I agree.
However, there are plenty of kids born in conditions lacking one or more of the elements listed above. Some can overcome, others are... ah... "screwn from birth"
Though I pity such people, and do what I can with my own time and resources to try help them help themselves, I do not believe it is the role of the state to redistribute wealth at gunpoint in order to tackle the problem - even if such government efforts did NOT have such a dismal 100+ year track record.
You should wander into a science or engineering class at the local college, the classes are almost always 90% asian. Most of whose parents were decent off but instilled in their kids a work ethic that no amount of money can. These kids will make a good decent life worthy of the american dream. When i see all these welfare bums and people whining about the system i just roll my eyes.
I know a guy from my high school who got their as a sophmore(spoke no english)(he came from asia) and two years later graduated and went on to Berkeley and has just now graduated near the top of his class with a degree in electrical engineering. There are plenty of stories of people like that, but the liberals choose instead to focus on the bums who drop out of school and go through life with their hand out.
Out of curiosity pukin dog, what part of san diego are you from(i'm a sd resident myself).