>The vertiginous rise of the US Gini in the last 20 years and the parallel
>rise of right-wing politicians, lobbies, and media funded by the top
>bourgies like Ken Lay prompts me to think: Isn't class also about how much
>political power you can buy, as opposed to work for?
Yeah. It seems to me that membership in the ruling class isn't just about money - it's also about social connections, prestige, political influence, etc. Arrivistes with money capital but not social capital often tend towards the far right - e.g., the hedge fund hotshots like Richard Gilder who supported Gingrich's Progress & Freedom Foundation, in contrast with the more sane and centrist types like Robert Rubin.
Doug