>'temporarily impoverished billionaires'

The Steinbeck that your are (mis)quoting is from the 30's. Misquote because Steinbeck was talking about how the majority of the ""socialists"" at the time were "most of the so-called Communists I met were middle-class, middle-aged people playing a game of dreams. I remember a woman in easy circumstances saying to another even more affluent: 'After the revolution even we will have more, won't we, dear?'"

So the feeling of entitlement is much older and across political lines.

I'm actually repeating/quoting my rejig of Steinbecks quote. I assumed the original quote is so well known as for that to be clear.

Hence, thanks, but looking back to the 30's isn't relevant here.