What happens when a culture is driven by the need for money to make more money
I've recently come to the conclusion that any society where it is easier for the rich become richer than it is for the poor to become richer, regardless of its starting state, will tend toward feudalism over time. While modern day America is starting to look more and more like a data point that supports this conclusion, I'd like to think that there's a certain amount of mathematical certainty involved too:    money => more money ------- (1)
    money  power ----------- (2)

(1) and (2) over time will result in the bifurcation of society into two groups: the rich and powerful, and the rest. This probably doesn't apply to corporations though.