The Good Old Days of Reliable Enemies Are Gone

Eighty-five people in the world have as much money as do the poorest 3.5 billion. The top 1% have almost half the liquid wealth that has been accumulated in the world. But the world is different from the 1800s and 1900s. Wealth is not generated by a few people exploiting the factory worker or the guy in the mine, wealth is generated by a few people with a new, good idea who then sell it to a huge number of people who pay very little for it. TVs, phones, apps--this is a new and different economic scenario. Google gives away a lot of their apps. The zero sum argument ending with blood all over the walls just does not have application now. The rich guy is the inventor, the innovator, and his products are cheap and everyone really, really wants them. Is anyone mad at Jan Koum, a refugee from Kiev who has been living on food stamps, who created tremendous wealth with a partner and less than 70 employees in just a few years on the strength of an idea and some venture capital?
These are hard times for community organizers, too.