It's not really about economic scarcity anymore. Or even income inequality. The poor don't cause wars, they have little political power if any. Ego and competition cause wars. What would be the spoils of a new widespread war? Ideology and resources and technological innovation?

We don't educate citizens anymore. People aren't taught civics, history, freedom and responsibility, vigilance. We raise consumers. We don't even educate them about money. Wealthy people know this, c.f., Robert Kiyosaki. Consuming and slaving to reduce debt to pay the overlords is all that matters to the rich.

Is there a path for the little guy anymore? Even if austere, he stands little chance in our economic system without harnessing greed and exploitation as growth engines. Which feeds the system. We are no longer free. You can't be free if you're beholden to debt. Maybe frontier independence was all a myth anyway.

You complain about people? People don't even know what's happening. They're just cogs in a wheel. As long as there is ice cream and wheels and football, they don't care.

We are not citizens. We are a unit of consumption.