"I hate touching the same ground as the poor. If only there were some way I could cut off my feet without reducing my mobility."

It's funny that they want their kids to live?

Most of these people have families that they are trying to shelter.

I think it's more about how they want to maintain a level of extreme power disparity beyond the point where the sources of their power are completely gone. In the article, they dismiss more community oriented ways of living which would actually shelter their families from an inevitable rebellion in these situations in favor of sci fi technical solutions like obedience collars.

Perhaps preparing for a post-apocalyptic world that they envision would be better served by improving your skills with a shovel, not a Glock.

These options are not mutually exclusive as you imply. And certainly a guy with a Glock will be very happy if you only optimise for the shovel route.

As you point out though he's likely to have his hands full dealing with the other guys with Glocks. I suppose when they all run out of bullets it's shovel time for everyone.

You base that speculation on nothing but your existing bias against this "rich white old man" strawman you've imagined.

I base it on the article. Did you read it?