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Comment by noonespecial | Hacker News Reader

Can confirm. Massive help getting through school. Huge "loans" starting my own business. A life lived without financial fear because, even when not being actively aided, knowing that rich folk "got my back" is priceless.

Honestly acknowledging this has made me much more humble in my success and much more liberal in my politics than I would be otherwise.

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I graduate high school in '03, turned 18 a month later followed by boot camp two months later. After boot camp, it was 1.5 years of air traffic control training. This involved 8 - 10 days 5 - 6 days a week in the military, knowing if I failed I would be washed out of the career-field, potentially kicked out of the military with no benefits. On a positive note, I wasn't in a combat role so that did alleviate some stress.

After I completed training and was comfortable as a controller I started using my benefits to complete school; went through two master's degrees using my benefits. Separated from the military while living in southern Turkey, accepting a role in a small town in Idaho as a data scientist. Wife and I landed in the states and a month later we drove our two children to a town we've never even visited to start a job I've never done. Five years later, I work from home as a data scientist.

Acknowledging the hard work and risks it took without a fall-back has made me much more conservative in my politics than I would be otherwise.

That was not an easy journey. The resilience to see it all through is certainly admirable.

I can't see why that made you more conservative though.

Is it a sense of wanting to keep every ounce of legitimately hard earned wealth, that would be used to make life easier for others in the work force, when you never got any support ?

Or do you mean it in a sense, where you work your way through the system, feel that the system isn't that bad and that others can similarly work their way through it without needing any extra support ?

I hope it does not come off as confrontational. I am genuinely curious.

Probably when he said the risks he took without a fall back made him more focused and targeted. There was no room for liberties. So conservative approach that minimized risks was the way to go. .

I was raised and lived in fairly conservative areas - Alaska, Louisiana, North Carolina. Though as everyone does, I explored many areas of politics, attempting to formulate my own belief system; it is continuous work in progress never settling.

However, having lived and traveled throughout the world, from the US, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Cyprus, Nepal and more I've learned that your own culture and people help you the most. The US is too big to systematically solve any problems at the federal level. Issues are best solved locally, at the community level.

I don't keep every ounce of wealth, we donate to our local church which gives to the homeless in our area. My wife gives her time to the church, helping families that are currently homeless. She aids in the school, volunteering in the classroom, functions, ensuring the children are receiving the attention they deserve. Local issues are what we are trying to progress. Areas we can see an impact - where our money, time, and effort are being used properly.

I do believe the system is set-up for people to succeed, but it isn't easy. Work, sacrifice, owning up to your mistakes and learning from them are what matters. I've never seen one person regardless of race, sex, or age be denied an opportunity they truly put 100% effort into. Does plan A always work? No, sometimes you have to accept plan C and make the best of it.

Hopefully, that provided a little insight. It is late here.

I'm glad it worked out for you, but contrary to popular perception the military is not an option for everybody.

It takes a degree of self reflection to be aware of that. I know a couple of "self made men" who are anything but, but they aren't aware of their own advantages to realize that not everyone shares in them.

I like to call this "pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps at Andover," with apologies for singling out Andover.

You reach down, grab your bootstraps and pull, marveling at how quickly you rise, all the while ignorant to the fact you're riding in an elevator.

This is what people don't realize, real poverty is knowing no one has your back, the psycological effect it has on people is inimitable. Bill gates fails? He goes back to harvard, aided by his rich parents, same goes for Zuck, same goes for 90% of the new age entrepreneurs. My point isn't to be derisive of what they've done, they are brilliant entrepreneurs, but it's more a comment on the way the world is heading towards richly rewarding those who already have strong advantages.

Well said and applies to me as well. Thankfully myself, and the founding team of my company are all very aware that this is the case, and feel extremely blessed to have been born in such a fortunate position. I think in this case being self-aware is half the battle, the next half is to aid those without this luxury in concrete ways.

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