I think the growing wealth disparity gap has to do with the "union" of people who live on welfare and never see a need to get off it. Productive society members are becoming more successful and tend to have less children because they don't get paid to do so. Middle class folks either up their game to climb higher or they fall back into the pit when they are too old to fight. So the middle class is moving up and it's moving down. The bottom is growing as middle classer's decide "why fight it?" it's a decision made very easy by a government that will pay your rent, utilities, food costs, health care, childcare costs, phone bill and even give you a little spending cash allowance. Yes, our poor need more help and protection, tell me moar.