Money talks

I may have used this snippet from the first novel, B’Hemoth, before, no matter it is a good discussion point.

The ‘power’ his people and others like them wielded didn’t develop out of the feudal structures of earlier centuries, which gathered resources around a power-base that was deeply rooted in the culture that supported it.
Only a thin strand of that long root survived, namely the hierarchical relationship between those who had, and those who had not. But the framework upon which the modern ‘lord’ built his strength was not the solid, gritty earth, but money mechanisms, flexible, unattached and fast-moving commodity devices, enormous numbers of which could be activated each and every day.
In the minds of some people it was unprofitable to rely on the labours of people; they were far too unpredictable, vulnerable, inclined to independence, extremely slow-moving and they needed homes and food and wages to stay alive. They could be used, of course, but not as workers but as conduits through which money hordes could be moved from place to place. It was a system of not having one’s eggs in one basket, very efficient but unfortunately always open to abuse.
In times long past there was a sacred code of honour to which rulers swore their oath. Everyone understood that power moved from a ruler to the people and back again, as a constantly flowing, dynamic and unbroken energetic loop which was charged by the mass of the people and then redirected back to them again through the wisdom of the ruler. It was a simple and effective pact, supported by the rule of Law and the Will of God.
Money is hardly an organic element; at best it’s a construct of the human calculating mind, and though money usage had evolved greatly over time, it could not avoid being subject to the foibles and inexactitudes that human minds can create.
The money moguls, who came into existence with the industrial revolution, were not to be likened to the leaders of old, most of them concentrated on their businesses, preferring not to make commitments concerning the welfare of their workers, and thereby ignoring the ancient traditions of reciprocal responsibility, they shifted into the deep shadows where they could be independent and far above scrutiny of others. The fate of the ordinary man, as a result, became subject to decisions made without his involvement, and actions were taken that could assure, but more often eliminated his livelihood.
The modern power base doesn’t reside with the people, despite claims supporting the democratic principle, nor has it been created for them. Power is, of itself, transcendental, abstract, anonymous and extremely hard to locate, but use money and it can be seen to be there, working for those who control its flow. Money as power is considered by many to be a means to an end, but, in fact, money, as flighty as power, can never be a satisfactory end point. It is like electricity, which has always to be kept in motion, or it will quickly go to ground where it will stultify, weaken and seep away into nothing amidst the confounding affairs of men.