Extinction of sugar barons preceded by typewriters and telegrams

The mention of sugar barons in the Philippine context and their supposed immense sway over state protectionist policies — and this mention is incredulously taking place in the 21st century of apps and Elon Musk and personalized submarines — is the sloppiest form of sloppy journalism and the stupidest of clueless punditry. "Sugar barons," like those multinational banana corporations that held sway over Latin American politics and economy during the time of martyr-bishop Oscar Romero in El Salvador, indeed, have an insidious ring, a throwback to the old feudal days of abusive and all-powerful agricultural overlords above and their workers/serfs below.