In a Socioeconomic system that requires you to constantly compete with everyone around you is a system in which no one can ever experience security or freedom. This can be observed by the way in which artistic endeavors are deemed in modern Societies like that of the United States where all but S.T.E.M. degrees are deemed as unimportant and therefore unnecessary and undeserving of attention, praise or even monetary compensation. Life without culture is boring at best and painful in the extreme.
As America increasingly embraces unchecked and unregulated Capitalism, its culture moves towards irrelevance. This is what happens when money and the pursuit of money becomes paramount. While there are ubiquitous examples on TV and in the movies (how many Marvel movies can we watch and really enjoy, especially when they are becoming as formulaic as Hallmark movies?),
I will sight the example of South Beach. In the mid to late eighties SOBE was a dead zone where the elderly went to spend their final years and drug dealers went to sell their product. When money initially came to SOBE, a contingent of quirky, odd characters dominated it's streets, diverse restaurants, bars and clubs abound. There, one could find an assortment of venues that catered to a variety of tastes. There, one could listen to live music, dance to electronic music, eat at the News Cafe or David's II or Wolfie's. It was affordable, fun and attracted a diverse contingent of party-goers. Then too much money came into SOBE and now the crowds that visit are all about the money. When thousands of dollars must be spent to have the meagerest of fun, most are excluded from having a good time. I personally can't imagine a night in which I've gone dancing or bar hopping that would have been made better by spending thousands of dollars as opposed to the fifty dollars (at most) that I would spend. With such high barriers of entry required for table and bottle service, you can only attract two types... Those who have the excess wealth required for such things and those who don't but wish to partake in such excesses.
