Cool. Well, we're going to agree to disagree. I think you're making a lot of generalizations and assumptions, but I think the only real thing we're clashing on here is the framing. Your decisions may all work out for what you want, but you consistently fail to note the background goals inherent in your statements. For example, you say "top tier doesn't matter" rather than "I plan to go into xyz, so top tier doesn't matter in my situation". The latter is a solid statement. The former I would fight you on.
Similarly, you have decided that helping kids is the only viable route to change, so you deem other efforts as pointless. I disagree with the first point, so when I say I want to make a change, I don't necessarily mean "I want to work with community kids" (though I also disagree with your generalization about academic jobs having leash for community service work).
The bolded is the only part I think we could have a meaningful discussion on in here. I neither see the situation as bleakly as you do, nor do I think that progress 10yrs in the future is a waste of effort.

If you want to keep up the discussion on that point, I'm all ears, but I think the rest of it is going to be fruitless.