You're arguing that an aristocracy is OK as long as they didn't get there through heredity. First of all, I would disagree that social mobility is increasing.

You're arguing that an aristocracy is OK as long as they didn't get there through heredity. First of all, I would disagree that social mobility is increasing. Rich kids are doing better than ever. Secondly, I believe history indicates that hereditary aristocracies are actually less brutal and dangerous than "merit"-based ones. It is the revolutionary forces that destroy societies and kill tremendous amounts of people. People born into poverty who work their way to the top through a sociopathic drive for power and look down on everyone else with a blame-the-victim mentality. These people are dangerous. And Hacker News is full of them.