I'm starting to come to the realization
I'm starting to come to the realization that maybe a LITTLE wealth disparity and gentrification is a good thing. It provides a bit of incentive to everyone, and rewards those who are genuinely more productive than most. But a system that doesn't provide everyone with at least a chance to succeed, and a basic subsistence if they can't, is doomed to fail. Not only will it cause an inevitable and violent backlash, it will also fail to harness the huge reservoir of talent that resides in every society. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste" isn't just about race.
And what should never be tolerated is an arrangement where the wealthy can use their wealth to make themselves richer and keep everyone else poor.