[seanmcdirmid]

I'm an ex-CS grad student; they even gave me a piece of paper called a PhD for my trouble.

Academics isn't socialism. There is definitely an aristocracy in there and whether your work is accepted (not just published, but appreciated) or not depends on how you fit into that. The aristocracy serves on grant and program committees; yes they direct money from the state, but that is where the socialism ends and the rat race begins.

You'll learn that eventually :)