Each new communications era across the last 200 years has introduced new economies of scale and fresh inequalities. The biggest single inequality has been that, at least since 1870, the United States and its people have been ahead of the rest of the world. Since around 1920 Hollywood has led world entertainment. Since 1980 Hollywood has been merging with Silicon Valley tech and with computing and telephony. The United States has been uniquely successful in attracting finance from banks and from Washington, and in combining continental with local and intimate communications.