Congratuations, and I mean that sincerely.

However, the sheer number of people who fall into poverty, or find they cannot crawl out of it suggests that achieving middle-class wealth is not available to everyone.

We are not granted, actually, anything but the right to /control our own attitude towards things/. Everything else can, and will be taken from you, in a court of Law. Especially in Texas.

The bottom 80% lose money, and the top 20% gain money. That's how capitalism is structured.

Have you read the book /Nickel and Dimed/ by B. Ehrenriech? Interesting tales of how the poor are kept poor.

I do know of Yin/Yang, and frankly the US dollar is very Yang. All international currency is. Constantly requiring 'expansion', and 'growth'. When will the Yin come along? We're about due.