I too have felt the same around me. There is this lack of faith in the institutions now, feeling of distrust. Someone on HN called this the era of shamelessness and I kind of agree to it. The top has gotten shameless and the people at the bottom are trying to scrabble whatever they can to become one of them so that they can escape this hellhole that has been created.

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randomNumber7 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Definitely the fish stinks from the head.

I'm also a bit confused about how the people on the top think this will play out.

A long time ago there was a french saying "noblesse oblige", or the german pendant "Wohlstand verpflichtet".

	▲	munificent 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		> I'm also a bit confused about how the people on the top think this will play out. I don't know if they are really capable of thinking of the second and third order effects of what they're doing. There is something psychologically broken about many of the ultra-rich today where their behavior comes across as compulsive. When you have a hole in your soul that can't be filled with a billion dollars, it simply can't be filled, and that black hole drives much of their behavior. You look at people like Trump and Musk, and they seem... miserable. Like, have you ever heard Trump have a genuine laugh of joy? Not the sort of sneering snicker of a bully, but one that comes from delight? Because I haven't. We are all at the mercy of their actions, but it's almost like they're at the mercy of their irrational compulsions too. Not that I'm saying they are deserving of sympathy or aren't responsible for their actions. But if we're looking for someone to pump the brakes on the crazy that's happening these days, it's sure as hell not going to be those hollow men.
	▲	thatguy0900 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I don't like being conspiratorial but it genuinely feels like the people at the top know some major catastrophe is coming and are just grabbing whatever resources they can while they can before retreating to their bunkers. Even the white house is trying to build a massive underground bunker using the ballroom on top as a excuse. I don't see why else they would all be willingly destroying society as they are right now unless they don't think it matters.