I think it’s in some sense a reflection of the modern system, right? It’s obviously optimal, more efficient, more moral, whatever, to organize the economy in certain ways as opposed to other ways. Or, at least, I think so, or, I think that the underlying reality doesn’t really change regardless of the observer or how you term things, so what is efficient and moral will still arise naturally, and these disagreements, minor material management squabbles, don’t matter all that much in the grand scheme of things.

So, realistically, even under capitalism, you might expect the economy to be run efficiently, right? It does, or, almost does, in some places. Nevertheless, the sort of, initial belief, unyielding as it is in the face of reality, that there are certain people which are better than others, certain people which are more deserving of others, whether that be due to an inborn difference, or if that’s just due to them “working harder”, for whatever reason which we can’t actually point to logically. That belief creates a scenario in which people, maybe believing themselves to be the best, maybe just believing that their idea of management, their values, are more productive for society, perhaps, they want to extend their reach, survive and compete naturally in the market. Maybe even the idea that they just, are better than the immediate alternative, or that if they didn’t do it, then someone else would, which isn’t exactly hard to believe. The best immediate gains, so as to outcompete and absorb your competition, happen in the short term, and then eventually we have a market that’s shaped entirely just by short term thinking, shaped entirely by the competitive environment that spawns it.

And so, I dunno, the people that sort of, absorb this mentality through cultural osmosis, I don’t know if it’s abnormal or not. Then extend that to your basic xenophobia, like you said, pretty ripe recipe for a society that sort of progressively falls apart in this sort of a way.