[MD] The American Ruling Class

[craigerb at comcast.net]

[Arlo] 
> The aristocracies of Medieval Europse were composed of often violent factions, 
> that used all sorts of manners to "sink" other families. 


You're mistaking the existence of factions (all fighting over who gets to rule by divine right), 
for diversity within the ruling class.  In the past, classes were "horizontal" strata: 
the lower class existed at a subsistance (or below) level; a small, middle class & an upper 
class of nobility/clergy.  (The clergy often did not have offspring & relied on a junior son 
of the nobility for continuity.)  There was little mobility. 
Nowdays the strata are more "vertical":  billionaire George Soros is more likely to forge 
an alliance with a labor union offical or an unemployed "social activist" than with fellow 
rich Mr. Coors.  The latter is more likely to forge an alliance with a self-employed person 
trying to make it on his own or with a poor, fundamentalist Christian than with Mr. Soros. 
Time for new textbooks. 
Craig