originally developed by Strauss at the University of Chicago, is the concept of the power of the Great Deception. This concept operates at all levels of humanity and the result, at the low end, is survival of the fittest. At the high end of society, the result is maintenance of the status quo. In a world competing for resources, this philosophy helps to ensure that those at the top remain at the top, and only those at the bottom most suitable for aiding those at the top are allowed to climb the ladder, but usually only up to a point.

The end result is social stratification and this actually runs counter to the goals of a truly free market, which should be much more dynamic, tumultuous, and dare I say revolutionary.