Repost: The American caste sytem
Income inequality in America has been much in the news recently, but more than two years ago, there were reports that showed that the idea of American meritocracy was a myth. No matter how smart you are or how hard you work, it is difficult, if not impossible, for the average American to rise to a higher economic status than he or she was born into. This post originally appeared on January 9, 2012, and unfortunately, it is still relevant today. *~*~*~* The New York Times last week had a report about how the myth of the American meritocracy is just that - a myth. In fact, of all the countries in the industrialized world, it is harder for a person of low economic status to rise higher in the United States than it is almost anywhere else. If America as the "land of opportunity" ever existed, it has disappeared, and this is primarily due to the policies pursued by the government. The governments of other developed countries make it their goal to protect and help thei...