The economic problem is the transfer of wealth from the people to the state. All people. Same goes for freedom. The state is confiscating people's freedom and giving them meaningless tokens of alleged security and lying promises of their future prosperity.

The middle class? Well, they are in the middle. They have the ability to just keep their heads above the water and pretend that they have some measure of independence and freedom. The poor don't care about independence or freedom so long as they are playcated by the government with other people's money, and the rich can buy it.