This Is Not News

In light of the number of Republican presidential candidates who argue that poor people should just take advantage of the opportunities in America to work their way up the economic ladder, it’s worth reading this New York Times story about a number of studies that suggest that it’s harder for children who grow up poor to move out of the bottom income level in the US than in many other countries that are considered to have more rigid class structures. There are a number of interesting causes suggested, including the overall wealth gaps that are growing in the US, access to education for our poorest citizens, and our incarceration rate. But it’s something we should be aware of; I’ve never really been a big believer in the idea that you can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, so this article tends to confirm my own beliefs. But if a lot of other people start to accept these claims and don’t see hope for themselves or their children to improve their lot in life, then you may see more repeats of social disturbances like the ones in Britain this past summer.