Huh? I assume you're being sarcastic? I was talking about a backward group from that area, not all Scots/English?
"If there are pockets of lassitude and white poverty in Appalachia, these pockets exist in every culture. "
Yeah you are right. The success of a group of people is less tied to their culture than their adherence to a couple of values, including a strong work ethic, moral values, respect for life, etc.
A simplified version of this is reflected in the fact that is something like if you (1) finish high school (2) don't be a teenage mother and (3) don't have a baby out of wedlock they you will have some high chance of not living in poverty. Does anyone around here know the exact statistic?