The Revolution will be Appropriated

[Mentat]

The Culture is essentially a crypto-oligarchy, or perhaps a plutocratic welfare state, with the Minds serving as the ultimate, nigh-omnipotent 'haves' supporting the trillions of humans on the government dole. After all, none of the humans actually own anything. Everything they have has been given to them.

Both Crypto-oligarchy and plutocratic welfare work for me. Ownership just isn't important in a society with no scarcity, I think (and I'm not sure I agree that you don't own something because someone else gave it to you...).

Less charitably, the humans can be considered pets.

In which case you'd have to wonder wether the Minds actually disagree about stuff and how joint decisions are made by them when giving the Culture a political qualifier. One wouldn't say the USA is not democratic because cats and dogs can't vote, after all.

After all, doesn't this

pretty much define the Culture writ small?

I don't know, but kittens on a roomba are cute. I kind of worry that the small one that fell off at the beginning is going to get run over, but the roomba just pushes it a bit before changing direction.

[Datepalm]

Oh my gosh they're so cute!

I have no point. Kittens are cute.

[Insert Edit]

Less charitably, the humans can be considered pets. Pets with a very, very long leash, but pets nonetheless.

When my cat finishes her sonata, I am SO putting it on youtube.