there's a short story i remember reading about this that i cannot find anywhere... the earth is over populated, so they create three distinct levels of society - the rich, the working, and middle management - to take three space ships to new earth. they send middle management to new earth first, telling everyone aboard they are to get all the systems in place for the rest of the world to join them. they argue and feel important and make decisions for humanity!...

the rich and the working never come. they just. stay on earth without middle management.