It's worth stating clearly: the best predictor of poor health and other "failure" is being born into poverty. A predatory economic system will defend predatory economic mechanisms.

Such a system will even go to war to defend the "proper order of things".

> When you see or interact with someone who is down on their luck, remember that it probably wasn’t just one thing that put them in that situation.

Indeed.

I didn't say it was easy. I said it was simple. These are all choices one makes.

The first step towards success is making the choice to own your choices, instead of blaming your parents, your school, etc.

Nobody makes people take drugs. They choose to.

I agree you have choices. It's just that those choices are easier, and simpler, the more money you have.

Incidentally the drug choice is less aligned with poverty. Middle class and rich people take plenty of drugs, including expensive ones like opiods and cocaine. Drugs more likely to be used by the less affluent (weed) is more actively enforced, including well understood disparities on racial and socio-economic lines.

But we digress, this is not about drugs. It's about the ability of people to succeed. And the playing field there is far from level.

So don't smoke weed, and disparate enforcement won't matter.

I voted for the legalization of marijuana. That doesn't mean smoking weed is a good idea. It's expensive, too. Can't really claim one can't make ends meet when spending money on weed.

But as I wrote, we each make our choices.