[PapaBear3625]

It was easy to stir up hysteria over a rapidly changing economic landscape and the rise of new businessmen like John D. Rockefeller to wealth and prominence. They were called "robber barons," but those who put this label on them failed to specify just who they robbed.

They robbed the old-money rich of their status and power.

Socialism can best be understood as a way for the old-money rich, whose biggest assets are their connections to the political class, to use government to prevent the rise of any competition.

[allmendream]

+1.

Absolutely.

Our progressive income tax is designed to prevent the working and innovative people from accumulating the wealth at the levels that the old-money rich have.

Lobbyist and the mechanics of crony capitalism via government regulations and sweetheart deals are designed so that innovative small businesses cannot compete fairly against the entrenched business interests.

Farming regulations (recently keeping kids off tractors) are designed to cripple the small family farms in favor of the large factory farming operations that give billions to politicians.

Government power has a vested interest in pursuing the interests of those who ‘vested’ into the system.