• One thing that gets me with this is an idea that everyone should be as competent as I. I know a lot of folks that are doing the best they can but not only did I sacrifice in various ways but I have a bookish nature and an inquisitive mind. This is the main reason I was in the advanced group in high school. But you know I was at the bottom or close to of that group. Was it because I was lazy. Maybe but I certainly felt like I had to work at it a lot. My experience with that and college has made me realize I just can’t memorize as quickly or as perfectly as my peers. This put me in a poor position in some ways but it gave me a leg up in understanding as this is how I competed. Anyway everyone cannot be top of the class or good at a whole bunch of things (I feel america expects everyone to be a doctor and a lawyer and an accountant and a mechanic along with every other type of tradesman). People at the bottom should have a decent enough life and people at the top should not have wealth representing 10 or 100 or 1000 people because as good as they are they are not that good. In many cases they are not even good but inherited or lucked into it or bastarded their way through.

    • people at the bottom should have more resources, but we can’t force them to make good choices with those resources.

      that’s the issue you fail to see. that many people choose to live shitty lives despite whatever they are given. that is the ugly truth.

      you can’t force people to live positive lives. you can’t force them to get help. you can’t force them to utilize teh resources available to them.

      why is it that poor immigrant kids do so much better than poor domestic kids even though they have far less resources? because they have drive to succeed and make a better life for themselves.

      some people are just lazy. it’s not a matter of competence, it’s a matter of them not giving a fuck about anything outside of gratifying their immediate wants.

      like the people who take out huge loans, get good jobs, and then don’t pay the loans back so they can party and travel.