More importantly (in fact, only importantly - reality doesn't matter in this case; perception is everything), the ruling classes manage to continue to perpetuat

More importantly (in fact, only importantly - reality doesn't matter in this case; perception is everything), the ruling classes manage to continue to perpetuate the idea that if you just work hard you can join them. Over the last few decades (in the US and many other places), the wealth you are born into has become ever more correlated with your own success in life, but as long as the underclass believe they can get there, they'll keep playing inside the system. We don't need to actually provide a route out of poverty to keep them from rising up; just make people believe it's possible.