I think ultimately the reason why we have democracy and welfare is because those sections of society had some leverage power. Look at what capitalism was in the 19th century and how it evolved especially in the early 20th through a lot of strikes, protests, and the general fear of communism,
And some of the elites being genuinely in favour of liberalism and socialism. It didn’t happen without conflict, but it’s not conflict all the way. The working poor sympathised with the non-working poor, the elderly and sick too—they didn’t get their own rights by staging their own strike.
Sure. Some butchers are benevolent. But that’s usually not enough to turn the tide. Look at slavery in the US: plenty of people who disliked it even among the founding fathers, but in the end, it took industrialisation making it economically obsolete and a war to solve the issue.
And some of the elites being genuinely in favour of liberalism and socialism. It didn’t happen without conflict, but it’s not conflict all the way. The working poor sympathised with the non-working poor, the elderly and sick too—they didn’t get their own rights by staging their own strike.
Sure. Some butchers are benevolent. But that’s usually not enough to turn the tide. Look at slavery in the US: plenty of people who disliked it even among the founding fathers, but in the end, it took industrialisation making it economically obsolete and a war to solve the issue.
I didn’t say the non conflictual stuff was necessarily sufficient.