A Critical Realist Reading on Global Poverty and Social Impact

Abstract

This paper critically analyzes the socio-economic narrative of the "useless class" emerging from the discourse of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), as championed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and figures like Yuval Noah Harari. It seeks to investigate how this narrative serves as a precursor to systemic exclusion and new forms of global authoritarianism. Utilizing a critical realism framework and political economy analysis, the study dissects the convergence of technocratic ideology, financialization, and digital surveillance. It maps the power structures of the "Global Asset Monopoly"—specifically the network of 147 companies controlling 40% of global wealth—to understand the structural drivers of human marginalization. The research identifies a transition toward "Digital Fascism," where Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and social credit scoring function as mechanisms for total behavioral compliance. Furthermore, the study finds that immersive technologies like the Metaverse are positioned not merely as entertainment, but as tools for cognitive pacification to manage a population rendered economically redundant by automation and systemic poverty. By synthesizing the critiques of financialization with the psychological implications of the 4IR, this paper offers a unique perspective on the existential threat to human agency. It argues that the "uselessness" of humanity is not a technological inevitability, but a deliberate political construct designed to consolidate power within a hyper-centralized global elite.