Escargot

what country am I touting?

Sky5

What does any of this have to do with "Who's Next?"

Duffman

I'm really not sure what countries you think have more social mobility than the US.

Northern Europe and, to a lesser extent, Australia have huge tax burdens. Everyone is taken care of far better than the US, you're not going to end up on the street in Norway like in the US, but there just isn't a lot of purchasing power. So even if you put in the work to make more money, there are other barriers to preventing you from living the dream. Like, a Camaro costs $100k/yr in horsepower/CO2 tax, VAT is painful, and everything is highly regulated and expensive, like riding a motorcycle, getting a driver's license, DIY house projects, etc. Their culture keeps people solidly in the middle class. If you're a complete screw up, you get pulled up to the middle and if you work your ass off, you get pulled back to the middle, which is more egalitarian, but less socially mobile.

spacecadet

Income inequality is the elephant in the room here, and social mobility has much less to do with "cultural diversity" than it does with economic stratification. Here's some data rather than speculation.



The idea that you merely get to "choose" to be successful and "pull yourself up from your bootstraps" is simply fantasy in this day and age. The biggest predictor of economic success is how much money your parents had growing up. Are there stories of people coming from nothing and making it big? Yes, but these are the exception rather than the rule.

Combine that with the corruption of our political system, and it becomes apparent that the "American Dream" is a thing of the past, if it ever existed at all. We are a flawed democracy, on par with countries in South America, and the barriers to social mobility are entrenched in the system as a result of undue corporate influence over our politicians and the infinite money that oligarchs get to spend influencing politicians as a result of Citizens United. In short, outcomes in this country are not predicted by "the right attitude," but rather who you know and what class you were born into.

bradthepilot

The idea that the U.S. was intended to be, or should be, a "democracy" is a flawed idea that assumes facts not in evidence. The U.S. was founded on, and continues to be, a representative republic. A pure democracy would be a complete disaster, and is not something I would want to live under.

I'd also add that taking a picture from an opinion piece and calling it "data" is specious at best...

Cyio

What The Economist isnt an unbiased source?

spacecadet

We are a democratic republic, and I agree with the principles of a republic. However, the republic should consist of officials who represent the best interests of their constituents. In order for constituents to be well represented in our republic, it's important that the democratic aspects of our elections be healthy and functional. It's strange to me that anyone would be opposed to that notion, and it's possible to believe in our republic while also believing in the democratic principles which are its foundation. You cannot separate the republican aspects of our government from the democratic mechanics that enable them

klondike

Nothing.
It’s your typical APC thread drift caused by tons of hot, blowing air.

Itsajob

well it smells like a fart

at6d

Never trust a fart.