I'm not speaking of the ordinary "rich", SueB...I'm speaking of the fabulously rich and powerful. Multi-billionaires, not mere millionaires. You don't need a conscious conspiracy when you have a consortium of powerful, centralized commercial entities run by old hereditary families and motivated by bottomless greed...it ends up pretty much the same as if it were a conspiracy...regardless.

It's like Tammany Hall was in New York City once...the mere nature of the Beast leads to heartless exploitation, corruption of public institutions, and greater and greater theft of public wealth and power.

Why does it even have to be a conspiracy? But still, it could be...