text: James,
  Wrong on all guesses. It's the apparently able-bodied people on our street corners, holding up signs, begging for handouts. I will allow that there are some of them who are down on their luck and will bounce back eventually. I will also allow that there are some who have adopted begging as a way of life; perhaps due to mental illness, maybe abusive relationships, or just plain laziness. It really doesn't matter.
  My point is that if the number of non-contributing citizens, indigents or otherwise, increases, it's possible that our present economic/social structure will become unstable and collapse. Under those circumstances disaster will be visited upon us indiscriminately. If you think the wealthy are immune, some probably are. But those whose wealth is essentially returns on investments or cash in the wall safe, will have lost everything.