We never completely lost the class distinctions here. Or at all, they are merely disguised and moving between them is easier, get the right credentials by studying in an university, get the right friends, lick the right butts and prove yourself useful to them and you can get into the "noble" class now, but the mindset is still pretty much the same. The ones who don't manage to "rise" to the nobles don't matter much, and should listen to their betters. If they don't, they can be forced to, or tricked to.