The wealthy probably don’t think:
“Uh oh, if the poor have more freedom and are happier, they may not work for such cheap wages collectively and it could affect my lifestyle. I better dislike the thing that makes their life easier.”
But the wealthy do in fact make choices and respond in gut ways that protect their lifestyles.
The wealthy often do think of themselves as generous and benevolent, but then they do not structurally change society to make life less oppressive. No one should be opposed to universal health care. No one should support criminalizing homelessness.
There are also ways to structurally change society to make life easier for the poor that don’t involve Marxism or incentivizing laziness. Classical economic theory and democracy can work together to make change but the poor are misled into voting for idiots because they are manipulated by the rich with religion and wedge issues and other clever tricks. Some of these rich people that deceive the poor with religion may even believe the lies of religion on some level. The logic of the mind of the average rich person may not be internally consistent, but they ultimately protect their interests.
You’re just redefining your position to be a tiny bit less nutty. Your original assertion that “the upper classes do not want the lower classes free on any level” remains preposterous.
Wealthy people hate e-bikes and e-scooters because they can afford fancy cars and e-scooters cluttering up the sidewalk or zipping through the dog park are a minor inconvenience.
That really is all there is to it.
I am not trying to make my position any less nutty. I assert it is equally as nutty as before, which is to say not very nutty at all.
It’s more than it being a minor inconvenience. If this were a pass time of the rich, the inconvenience would not be regulated. For instance, hobby sailing or expensive motorcycle riding is annoying and there isn’t constant discussions about how to regulate it to make it harder for people to do those things.
You’re wrong on this, you don’t get it but you are.
Ah yes. The hallmark of enlightened discussion - “you’re just wrong but you don’t know it”.
Continue feeling persecuted by wealthy e-bike haters suppressing your freedom for their personal benefit you nutter.