Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times writes that an "opportunity gap" exists between the children of the affluent and everyone else's kids. His solution is universal preschool, an attempt to level the playing field. His rationale is that affluent parents spend more money and time on their offspring.
What McManus overlooks is the rise of assortative mating. Unlike past patterns, today's bright, educated achievers tend to marry, have children with other bright, educated achievers. The evolutionary implications are clear - their children inherit genes predisposing them to succeed.
Similarly, non-random mating often deals a losing hand to the children of society's also rans, it's non-achievers. McManus observes that the children of the affluent are already ahead of the game when they enter kindergarten. I'll bet these kids are already ahead of the game at birth, at conception even, although I know no way to demonstrate that "edge" so early.
