> I'd love to see a really scholarly non-sensationalistic analysis of who this new nobility actually is and what the real power structure really looks like. I'

> I'd love to see a really scholarly non-sensationalistic analysis of who this new nobility actually is and what the real power structure really looks like. I'm not sure I agree that it's really nobility or call it feudal, but I would love to see some serious research. One interesting pattern: Many of the wealthy, such as the Koch brothers, push hard against government power and expenditure. That leaves society more dependent on those same wealthy people, giving them more influence both absolutely and also relative to government. As a simple example I read an article advising people seeking grants for scientific research to network with the wealthy because government research spending has been cut. The same applies to the arts, education, social welfare, etc.