Being a landlord IS a real job. You're not getting it. You seem to have some idea that all a landlord does is sit back and collect rent. This is not true.
There's a lot of work involved in setting up and managing properties. Some months it's less and some months it's more. Being self employed isn't a 40 hour a week punch a clock type of job. The more properties, the more work is involved.
There's a housing shortage due to not having enough housing for the people who want it. Read the dozens and dozens of articles over the past decade about how the United States hasn't been building enough housing to keep up with demand.
Families don't live together like they used to. People are living longer. People don't want to live with others.
You are mistaken regarding the activities that landlords do. And the lower the income of the tenant, the more work the landlord has to do.
Paperwork and dealing with government bureaucracy is part of the job.
Landlord activities directly affect the "client" which is the same in any service industry.
Being self employed still means having a job. Some people only know what it's like to be an employee. They don't know the ins and outs of running your own business. Perhaps that's why you don't understand the job of being a rental property owner.
Not out of touch. I just don't worship murderers like this guy. Not sure how anyone could.