Few things are impossible. Give the author some credit. I think if your takeaway is that the author is claiming mobility is impossible, you've missed the point

Few things are impossible. Give the author some credit. I think if your takeaway is that the author is claiming mobility is impossible, you've missed the point entirely. The author is explaining to you the self-perpetuating cycle and psychology that keeps poor people poor, despite what they feel are their best efforts. As a person who has struggled with poverty for decades, I find your underlying dismissal of the article as "nah, it's not that bad" based on technical nitpicking pretty offensive.