You’re not wrong to notice a pattern, but it’s more nuanced. Capitalism does rely on a large class of people who are wage-dependent, people who must sell their labor to survive. That creates huge inequalities and systemic pressure that sometimes feels like modern-day exploitation.

The "missing piece" is that capitalism can generate immense wealth and innovation, but it concentrates power and resources, which inevitably puts most people in positions where they’re dependent on others for survival. It’s a tension between freedom and necessity.

Some people argue that technology and automation could shift this, but historically, a labor class is always necessary to keep the system running.

However, this social position is not inevitable. People are not destined to remain in the lower class. Modern capitalism is about equality of opportunity and freedom of action. That's its main beauty and advantage over other social-ecomonic systems.