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So what exactly do you want the government to do to increase "upward mobility?"
I'll standby for your answer because i'm genuinely curious what you think the US Government can do to empower those who can't even accomplish the most basic tenets of life in the US (ie. graduating high school/college/trade school/family/children/jobs, etc.). Upward mobility has to have a foundation, and that foundation has crumbled with the decline of the familial unit.
Enlighten us. What can government do that the individual obviously cannot?
The only way I see is to give them more money and build Sec 8 housing in better neighborhoods. If they are already dependent on the government then it is up to the government to move them upward don't you think ?
So what exactly do you want the government to do to increase "upward mobility?"
I'll standby for your answer because i'm genuinely curious what you think the US Government can do to empower those who can't even accomplish the most basic tenets of life in the US (ie. graduating high school/college/trade school/family/children/jobs, etc.). Upward mobility has to have a foundation, and that foundation has crumbled with the decline of the familial unit.
Enlighten us. What can government do that the individual obviously cannot?
End fractional reserve banking, because that's a key part of what causes prices to rise faster than wages.
Eliminate all these tax deductions and credits, and "tax breaks" for investment, which just serve to benefit the wealthy, the retired, and the welfare class at the expense of the average wage-earner.
These two things will dramatically reduce the need for unemployment and welfare, by reducing the cost of food and shelter.
End fractional reserve banking, because that's a key part of what causes prices to rise faster than wages.
Eliminate all these tax deductions and credits, and "tax breaks" for investment, which just serve to benefit the wealthy, the retired, and the welfare class at the expense of the average wage-earner.
These two things will dramatically reduce the need for unemployment and welfare, by reducing the cost of food and shelter.
Good points. However, I doubt that's what padcrasher has in mind when he/she feels that it's the government's duty to ensure upward mobility. I suspect that its the Welfare State that he/she supports more than rejiggering the tax code and making changes to fractional reserve banking.
I hope he/she comes forth with an answer. I'm curious how upward mobility has become yet another responsibility of the government.
The only way I see is to give them more money and build Sec 8 housing in better neighborhoods. If they are already dependent on the government then it is up to the government to move them upward don't you think ?
Yes, that's what I suspect the extreme left would consider a step in the right direction. It's mindboggling the mental transformation that has taken place in the last 3 years alone (not to mention the last 40+ years). It seems that Barack Obama's class welfare schtick and bailout regime really has corrupted the sense of determination and hardwork that used to form the fabric of this nation.
Padcrasher should come forth and reveal how "upward mobility" is a function of the United States Government.
Yes, that's what I suspect the extreme left would consider a step in the right direction. It's mindboggling the mental transformation that has taken place in the last 3 years alone (not to mention the last 40+ years). It seems that Barack Obama's class welfare schtick and bailout regime really has corrupted the sense of determination and hardwork that used to form the fabric of this nation.
Padcrasher should come forth and reveal how "upward mobility" is a function of the United States Government.
Because the tables have tipped. Those needing government subsidies are now the majority in America.
Um, I may be missing something here, but where in this "study" is the cause investigated? All I see are statistics on mobility. Did it ever occur to these people that not every difference in mobility between countries can be attributed to government policy?
Um, I may be missing something here, but where in this "study" is the cause investigated? All I see are statistics on mobility. Did it ever occur to these people that not every difference in mobility between countries can be attributed to government policy?
Depends on the agenda that study was meant to back.
Its not my field, but in some late night alcohol-fueled solving of world problems, friends whose fields were social policy or public health told me that the biggest driver of social mobility is equal access to education.
If you don't have any access to education, you've got a much bigger hill to climb than they guy who does have an education. And the woman whose parents sent her to Harward has a much better start than the one who attended community college. Regardless of individual drive and hard work, these things will probably influence their careers for the rest of their lives.
Same thing, to a lesser degree, for health care, dental, etc.
On an entirely separate note, the countries who do have high social mobility, all have significant programs and resources spent on increasing the percentage of kids who grow up to be taxpayers. Not for altruism, but because moving people from the ranks of benefits claimants to productive taxpayers pay off massivly for countires.
So what exactly do you want the government to do to increase "upward mobility?"
I'll standby for your answer because i'm genuinely curious what you think the US Government can do to empower those who can't even accomplish the most basic tenets of life in the US (ie. graduating high school/college/trade school/family/children/jobs, etc.). Upward mobility has to have a foundation, and that foundation has crumbled with the decline of the familial unit.
Enlighten us. What can government do that the individual obviously cannot?
Nobody is claiming the individual cannot do what the government can do.
Government can make it easier on it's citizens to better themselves.
Free technical training, reduced rate university degrees, the ability to change jobs or start a business without the risk of losing health insurance, more progressive tax rates.
There is a positive correlation between upward mobility and the financial resources available to the individual when they enter the economy. Our economy is a game of "Slides and Ladders" with the "slides" (temporary employment, low pay, no health insurance) concentrated at the bottom and the "ladders" (good to great education, family and business culture and connections, available capital) concentrated at the top. The poor enter at the bottom and the plutocrats at the top. Effectively upward mobility is concentrated at the top. It is far likelier for a rich individual to become very rich than it is for a destitute person to become self supporting. The system is rigged to prevent any mobility upward for the bottom third of the population and practically guarantee it for the top tenth.
Their social and economic gains have come at a very great cost to everyone else in this country and these gains do not seem to be slowing down let alone be threatened by an evenly distributed “upward mobility”. In reality our economy has become dominated by downward mobility resulting from off shoring investment and industry as well as the failure of the home mortgage bubble. Neither of these were accidents but just part of the policy to destroy upward mobility for most and guarantee it for the few.
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