I agree that the economy has changed, but I disasgree that sensible investing advice doesn't work anymore. I come from a middle-class family of educators and work as an engineer, but I've managed to build up a sizeable net worth through index funds, real estate, and value investing (those sensible investing ideas you think no longer work).

There has always been a clash between speculation and investing. Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett's teacher, wrote about it in 1934, and it still holds true today. Most people speculate because they have no idea of what they are doing. But folks like Buffett have been patiently explaining how to get rich for more than 50 years, just no one listens.

The economy has changed in that there are no secure jobs or pensions anymore, so now you MUST invest to build wealth. But investing itself hasn't changed. If you are impatient and bet everything on Bitcoin, you are gambling and are likely to lose it all. If you are patient and spend the time to learn how to invest and do it prudently, you can build wealth.

The choice is yours, but just giving up and blaming the system (which always has been and will always be unfair, it is run by humans, after all) is to guarantee failure.