Paul Krugman is a Nobel winner for Economics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/op...nes&emc=tha212

Relevant history note: In the century or so before the French Revolution
of 1784, the same disparity of wealth occurred, by the same means: the
transfer of tax obligations from the wealthy (ie, the aristocracy) to
the middle and lower classes, and the subsidising of the wealthy. Then
as now the wealthy believed they were different from other human beings,
and deserved their wealth.

Wolf/DAD/OPA