"My belief is that as the gap between the poor & the rich grow wider that this will eventually suck in & include the working classes also."

Thats exactly right, Barry. Thats why the Average White Guy is so afraid of poverty. He knows he's only a paycheck away. He thinks he can maintain his middle class status by denigrating the poor and calling them lazy. If only I work hard, says he, I won't be as poor as they are. He's in for a big surprise. Especially if he keeps voting for the neo-conservatives.