[paperkettle]

What a strange rhetorical style. Terse certainty, unimaginative characterization of the human possibility field (via maneuvers to things like "human nature"), short summations of complex historical turns... plus the loud graphic design/quotes. I feel like you've got some points in there but the piece betrayed their communication and a richer exploration.

I do believe a lot of (most?) startup culture applies powerful minds to small problems... which is in support of your headline...

However - why not think of capitalism (and the apps it rides in on) as a medium, or a technology? In this way, it can be used to transform culture. This may not change "human nature," whatever supposed boundaries that has (fwiw, I think it will)... but capitalism&tech applied as such can absolutely save lives, if not the world.

Whatabout an app that uses our network culture to problem solve something like the spread of disease? That counts as "saving the world" in my book.

Of course, "saving the world" usually comes with a shadow of imperialism, but that is another story for another day..