Society and technology. Somebody perceived as “punching down” in public is liable to be attacked en masse via social media, which makes it undesirable to do so.
This is not to say that this makes you invulnerable, but it provides a pretty strong disincentive for those who might be inclined to attack on that basis.
What exactly changed in these last 30 years that made weaknesses function differently?
Society and technology. Somebody perceived as “punching down” in public is liable to be attacked en masse via social media, which makes it undesirable to do so.
This is not to say that this makes you invulnerable, but it provides a pretty strong disincentive for those who might be inclined to attack on that basis.