system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
Highjacking the top comment to say that maybe choice is referring to "bad choices" in life. But adding to what you already said, bad choices will probably happen if you are dealt a bad hand, meaning that an uneducated person or a person striving to survive and cover basic needs, is not really able to take the best decisions in life. If you put yourself and a "born" poor person in the same financial situation, I believe it's much more likely for you (who had the background you mentioned) to get out of poverty than someone who has never experienced "middle class" life. All in all, the system is working for the majority but it definitely has flaws and must be improved.
gpt
I grew up relatively poor and all of my best friends that I grew up with are either dead or still alcoholic/drug addicts. I chose a different path in my early 20s because I saw where my life was going.   I'm married to a successful RN manager and we both make about $150K a year. I did some dumb shit but my friends would do insanely dumb shit.  Armed robbery, dealing drugs, etc... My point is that I was able to make a great life for myself and my family despite griong up poor.   A lot of that had to do with the choices I made in my 20s that didn't send me in a downward trajectory like having kids with the wrong woman, keeping health and car insurance, working two jobs to make sure my bills were paid and basically being self aware of what my goals in life were.  That included getting the fuck away from those guys.  I still see them from time to time but I always feel out of place as I am way ahead of them all as far as life goes.  I love those guys and wish I could spend more time with them because making real friends after your 30s is hard.  I have friends now but not like those guys. We would have died for each other.  Wow this post got long.   Sorry