No doubt GP is being sarcastically cynical. But the cynicism is well-founded. We might create meaningless work because it would protect the income of the rich

No doubt GP is being sarcastically cynical. But the cynicism is well-founded. We might create meaningless work because it would protect the income of the richest (the most politically influential). There is a strong historical precedence for this. It's socially accepted to some degree, due to our widespread belief in the cargo cult of "jobs".