Thinking about collapse is very useful because it allows you to prepare for it. And preparing for collapse is very useful too - from the pragmatic perspective of risk management. Consider the possibilities.
- If you prepare for collapse and it doesn't happen, then you look a tiny bit foolish.
- If you don't prepare for collapse and collapse does happen, then you look a tiny bit dead.
This type of reasoning is very basic, and is used for such things as calculating the amount of insurance to buy or the amount of cash to keep in reserve in order to avoid being bankrupted should the worst-case scenario unfold. In order to do that, you have to have some idea of what the worst case scenario is. People seem comfortable with this kind of reasoning.
Comment: He is in essence blaming the victim, the poor, of a society that continues to disregard their betterment in favor enriching the few. The last few years since the 2008 financial crisis has shown that the money flows to the top, but doesn't flow back down. If individuals like Stein had their way, the remaining social safety net would be discarded in favor of letting the poor fend for themselves. He has little compassion and it would seem little ability to feel empathy - Psychopath.