In his best seller Capital in the 21st Century, the French economist Thomas Piketty makes the depressing prediction about a future that’s observable from current economic data: Inherited capital is going to dominate more and more of everything. In this world, which, according to Piketty, is right around the corner, if you are not born rich (or marry someone who is rich), you, no matter how hard you work or how smart you are, will never be rich. In this nightmare world, “the past devours the future.” The recent judgment by a court to fine Robin Thicke and Pharrell for their song “Blurred Lines” feeling and kind of sounding like Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” revealed that the future of capital looks very much like the future of cultural capital. Recall, “Blurred Lines” has no samples, words, or chords from “Got to Give It Up.” None! Furthermore, most Americans bought the tune with no idea it was related to some dead soul singer from the ’60s/’70s. Only geezers, geeks, and pop critics like me could hear it. What all of this points to is a capitalism that has only one future: the past.
