Paradoxically, economic downturns disproportionately affect the economically advantaged. While the medium and lower classes' financial situations don't need to

Paradoxically, economic downturns disproportionately affect the economically advantaged. While the medium and lower classes' financial situations don't need to travel very far to reach the bottom, the rich (and super-rich) will see their income and wealth descend a steeper cliff much more violently. Skilled individuals can seek employment (at least until regional supply is exhausted) whereas wealth does not recover so quickly. What can take a generation to build up would be wiped out within a single fiscal year. War and economic recessions/depressions have a tendency to assiduously devour the rich. To be quite honest, war and economic depressions are the best way to reduce income inequality. The old adage of the tree of liberty needing to (regularly) be replenished by blood seems to apply.