If we know, why would a lot of us be shocked? Seems contradictory.

That's probably too much a troll so while I get that you are grinding your anti-capitalism axe, you're also seeding hopelessness and trapped falsely fatalistic thinking. It has gone this way but it doesn't have to and the whole arrangement is a local optimum with much higher global optima available.

In fact there are many of us who have created a parallel life and extend ladders all the time (within our capacity) for others to join us.