I grew up in poverty, too. Not the caricature "TV in every room" "fake-poverty" nonsense some use to try to "prove" poor Americans aren't poor, but actual poverty. Like, almost homeless, single-mom skipping meals so me and my brother could eat, exposed to drugs and gun violence, pest-infested inadequate housing, style poverty. In America. I can do the poverty olympics all damn day with anyone here, even those from so-called under-developed nations.
I am...skeptical...of your statement. I'm rich now thanks to an IPO--and my hard work in being in a position to be employed at a successful company. But I recognize that a lot of what you've written there is just...wrong. It's "right" enough in some respects, but just so very wrong in so many ways.