Oof. It's true. I work in the financial world and you're right, most people can't even comprehend compounding wealth, so you're also right that compounding societal privilege may just be so far outside some people's ability to think that it's unreasonable to expect.

Although, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the people making the laws, those who could set things right (or at least attempt to) understand it just fine. They simply don't want to even the playing field.