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Old 04-20-2012, 09:44 AM
 
10,854 posts, read 9,270,447 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadking2003 View Post
There is pretty much equal opportunity in the USA today.

And economic mobility is alive and well. Millions of us can attest to that fact.
Oh really? Like a true conservative it may be fine for you but it isn't for a lot of people, which you obviously don't give a damn about.

Socio-economic mobility in the United States

Quote:
Several large studies of mobility in developed countries in recent years have found that the US among the lowest in mobility.[4][8] One study (“Do Poor Children Become Poor Adults?")[8][9][12] found that of nine developed countries, the United States and United Kingdom had the lowest intergenerational vertical social mobility with about half of the advantages of having a parent with a high income passed on to the next generation. The four countries with the lowest "intergenerational income elasticity", i.e. the highest social mobility, were Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Canada with less than 20% of advantages of having a high income parent passed on to their children. (see graph)[8]

According to journalist Jason DeParle

At least five large studies in recent years have found the United States to be less mobile than comparable nations. A project led by Markus Jantti, an economist at a Swedish university, found that 42 percent of American men raised in the bottom fifth of incomes stay there as adults. That shows a level of persistent disadvantage much higher than in Denmark (25 percent) and Britain (30 percent) — a country famous for its class constraints.[13] Meanwhile, just 8 percent of American men at the bottom rose to the top fifth. That compares with 12 percent of the British and 14 percent of the Danes. Despite frequent references to the United States as a classless society, about 62 percent of Americans (male and female) raised in the top fifth of incomes stay in the top two-fifths, according to research by the Economic Mobility Project of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Similarly, 65 percent born in the bottom fifth stay in the bottom two-fifths.[4][14]

The Economist also stated that "evidence from social scientists suggests that American society is much `stickier` than most Americans assume. ... would-be Horatio Algers are finding it no easier to climb from rags to riches, while the children of the privileged have a greater chance of staying at the top of the social heap. The United States risks calcifying into a European-style class-based society."[10][15]


Some studies have found that not only is the degree of social mobility in the US not large but it has either remained unchanged or decreased since the 1970s.[10][16][17][18]
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Old 04-20-2012, 09:59 AM
 
17,386 posts, read 11,900,774 times
Reputation: 16131
Quote:
Originally Posted by freemkt View Post
The country hates the poor, that's why they raise the bar to a level the poor can't afford. How dense can you be?

Try READING, exploring, looking things up.

The poor cannot be allowed to buy homes lest they gain a foothold and become immune to displacement. Better to keep them in rent slavery where they can be easily dispersed when others want their homes.
I've been scouring the laws of this land, and can't find any law that says the "poor" cannot buy a home. Can you please direct me to that law?
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Old 04-20-2012, 10:32 AM
 
Location: Long Island, NY
19,792 posts, read 13,885,654 times
Reputation: 5661
Quote:
Originally Posted by ringwise
I've been scouring the laws of this land, and can't find any law that says the "poor" cannot buy a home. Can you please direct me to that law?
Yes, and the laws don't discriminate. It's illegal for a rich man to sleep in the park just as it is for a poor man.
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Old 04-20-2012, 10:41 AM
 
10,854 posts, read 9,270,447 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MTAtech View Post
Yes, and the laws don't discriminate.
I would beg to differ. American history is basically made of laws whose sole intent it was to discriminate, starting with the original version of the United States Constitution.

Some of these laws such a prohibitions against same sex marriage amongst other still exists solely the discriminate.

The 15% capital gains tax is a law that primarily benefits upper income Americans who are in the best position to take advantage of it. There is a difference between explicit discrimination and laws that imply discrimination by giving one group of people a social, political, or economic, advantage over another.
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Old 04-20-2012, 10:41 AM
 
867 posts, read 495,449 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MTAtech View Post
Yes, and the laws don't discriminate. It's illegal for a rich man to sleep in the park just as it is for a poor man.
Really, what you are saying is that the world discriminates against people with caviar tastes and boiled-potatoes ambition. Too bad!!!!! Try upgrading your ambition and downgrading your tastes until they match. Booooo Hoooooo, Booooooo Hooooooooooo
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Old 04-20-2012, 10:52 AM
 
867 posts, read 495,449 times
Reputation: 169
Quote:
Originally Posted by JazzyTallGuy View Post
I would beg to differ. American history is basically made of laws whose sole intent it was to discriminate.

Some of these laws such a prohibitions against same sex marriage amongst other still exists solely the discriminate.

And the 15% capital gains tax is a law that primarily benefits upper income American who are in the best position to take advantage of it. There is a difference between explicit discrimination and laws that imply discrimination by giving one group of people a social, political, or economic, advantage over another.
It is obvious that your mental depth of field is about as deep as a sheet of paper.

The purpose of the definition of marriage is to promote famlies, and has been the way it is forever (practial terms). It has nothing to do with discrimination. Same sex couples are trying to twist marriage into something it wasn't and isn't. You pervert the meaning of it and then say that its purpose is discrimination?? How assisnine.

the 15% capital gains tax exists to benefit all America because it tends to stimulate investment, which by its very nature, is risky.

Try taking a bit longer view of things, cause right now, you're missing easily 90% of the factors involved. Take the blinders off, open both eyes and see the big picture, and quit trying to twist reality to fit your distorted, perverted "template". Change templates to match reality.
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Old 04-20-2012, 10:55 AM
 
867 posts, read 495,449 times
Reputation: 169
Quote:
Originally Posted by MTAtech View Post
Yes, and the laws don't discriminate. It's illegal for a rich man to sleep in the park just as it is for a poor man.
Finally, you said something rational. Congrats (although it was probably fecitious or by-accident, much in the way a stopped clock is "right" twice a day).
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Old 04-20-2012, 10:55 AM
 
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
5,522 posts, read 10,167,542 times
Reputation: 2572
Quote:
Originally Posted by JazzyTallGuy View Post
You exaggerated example is why most Americans remain corporate drones. They simply aren't willing to make short term sacrifices for long term gains to achieve a greater degree of financial freedom.

The majority of Americans DO NOT LIVE BELOW POVERTY LEVEL.

However the majority of Americans are woefully and willingly ignorant of how to use the financial markets to their advantage to invest.

A significant number of Americans are leveraged to the hilt with house mortgages, car payments, and credit card payments of big screen TVs, clothing, and other discretionary items.

On another note you'd be amazed with what you can do in 5 to 7 years with $100 dollars a month with compounded interest in the right investments.
1. That was $100 a year, not a month
2. The majority of Americans do not live below poverty, however the poverty level is also comfortably below living wage in almost every locality.
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Old 04-20-2012, 11:01 AM
 
867 posts, read 495,449 times
Reputation: 169
Quote:
Originally Posted by Randomdude View Post
1. That was $100 a year, not a month
2. The majority of Americans do not live below poverty, however the poverty level is also comfortably below living wage in almost every locality.
Why don't you move to, say, India, for a year and then come back (or not).
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Old 04-20-2012, 11:08 AM
 
Location: Long Island, NY
19,792 posts, read 13,885,654 times
Reputation: 5661
Quote:
Originally Posted by JazzyTallGuy View Post
I would beg to differ. American history is basically made of laws whose sole intent it was to discriminate, starting with the original version of the United States Constitution.

Some of these laws such a prohibitions against same sex marriage amongst other still exists solely the discriminate.

The 15% capital gains tax is a law that primarily benefits upper income Americans who are in the best position to take advantage of it. There is a difference between explicit discrimination and laws that imply discrimination by giving one group of people a social, political, or economic, advantage over another.
I was being sarcastic.
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