You're right--but it's not what's being said here. Tim, you, and I all know that the world is cruel, corrupt, and unfair. Tim isn't saying "bootstraps!" That's an unfair reduction. He's saying--yes, the world is unfair and it might take you out permanently for random reasons. BUT the ONLY level of analysis that matters is the individual one. You can't control anything else. Tim can't speak to "systems." He can only speak to YOU. That's not a political statement--it's a 12 step statement, it's a buddhist statement, and it's a true statement.