In reality though, for all thats said about the topic, it often gives hope to MANY people. They might not admit it, but it does.
For the guy in the ghetto who has very little, he can look out and say 'that sucks...that guy has a Benz and I have nothing'...Aside from this immediate reaction, in a longer term sense, wether admitted or not, it creates a desire and hope within that same person to change his own situation, and to know it can be done.
Hell, yeah. It is what motivated me -- you have to be able to see a path to changing your lot in life. I grew up as po' white trash way out in the sticks, and decided pretty early on that there was no way I was going to settle for anything remotely like that when there are better things in the world. I didn't care what it took, I wanted out.
It turns out that it requires an extraordinary amount of effort and discipline to raise yourself above the crowd by your bootstraps. But it is definitely possible. The pain and extreme hardship required to get to where I am now is a quickly fading memory, and well worth it. I don't know why people are surprised at my very humble origins; the whole point of America is that such things are supposed to be possible, even if most don't exercise the opportunity.
Your life is not defined by what is handed to you, but by what you make of it.