"Redistribution of wealth would require enormous amounts of investment. The only time an elite has accepted this has been during crises, such as in America in the 1930s under Roosevelt"

Susan George's quote analyzes the complex problem of wealth redistribution and the historic situations under which it gathers support from elite classes. The recommendation to the "redistribution of wealth" highlights a crucial socioeconomic difficulty: the gap in wealth and resources in between various social classes. George recommends that authentic efforts to rearrange wealth demand substantial investment, which suggests a systemic restructuring of financial policies, top priorities, and organizations.

The term "massive quantities of investment" highlights the scale and depth of modifications needed to effect meaningful redistribution. This financial investment is not merely monetary but also political and social, demanding resources to attend to inequalities through facilities, education, healthcare, and social services. This highlights the rarity and difficulty of achieving such a detailed restructuring in normal circumstances, given the entrenched interests of elite groups who generally benefit from maintaining the status quo.

The quote points to a historic precedent in the United States during the 1930s, as an example when elites yielded to wealth redistribution efforts. The period mentioned, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was marked by the New Deal-- an array of programs and policies aimed at recovery and reform in reaction to the Great Depression. During this crisis, extraordinary social and economic turmoil necessitated intervention, causing policies that aimed to address wealth imbalances, such as social security, labor rights, and public works projects.

George implies that, under normal situations, elites might withstand redistribution efforts due to the viewed hazard to their wealth and power. Nevertheless, throughout crises, where the stability of the whole system is at threat, they might reluctantly acquiesce to reforms to protect the broader socio-economic order. Hence, the quote suggests that significant redistribution normally needs not simply political will but a driver-- frequently a crisis-- that demonstrates the requirement of change to those who might otherwise oppose it.