Consumption is a service in and of itself. Consumers being the focus groups for new products so the best version makes it to the elites is something they can do in a post-industrial society and it doesn't take a whole lot of brains to do it. And can also be done remotely so they be far away from the regular chimpouts.
Makes sense. I have to say, I don't believe the elites vaccinate.
This is why I think UBI can work. Most people here are still in the mentality of working to live, but machines have made it such that we can keep society running with only 10 hours of labor per week. UBI could supplement that to enable post-industrial economic activity like the above consumption-voting. So long as we're active in the construction of such a system, it has the potential to be empowering rather than enslaving.
(post is archived)