Thanks, Max. I think if Dave had read all of what I said, instead of just the buzzwords, he would realize that I, myself, am a skinny kid of a heavy parent, so I know that it's possible, if the parents are dedicated. It's just not very likely.
An intelligent response. Thank you.
Evidence may also show, anecdotally a least, that those born into poverty will remain there. They will get bad habits from their parent(s) and remain in poverty.
Conservative political philosophy is based upon opportunity, not upon dead certain outcomes based upon accidents of birth. If we believed everyone's die was cast at birth, we wouldn't have the economy we have here. We'd have social stratification instead of the mobility between social and economic classes that we see here. no more rags to riches stories.
We'd also have a much stronger moral imperative to care for these less fortunate who will never do any better. (Or, conversely an incentive to eliminate the useless eaters.) We can not have a laissez faire market-based system if we don't believe in freedom of opportunity. We must have a welfare state.
Yes, a certain percentage of people born into a bad situation will not escape. I am more inclined to encourage the success stories than to moan about poor fate.
Anecdotally, we also know of religous parents with athiesitc children. Liberal parents with conservative kids. Drunks who raise up sober children. The acorn can fall far from the tree. Our lives are not pre-written.
SD