Normally technology, wars, and revolutions are the only ways that these massive aristocracies are disrupted. And even then, many hold on.
I do not see a path toward technological upheaval. If anything, exactly the opposite. E-commerce proved to be winner-take-most, and for anything in the real economy it's yet another significant capital input required to compete.
I think the next 100 years will prove to be a real stress test of the "elections not revolutions" hypothesis regarding representative democracy. Both Europe and the USA failed the last several attempts at peaceful major social upheaval, so I'm unfortunately not holding my breath...
I do not see a path toward technological upheaval. If anything, exactly the opposite. E-commerce proved to be winner-take-most, and for anything in the real economy it's yet another significant capital input required to compete.
I think the next 100 years will prove to be a real stress test of the "elections not revolutions" hypothesis regarding representative democracy. Both Europe and the USA failed the last several attempts at peaceful major social upheaval, so I'm unfortunately not holding my breath...