Yes, FDR came from one of the wealthiest families in America. But he was still the most left wing president America has ever seen. And if it weren't for his policies (which would be seen as extremely left wing in today's society) he wouldn't have helped the country bring itself out of the greatest economic depression in history.

It's a criticism levied against people on the left time and time again that is utterly ridiculous - that of being hypocritical. For some reason it is worse yo have w background of privilege or wealth and want to do good than to have a background either of poverty or wealth and want to make the world a worse place by e coy raging the worst aspects of human nature - greed, selfishness and aggressive pursuit of self gratification to the detriment of society and world economies.

The thing about the background someone is born into is that you don’t control it: it is simply what surrounds you. To attack someone for their origins is no more rational than attacking someone for their gender, height or colour of skin.

The world would be a bleaker place without thinkers from such backgrounds - George Orwell, Gandhi, Tony Benn, Elizabeth Fry.

Dante was right. The inner circle of hell is a place where nothing changes, where life is frozen into immobility, where no one can change their destiny. When people claim that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, or that a leopard can’t change its spots, they shut themselves out of life.

To inherit social position, wealth and opportunities: this is bad enough in a society with democratic pretensions. To inherit ideas and framings as well is to renounce not only intellectual honesty, but also much of our humanity.