It cannot be fixed

David French: When Is $16 Trillion Not Enough?

A commenter there writes:

She [Megan McArdle] cites the example of a friend from a middle-class background who had a child at 17 with her 30-year-old drug-dealing boyfriend who went to prison, and now lives on public benefits and minimum-wage jobs. McArdle says there is nothing that can be done with this woman; she refuses all help to rejoin the middle class. She made her choices in life despite having solid role models and generous resources available to her.

One wonders, however, why her friend chose this path? I bet that she was attracted to the drug dealer because pop culture nowadays glorifies such lifestyles. Not only do we exalt single mothers and drug use, but our culture bitterly mocks and tears down the hallmarks of bourgeois life, such as marriage, steady employment, thrift, and moderation. We can't assume that a constant assault on middle-class values won't have an effect.

Link via Instapundit.