notxjack

to expound on one of your points - even in preschool/kindergarten you see significant effects of poverty on children. coming into kindergarten, if the student comes from a family on stamps they're going to be on average 1.5 to 2 years behind developmentally (realize that these kids are five years old, so this is a very significant disparity coming out of the gate).

part of the problem is that poor people actually have to work a lot, and at irregular hours, leaving them less time to interact with their children at a young age. also, generally the education level of their parents (mothers, especially) are low on average, which further puts poorer children at a disadvantage before they even enter the school system.

yeah, this maats guy sounds like a crackpot if he actually thinks he can solve this problem without significant capital inputs. it is a very hard problem

also your insights as to the filtering/selection processes that go on in immigration were very enlightening, thank you.

most of switzerland speaks german, albeit a distinctive dialect.

this! i can guarantee this guy has never lived around the working poor - some of the luckier students i've worked with in enrichment programs during my college years came from homes where both parents were working over 12 hours per day, and their parents weren't coming home until after 7pm at the earliest. their parents didn't have the skills to help their children with assignments past a 4th or 5th grade level. those less lucky had at most one parent or were moved around to different school systems every few years to live with a new relative because they simply couldn't afford to take care of the child.

tell me again how positive thinking will allow little johnny to bootstrap out of this situation, hunter?

Faith that regardless of how terrible your circumstances ultimately a human being has the potential to shape their own destiny.

you literally have no experience with the actual world. yours is/was a very charmed life. the problems facing people in the bottom echelons of american/world society will not be fixed with happy thoughts.

Why can't make a human culture that internalizes certain universal principles?

because it would cost money. to which the uberclass feels entitled more than their fair share.