In narrowly defined terms, Steinem is correct. Barring sex-change surgery, gender is immutable. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who have been born poor who have climbed out of poverty. Noah actually fails to attack the real problem: the fact that poverty is, entirely, a political construct, built upon an artificial belief that lack of money equals disadvantage. Poverty has been exacerbated by the horrors of NAFTA, free trade and other ills, all of which serve to enrich the rich, while killing, crippling and terrorizing those of us who like the world the way it is, without gaudy baubles, vanilla lattes, of Dolce sunglasses.

"an artificial belief that lack of money equals disadvantage"

For the sake of example. I lack money. I get sick. I can't buy medication to get better because, lacking money, I can't afford either health insurance or buying the medication without it. How is this disadvantage artificial?

Truly poor people right now are trying to decide to spend on food, a little less this month to pay the electric bill?, heating oil, or, maybe I'll go without my asthma meds this month.

Lack of money certainly does equal disadvantage.

Parts are parts, but isn't gender a political construct much older than poverty?