Ah yes, the old "poor people just aren't as smart" myth. It's definitely their fault for not investing smartly and not the fact that they live paycheck to paycheck. Increasing inequality has nothing to do with the fact that wealth compounds on itself, it's just a coincidence.

The reality that you and other "bootstraps" people ignore is that there is a basic cost-of-living. People need to make rent, they need to pay medical expenses, etc. If your income doesn't rise above this cost-of-living (which is true for literally half of the US population) you don't have any small amounts of money to invest. A lot of long-term investment vehicles have costs for taking out money early, which is a significant risk if you might need that money for an emergency.

The wealthier you are, the more ways there are to increase your wealth and there is absolutely a floor under which you have no opportunities besides luck