That's phrased perfectly, and exactly what I came here to say. For the 'marginal careerist', one with just enough opportunity to get ahead, but not enough to float by (e.g., possessing rich relatives) there isn't an easy choice. Staying ahead of a changing job market, increasing barriers to entry (credentialism and other funnel-narrowing HR filters), ageism, and the knowledge that the tattered safety net isn't going to help them very much if they fall out means they won't necessarily have the luxury of saying 'no' to every dubious opportunity presented to them.
It's no longer just about winning the rat race. For many of today's rats, it's now about staying on the ship at all.
The original article is one of those feel-good articles that I want to agree with. It's earnest and idealistic, and brings up several important points. For those who are able to do what Mr. Kickstarter is able to do (to make those socially responsible choices that maximize for self-interest AND social good [i.e, enlightened self-interest] instead of maximizing for selfishness) that's actually all great and beneficial. I like it. Many of his observations, too, are spot on. His recommendation however, that tells people to 'do that' reveals a lack of perspective on the actual lived experience of many people functioning within the modern reality. Collective action problems can't be solved by individuals, nor by socially conscious companies (as nice as those may be.)