Wojtek and Carrol are idealizing the relations which existed between
> masters and slaves, lords and serfs, in order to make their dubious point
> that the relationship between capitalists (deemed to lack any sense of
> paternalistic obligation) and workers is incomparably worse.
I don't know if it's "paternalistic" or wholly rational, but contemporary capitalists certainly feel obligated to prevent the emergence of "let them eat cake" scenarios, at least within their immediate spheres, and are willing to put serious money into it. The charitable-industrial complex that exists in places like New York is proof of that. In social democracies, the welfare state serves a similar function.
-- "Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre, mod sceal þe mare, þe ure mægen lytlað."