that is very different from a class system with a hereditary aristocracy. George Soros has power because he has money and a criminal genius. He is an immigrant and his power has nothing to do with class in America.
Anyone who sees no differences in societies from Old Testament times is not looking closely. No doubt, there have always been snobs everywhere.
The most important characteristic of American society since de Tocqueville first described it is its lack of classes and its social mobility. I deplore the facile use of the term middle class by leftists because I spent my teaching career mostly working to give black Americans the tools to succeed. Telling p;eople they are stuck in classes is a source of depression and desparation.
Accepting that we have classes here in the US and telling people that they are in some way stuck in their particular class are two very different things. I would never make the assumption nobody is capable of rising above their current "station," either socially, financially or other--nor would I assume the impossibility of the powerful falling from grace. I believe that the possibility of mobility within the classes is what sets us apart from other societies. I believe it is one of our country's greatest strengths. I believe it is why immigrants flood our borders from every nation on the planet, and comparatively few clamor to leave. Does that mean our class system is always 100% fair? Is it ever taken advantage of by the powerful? No and yes. But it is a fact. As I stated, as long as humans are social creatures, we will have classes.
Additionally, it is true that when one feels chained to their particular class he is likely to become depressed, desperate, even violent. My experience, living in an inner city since 1993, has shown me that the urge to rise above is far more common than the acceptance of chains.