I would suggest that the powers-that-be are well aware of that.
One response would be to cultivate a self-contained segment of the population. This segment would be carefully indoctrinated to feel a sense of entitlement and grievance against the productive middle class (which is the group that needs to be kept in line). The members of this segment would be comfortable with armed violence, have few of their relatives being members of the productive middle class, and would feel that their continued comfort and prosperity was dependent on the powers-that-be being kept in power, and the productive middle-class being kept in line
In the early days of his presidency, there was a gang summit attended by 186 street-gang leaders from across the US. Clinton addressed the summit over closed circuit TV, with the text of his speech not being made public. This always bothered me to a degree...
Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown
The [Chicago] street gangs are a mobilized army, in the tens of thousands. They represent a cross-section of society. They are Hispanic, African-American, Asian, and white. All they lack at the present time is the political backing and degrees of sophistication of the Mafia "dons" of yesteryear. In time, though, that is likely to occur if we are apathetic. We are already witnessing the early stages of the "empowerment" of the street gangs through organizations like 21st Century VOTE, a self-styled "political action committee" that we see as being little more than a "Trojan Horse" to further the aims of imprisoned gang leaders....
Nationwide, the F.B.I. estimates that there are 400,000 gang members in the U.S. active in 700 cities.