Daniel Gross just demonstates that the filthy rich will never give up their power and money untill it is pried from their cold dead hands.

Yes, and while, they or their progeny are alive, they are indefatigable in trying to get back any of their wealth and privilege the state might have pried away from them. The period 1980-now can be seen as an epic struggle to destroy the programs and, more importantly, the world view, created by the New Deal.

Dissemination of the age-old idea of "All power to the patricians" was handled during that period, in the realm of ideas, by a network of foundations generously funded by very rich people

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I always wondered why they were so tireless in their pursuit of the return of ALL their Gilded Age perks until I realized that wealth is a kind of American religion, according to which those who get big money are the anointed saints. Light is shed on one bulwark of this world view of the rich and famous by a book review in this very issue of Slate

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