ninerdriver

Maybe, but there's only one degree of separation between him and Aaron Hernandez.

Black Warrior

Social mobility is a politically driven catch phrase that fundamentally ignores the natural factors that lead to mobility. The vast majority of the countries who are considered the leaders in "social mobility" are Western European countries with homogeneous populations. Sweden, Netherlands, etc. A country with a naturally diverse population of over 300,000,000 people will of course lag behind such countries.

Slick111

Name a governmental body that is NOT corrupt!

I can't think of a single governmental body, from city counsels to The United Nations, that does not hold the interests, viability, and well-being of the government over the interests, viability, and well-being of the citizens.

Anecdotally, who were among the first people in the U.S. to get tested for Covid-19 before they showed symptoms? Senators, Congressional members, Executive branch, and Supreme Court Justices and clerks - the same people who decided that YOU should not get tested, sometimes even when you ARE symptomatic!

Disclaimer: I'm not advocating Covid testing for people who are not symptomatic. I'm simply stating the hypocrisy.

Millennial

Ah yes, the "natural factors of mobility"! Which part of our "diverse population" would you say is holding us back? How can the country homogenize the population to better help those helpless diverse people attain upward mobility?

You also seem to be missing some other socioeconomic factors in those western European countries besides their lack of the dreaded diversity. Or how some countries, like India, are very homogeneous, yet have incredibly poor social mobility. They may operate under a brutally cruel caste system, but at least they aren't diverse, am I right?

rickair7777

Yes, we have a great deal of cultural diversity which can affect your mobility. In the US it's not skin color by-and-large that limits people, it's your cultural circumstances and values... the opportunity is there for everyone, you just have to CHOOSE to take advantage of it. If you cling to cultural values which don't emphasize health, education, and work then you've made your choice.

Yes we all know there are still dark corners of rural America where your skin color will affect your mobility, but nobody says you have to stay there, greyhound tickets are cheap, that's how I got out of my nowhere-fast town at age 18.

Black Warrior

You're being incendiary and intentionally obtuse, and it appears you missed the entire point of my post. For clarity, there are a myriad of political and societal constructs that have slowed "social mobility" - and nearly all of them revolve around our diverse population. It appears you're attempting to simplify "homogeneous" and "diversity" to a purely racial sense, but it's far more complex than that. America is as culturally diverse as it is racially diverse. There isn't a single country above America on that list that is more culturally diverse than we are. Simply put, those Western European countries and their homogeneous populations allow for them to have natural social mobility throughout their entire populous that America will likely never see.

rickair7777

Cultural homogeneity... you can keep your ethnic food (I like it too), but some folks need to adopt some different outlooks. Or not, if they like their life now.

Why do Asians tend to thrive here? Has nothing to do with skin either way, it's cultural values... they're probably even better at it than the predominate European cultures here.

Caste system = cultural baggage.

If you want to improve things, have to focus on cultural aspects of the problem. As a taxpayer I'm willing to pay for better education, outreach, and vocational opportunities for YOUNG people.

Skin color (while a very, very issue real in the past) is just a stalking horse today... since it can never be changed, it's just an excuse to demand free stuff from society.

Here's a helpful hint: Success is HARD, regardless of who you are. The scions of the 0.01% may have it easy, but that's irrelevant to the rest of us. Stop whining, roll up your sleeves, and get to work. You'll probably be very surprised at how much better that works than hanging out in coffee shops talking about woke BS.

LoneStar32

damn, you beat me to it.

Escargot

A fine point, well made. I'd also like to point out their healthcare, which is for life, and is o.j. no way shape or form equivalent to Medicare. Apparently that's justice for a senator.
we're all equal, but some are more equal than others

LoneStar32

Wait, don't they cut up and scare your back with 10 slashes from a whip if you spit on a sidewalk in that country you are touting as so great? Also those countries with free health care for life also tax your wages 50% plus and have high unemployment rates. get out of heeeeeeeeeeere!