> the system is fair by and large, to the extent that reality allows for that.

This point is doing a lot of heavy lifting without evidence. Perhaps, if you are a white middle class European or North American it could be argued to be somewhat fair. "The system" as a whole is grossly unfair if you are born elsewhere, or into a poorer or marginalised family. That's without going into the gender and race pay gaps, the lack of employee protections, rising cost of living etc. etc. that even affect those luckier groups.