I don't think I have seen this but the reason we see this effect is murder. The richer you are the older you you manage to live. Either you are too poor and misadventures get your. Or the things that you have progressive beliefs about will get you oppressed and maybe murdered by society. I don't think it is intended. It could easily be so however, it is just a slow oppression and crushing of everyone in society.
Also the statement is at best only partially true for the older bougie and middle class fucks who lived through the 80s-90s as neoliberalism did it's best to delegitimize socialism, and who dominate todays discourse about that period, due to wealth and survivor bias.