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comment by NikolaiFyodorov
NikolaiFyodorov  ·  3841 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The remarkable persistence of power and privilege

I suspect population size has something to do with it. If you want harmony in a small, (relatively) self-contained community, it's beholden on those who have the wealth to ensure others within that community get a share (because if you don't share some of your wealth, you will soon have all of it taken from you). In an age of nation states we sacrifice a portion of our own sovereignty in the expectation that our government will enforce a fair distribution on our behalf. What qualifies as "fair" is open to negotiation, and central to what distinguishes the major political parties of western democracies.