But how can they make money without a healthy demand for their products, which generally comes from broad based prosperity? Businesses don't operate in a vacuum. You can't make money off of paupers.
“But how can they make money without a healthy demand for their products, which generally comes from broad based prosperity?”
I don’t see the middle class, much less the poor, buying high end things like mansions, yachts, aircraft, luxury cars, etc.
I don’t see the middle class, much less the poor, buying office and industrial buildings, industrial supplies, office products, commercial vehicles, office furniture, etc.
Retail sales to the lower and middle class are only a fraction of the GDP.
To claim the middle class provide the wealth in any economy is pure ignorance. They do provide the labor, and they do provide a significant portion of the economy, but to demonize the wealthy as nothing but consumers of labor and hoarders of wealth is just ignorant of the facts.
A healthy economy takes everyone producing. Unfortunately, the poorer try to demonize the rich and use the force of government to take from them. So, the rich protect their wealth, which hurts those poorer as there is now less wealth for them to partake.
I don’t give to charity because 55% of my money throughout the year goes to federal, State, and local governments in taxes. How is that helping the poor? If I had some of that 55% in my pocket I’d have more to give. Instead, bureaucrats in government have my money and squander it, and those wanting my money do nothing to earn it.