During the Cold War between the USA and the Soviet Union, the common man was afforded many opportunities (e.g., low-interest student loans and increased funding of university programs in science, math, and engineering through the The National Defense Education Act). True meritocracy prevailed, where technically-trained individuals from humble backgrounds could quickly rise into positions of great responsibilities with very generous salaries, based solely on their achievements in solving difficult problems. Once the threat to the US oligarchs vanished with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the common man was no longer afforded such largesse - the US oligarchs no longer were so dependent on the common man. The job opportunities then shifted primarily to the business arena, where advancement was commonly based on your relationship with your boss. University tuitions increased exponentially and the interest rates on student loans also increased significantly.