Reply #4: Long ago and far away, I read an economics text.

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(I wish I could remember the title) that laid out how many middle class and poor people it took to support one ultra wealthy person. I think it listed over 5 million as ultra wealthy, of course that is peanuts to the ultra wealthy of today.

The formula was interesting because as you decreased the number of middle class people, you easily doubled that decrease in the number of poor it added. What it came down to was that the middle class and poor were supporting the ultra wealthy with their taxes, providing a market for their products and protecting their lives, property and rights with the military and police (not to mention doing their laundry, cleaning their toilets and serving their burgers).

It seemed that as the middle class shrank, their had to be many, many more poor people to support the few ultra wealthy. I wonder why no one looks on the ultra wealthy of today as people we middle class and poor support?