[VoiceOfBruck]

Yes, I think it's more about power and money than cowardice.

[ZeitgeistSurfer]

Having lived in a city where the "elite" brushed up against the underclass on a daily basis, I saw two things. One was the swaggering, rage-filled faces just waiting for their opportunity to inflict violence on those who had more. Second was the mouse-like cowering in that group. I believe the author is on the right track. The threat of violence by the underclass is like a tidal pull that causes elites to embrace appeasement (also known as liberalism).