From The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

Many years ago - way too many - I was introduced to the writings of Robert Heinlein.

I've been reading again one of my favorites called 'Time Enough for Love'. In that great book are entries in notebooks that the main character called Lazarus Long kept, reflecting on human nature and the universe

Thinking over our contemporary political situation, this one comes to mind.

"Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances that permit the norm to be exceeded -- here and there, now and then -- are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of society, the people slip back into abject poverty.

This is known as 'bad luck'".

Heinlein wrote these words back in 1973.

Little has changed since.