I've heard that the amount of lighting and fire in the night sky at Burning Man works as a leading indicator of the economy, and if this year at Burning Man was an indicator, the economy is back.

I think much of the tension between haves and have-nots at Burning Man is contrived. I see modern Burning Man as a colloboration between wealthy techies from the Bay Area and builders and makers living closer to the event. There might be a higher proportion of spectators to participants at Burning Man in recent years, but in terms of absolute quantity there are more participants than ever.

Burning Man is not a communist utopia. It's just Burning Man.