The thesis of a “creative class” is close but not quite it.

I prefer the idea of a “mindf*ck class” (sorry to be so crass.) It is a constellation of interests that acheive their power by selling ideas of one sort or another. Some of these ideas are indeed useful (like Jobs’ electronic gizmos) but need little physical manifestation. The biggest, most prominant subsets are academics, entertainment, and journalists.

Sometimes I think the worst of this bunch are people who make their money off rent-seeking. For example, the financial industry won one with the bailout – they generally supported Obama. Likewise, some in the energy industry expect new government policies that will advantage them over possible competitors – for example Exelon over AEP.

This model has evolutionary roots. “Bad boys” get a lot of girls that the “good provider men” don’t, at least at first.