Status Seeking - nothing changed for 5,000 years

Reading a book about Egypt's ancient history recently I could not help but be reminded of today's corporate oligarchs. Officials in the time of the old kingdoms tried to outdo each other by ever more spectacular tombs, being as close as possible to the Pharaoh's tomb etc...what you see in Wall Street is not much different, the same atavistic instincts reign supreme, the apartment on the right spot (overlooking Central Park if possible), the weekend home in the Hamptons...is this all the progress humanity made during the past 5,000 years?
(18/04/2012)