It really depends on the rate at which aggregate wealth grows, and the rate at which an ordinary person's share of that wealth shrinks. There is no reason the

It really depends on the rate at which aggregate wealth grows, and the rate at which an ordinary person's share of that wealth shrinks. There is no reason the trend could not continue indefinitely upward, with the poor living better and better lives while still receiving a smaller share of society's wealth. Again, this is not zero-sum -- everyone is going to gain, but some might gain more than others. Edit: I am not arguing that the current system is problem-free, only that it has benefited the vast majority people, even if most people do not perceive those benefits or if they are jealous when they see the benefits accumulated by the rich. I suspect people would be much angrier if they were transported back in time and had to deal with the world as it used to exist, when people were poorer at every level of society. I am not claiming to have a political answer, but the facts are not easily denied: at every level of society people are wealthier today compared with the past.