| "Opportunities are harder to seize as well - living paycheque to paycheque would make it hard to pick up and move to SF to found a startup for example." There are always many different types of opportunities around. If someone can't pick up and move to SF, they can run their startup from anywhere. The great part about right now is that you can start up a business with pretty much nothing. "From a statistical point of view, however, poverty will beget more poverty because the average poor person will not have enough second chances to make it out." Some decisions in life have long-lasting consequences. The poor should be concentrating on not making those bad decisions in the first place. Another problem is environmental. Parents pass their bad habits and decision making onto their kids. Wealthy parents most likely already have good habits and pass those good habits onto their kids. "If we want society to improve, we MUST provide a way for the average poor person to get past some of their mistakes. Yes, it looks like undeserved handouts, but I think it's the right thing to do." I don't think I can agree with you here. If we allow people to easily get past their mistakes, they will continue to make them (and society won't improve) If you know that a mistake can cost you pain and suffering in the future, you will most likely think twice before making it. Some people will never learn, but I don't feel that I should have to continue to pay for those people until they finally do. |