A class of people in a society that exercise authority and control far in excess of their contributions to society.
Almost universally, this power is used acquire wealth that is greatly disproportionate to their own work. For example, today in the United States, the average CEO makes 400 times what the average entry level worker makes, though the work they contribute is minor at best. For comparison, this ratio was only 75-to-1 back in 1970, and the ratio of 1970's America is similar in both Japan and Canada today. There is no evidence that American CEOs are more productive or work any harder, hence the source of their greater incomes is derived from other means.
The means of the power by the ruling class is variable, but common techniques include aristocracy and nepotism, manipulation of religion, creating and then preying upon fear, direct violence, control of education, domination of the political system, domination of the judicial system, or domination of the legislative system.
Because the concentration of power is difficult to achieve, the ruling class almost always has a high degree of coordination and solidarity with one-another, insofar as their goals align in excluding the working class from power.
Almost universally, this power is used acquire wealth that is greatly disproportionate to their own work. For example, today in the United States, the average CEO makes 400 times what the average entry level worker makes, though the work they contribute is minor at best. For comparison, this ratio was only 75-to-1 back in 1970, and the ratio of 1970's America is similar in both Japan and Canada today. There is no evidence that American CEOs are more productive or work any harder, hence the source of their greater incomes is derived from other means.
The means of the power by the ruling class is variable, but common techniques include aristocracy and nepotism, manipulation of religion, creating and then preying upon fear, direct violence, control of education, domination of the political system, domination of the judicial system, or domination of the legislative system.
Because the concentration of power is difficult to achieve, the ruling class almost always has a high degree of coordination and solidarity with one-another, insofar as their goals align in excluding the working class from power.
Today in America, the Presidential Debates are hosted by a private company, the Commission on Presidential Debates. It is a major tool used by the ruling class to assure that no matter which major party candidate you vote for, the ruling class remains in control.
If a person dares to question the aristocratic power of the ruling class, they are immediately called a socialist, a communist, un-American, or other terms.
The ruling class depends entirely on the working class to produce everything they own and consume.
If a person dares to question the aristocratic power of the ruling class, they are immediately called a socialist, a communist, un-American, or other terms.
The ruling class depends entirely on the working class to produce everything they own and consume.
by madric March 3, 2012
Get the ruling class mug.An expansion of the first maxim to the entire architectural level. It argues that the structure of courts, procedures, rights, and professions (judges, lawyers) is not a neutral framework, but a mirrored hall designed to reflect and manage the power relations that birthed it. Adversarial systems reflect competitive capitalism; bureaucratic legalism reflects managerial control.
Every legal system, without exception, is an exact, color photograph of the behavior of the ruling class. Example: The American legal system's immense complexity, cost, and reliance on high-paid experts photographs the behavior of a ruling class that uses law as a tool for strategic advantage. Its outcomes often mirror existing wealth distribution, not because judges are corrupt, but because the system's design favors those with resources to navigate it.
by Nammugal February 5, 2026
Get the Every legal system, without exception, is an exact, color photograph of the behavior of the ruling class. mug.A radical, materialist maxim asserting that legal codes do not regulate the powerful; they codify and sanctify their existing conduct and interests. Laws against theft protect bourgeois property; complex tax codes legalize elite wealth optimization; regulatory capture turns corporate preference into statute. The law is a documentary snapshot of what the rulers already do, dressed in the garb of universal justice.
"Every law, without exception, is an exact, color photograph of the behavior of the ruling class." Example: A government passes a strict new "anti-piracy" law with severe penalties for downloading media. This "exact photograph" captures the behavior of the media conglomerate lobbyists who drafted it, seeking to criminalize consumer sharing that threatens their profit model, while their own history of exploiting artists remains perfectly legal.
by Nammugal February 5, 2026
Get the Every law, without exception, is an exact, color photograph of the behavior of the ruling class. mug.