A Natural History of Capitalism

"Is there not in short, whatever the society and whatever the period, an insidious law giving power to the few? An irritating law, it must be said, since the reasons for it are not obvious. And yet, this is a stubborn fact, taunting us at every turn. We cannot argue with it; all evidence agrees." [Braudel, Civilization and Capitalism: The Wheels of Comm…