"Le confort des riches dépend d'un approvisionnement abondant des pauvres."
— Voltaire
Simplified Meaning:
Rich people often live comfortable lives because there are many poor people who do the hard work that supports their lifestyle. Think about a wealthy family living in a big house. They probably have maids, gardeners, and drivers. These workers don't earn much money, but their services make the rich family's life easier. If there were fewer poor people willing to work for low wages, the wealthy would have to clean their own houses or take care of their own gardens. In this way, the happiness and comfort of rich people are built on the backs of those who are less fortunate. This idea suggests that the imbalance between the rich and the poor is what maintains the comfortable lives of the wealthy. If you think about how important everyone’s job is in society, you might treat the people who do these jobs with more respect and fairness.