[analognoise]

You're essentially saying "pull yourself up by your bootstraps". This is very easy to do if you've experienced a middle or upper middle class upbringing.

This is almost impossible to do if you were raised in a household of abuse or food scarcity, or where your network doesn't contain any well educated individuals. Basically it works for...middle class people.

In short: trickle down economics is being pissed on and calling it rain, and "just work harder" blames people for their station and expects them to be extraordinary just to have a reasonable life. It's essentially blaming the poor, the easiest way out possible, with nice gloss on top, and it's total and utter bullshit that papers over the systemic forces acting against all workers - let alone those just scraping by.

[tartoran]

I want to add that even the economics of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" with middle class upbringing is shrinking and that is happening fast. Case in point for HN older devs who no longer find work and yet are very knowledgeable and have lots of experience but wouldn't pass a leet code interview.

[sgt]

But his point is valid to millions of middle class people who still struggle to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps". I think that demographic is so large (most of the people you know, if not all, are in that group, and HUGE potential is lost), that it is worth focusing on.

[jacksnipe]

This rhetoric is almost universally applied to the lower class as well, at least in the US.

[sgt]

I think the lower class in the US actually have it relatively darn good. They just lack perspective to see it any other way.

[jacksnipe]

It seems ok until someone in your family is diagnosed with a chronic health condition...