Many commenters have highlighted faults in this article. Maybe the 9.9% aren't to blame; maybe they aren't a meaningful classification to begin with; maybe ther

Many commenters have highlighted faults in this article. Maybe the 9.9% aren't to blame; maybe they aren't a meaningful classification to begin with; maybe there is more to the story than people hauling the ladder up after themselves. Yet these criticisms miss the author's warning: regardless of the causes, when substantial inequality obtains, opting into the social contract looks like a good idea for a smaller and smaller subset of people. That's when civil society falls apart. To not beggar thy neighbor is not only generosity, fairness, respect for human dignity -- it is also prudence.