Good studies actually. Your last quote makes an especially good point - those with talent and unique or in-demand skills can be very successful. Just having some muscle isnt worth much anymore, and is worth even less when you have open trade with countries with low standards of living where muscle is even cheaper.

Change always brings opportunity as well as pitfalls. I just wish people would focus in absolute terms as to what the poor do have, instead of trying to make a wealth contrast. Pure jealousy does not actually help the poor. the only things historically shown to truly help the poor over an extended period are economic liberty, so they have the same chances in the market as wealthier people - and education.

A good example is regulations... some regulations are good, but most regulations are the result of powerful lobbyists ( for the 1% ) trying to use lawfare to strike a blow at existing or possible competition. Which is why I disagree so strongly with your "any regulation is a good regulation" stance. I find it so ironic that you who wants to try to strip wealth from the top until there is no income disparity, because you are afraid of the political power it grants the wealthy - turn around and side with the wealthy as they concoct strawman arguments to kill off their competition and fund lobbyists and PR campaigns with said wealth.

Also, a big flaw in your overall plan to eliminate the wealthy... is the fact that wealth is now global. Do you truly see the "superrich" who can go anywhere, and are the prime offenders in regards to your political power observations will simply stay in the USA and allow all their wealth to be taken? Of course they wont. And USA wealth redistribution wont even effect those who are lobbying our system but dont live in the USA in the first place.

I think you have a good goal, but your solutions just have so many consequences that I can only think you have not considered.

For who could be free when every other man's humour might domineer over him? - John Locke (2nd Treatise, sect 57)