From Michael Haynes:

Re: More unequal societies spread faster, according to simulations (Sept. 28): Was it taken into account that in more stratified societies- some of them are stratified because some individuals and small groups create more value than others, and those that create value become enormously rich, while those that are poor get only slightly richer (because the economy in general is larger) than they were before? And that the freedom to try to better yourself is a strength and a strong culture is better at expanding than a weak one? Is this worse than a society that us universally poor than the poorer than the general poor in a stratified society? (note- this is only applicable to those societies where individuals are free to attempt to improve themselves, even if they are far poorer than the top)