes.
As for existential threats like nuclear weapons, that’s it’s own can of worms. So yeah, I guess in that respect they’re not really in control. But short of nuclear annihilation or the eventual collapse of the human-suitable environment, they seem pretty untouchable.
EDIT: Actually, we even have a great example of the ways they can fly above some world spamming catastrophes: COVID 19 happened. Many died, many more lost their livelihoods, homes, etc. Meanwhile many of the rich got to take private transportation to private places so they could wait out the pandemic in safety while their companies’ profits increased and they used that increased wealth to buy up even more capital.
I’d seriously doubt any claims that there’s some cabal that deliberately caused it, but they sure do have the means to escape the worst of disasters and even exploit them for profit.
I think the ruling class “controls/exploits some things” and they are “in control” is the difference? Like yes they have bled us dry with their grip but as WikiLeaks, Epstein, Panama papers etc suggests, they weren’t really “in control”. Right now, there’s a decent chance that Pakistan falls to the Taliban and their nukes will be in their hands - is actually anyone “in control” of this situation?
Did anything meaningful come from those leaks? People can try to do stuff to powerful people to reveal their misdeeds, but they’ve written the laws and are barely bound by the reach of nations in the first place. Few receive consequences for their crimes.
As for existential threats like nuclear weapons, that’s it’s own can of worms. So yeah, I guess in that respect they’re not really in control. But short of nuclear annihilation or the eventual collapse of the human-suitable environment, they seem pretty untouchable.
EDIT: Actually, we even have a great example of the ways they can fly above some world spamming catastrophes: COVID 19 happened. Many died, many more lost their livelihoods, homes, etc. Meanwhile many of the rich got to take private transportation to private places so they could wait out the pandemic in safety while their companies’ profits increased and they used that increased wealth to buy up even more capital.
I’d seriously doubt any claims that there’s some cabal that deliberately caused it, but they sure do have the means to escape the worst of disasters and even exploit them for profit.