Are You Poor? Here’s Your Virtual Hamster Cage

What are the limits of inequality? In a world with virtual reality, history might be an unreliable guide.

Time was you could imagine a peasant revolt: If the poorest were starving, they wouldn’t wait around patiently for political change. Riots would disrupt the status quo. If things were really bad, the army might join in. Self-preservation would then compel elites to respond by redistributing wealth, rather than continuing to hoard resources. For a while, society would be more equal.