under capitalism it doesn’t really matter how hard you work or how smart you are. You cannot get anywhere without connections
I don't think this is quite correct. Capitalism monetizes whatever it touches and turns every transaction possible into an arms-length deal. This means you need fewer connections to succeed today than you needed in, say, 1721. You can buy your way into about anywhere, and if you can get a loan (which often doesn't require a personal connection) you don't even have to use your own money to do so.
That said, connections are still a cheat code, and connections (as you pointed out) are often a way to get a loan that you otherwise couldn't have, that you can then use to buy access to some place where you don't have connections. Connections are still extremely useful, but for the most part they're less important today than they probably ever have been.
I don't think this is quite correct. Capitalism monetizes whatever it touches and turns every transaction possible into an arms-length deal. This means you need fewer connections to succeed today than you needed in, say, 1721. You can buy your way into about anywhere, and if you can get a loan (which often doesn't require a personal connection) you don't even have to use your own money to do so.
That said, connections are still a cheat code, and connections (as you pointed out) are often a way to get a loan that you otherwise couldn't have, that you can then use to buy access to some place where you don't have connections. Connections are still extremely useful, but for the most part they're less important today than they probably ever have been.
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