AMERICAN INEQUALITY FORTY PERCENT FOREVER POOR?
By Stephen Wilson
"In short, from new research based on some novel metrics of well-being, I find
strong evidence that the American dream is in tatters, at that least. " declared
Carol Graham, in relation to a recent survey on Inequality in America. The
research was conducted by the Georgetown center on Poverty and Inequality
and appears to reaffirm the grim conclusions of a recent United Nation's
report on poverty in America. The survey found that poor people in America
are twenty times less likely to believe that hard work will improve their situation or offer a means to overcome poverty. However, Afro-American don't seem to be as pessimistic as poor white workers. Another startling finding revealed that as many as 40% of those who were poor in childhood, remain poor.
The situation has worsened, rather than improved as inequality and the erection of more obstacles such as rising low pay, enforced austerity and the declining power of the trade unions have intensified.
While 90% of the children born in 1940 ended up attaining higher incomes than their parents, only 40 % of those born in 1980 have done so. This research is important because there are so many people who believe in the American
Dream and don't even begin to questions the assumptions behind it. The basic
premise of the American Dream is that America is meritocratic and that everyone
has an equal opportunity to to realize their full potential and 'make it'. But even
this is over simplistic because 'success' can be defined in so many different ways
that it is not always very clear what it means to be successful. Are you successful
because you have two cars or one ? Have you made it if you finally 'own' your
apartment by the time you are 35 or 65 ? And how do counter a Buddhist monk
who claims to have successfully overcome consumerism by relinquishing all
his possessions ? Is not the latter making a mockery of the American dream?
What is crucial to understand is that the real causes of poverty in America are
not laziness, incompetence or a lack of the virtues but structural causes such
as an industry collapsing due to falling demand, discrimination, corruption,
corporate greed, highly rented accommodation and widespread low pay where
the wealthy refuse to share their wealth.
The childish and naive illusions that poverty can be magically conjured away
by a doze of positive thinking or 'pulling yourself together' through 'hard work'
seems absurd. It is like trying to wish away your toothache by thinking nice
thoughts. No matter how upbeat you are, the thronging pain remorselessly
returns.
The report is not all grim. Some poor people do manage to escape from poverty
An estimated 27% of poor Afro American school children managed to attain
some economic success. What is moving is how so many Afro-American
families manage to cope with such immense difficulties due to the help of
families, friends and informal social networks. In contrast to most poor whites,
they can draw on this safety net.
Another factor noted is the role which 'luck' can play in changing circumstances.
A poor person's misfortune might be reversed simply by being taken under the
wing by a benefactor or helpful mentor. Social support from churches can also
play an important part in preventing some poor people from falling into complete
despair. Many minorities tend to have a much stronger sense of resilience than
their poor white counter parts. There might be a grain of truth behind the
benevolent person who intervenes to save the hero from relentless poverty as
in Charles Dickens ' novels 'Oliver Twist' , and 'Our Mutual Friend'. But we should
not overstate this narrative as Dickens indicated by the reversal of fortunes
experienced by Pip in 'Great Expectations'. The hero of those novels doesn't
always get a second chance.
Despite those and other previous findings which explodes the American Dream,
people will continue to believe in it. This is especially true of so many migrants
who view America as an attractive beacon of hope in a very stormy world.
They maintain that though America is not perfect, it seems fairer than , say,
IL Salvador or the Congo. Many people I encounter in Russia dream of living
in America forever. An artist i met could not understand why I was still in Russia.
"Don't you get sick of living here? I would love to live in America. At least they
would pay me on time, unlike here ! " She maybe wonders why I do not go
go to America or rather, doubts my sanity. A few months ago I was teaching a
pleasant manager who told me his dream was to win a lottery ticket to go to
America. And I was asked to check the application of an actress who was seeking
to renew her Green card. Those people won't be dissuaded from going to
America or cherishing their dreams of a better life. Such people , as well as
minorities in America, deserve something much better than to have their dreams
rudely shattered.
By Stephen Wilson
"In short, from new research based on some novel metrics of well-being, I find
strong evidence that the American dream is in tatters, at that least. " declared
Carol Graham, in relation to a recent survey on Inequality in America. The
research was conducted by the Georgetown center on Poverty and Inequality
and appears to reaffirm the grim conclusions of a recent United Nation's
report on poverty in America. The survey found that poor people in America
are twenty times less likely to believe that hard work will improve their situation or offer a means to overcome poverty. However, Afro-American don't seem to be as pessimistic as poor white workers. Another startling finding revealed that as many as 40% of those who were poor in childhood, remain poor.
The situation has worsened, rather than improved as inequality and the erection of more obstacles such as rising low pay, enforced austerity and the declining power of the trade unions have intensified.
While 90% of the children born in 1940 ended up attaining higher incomes than their parents, only 40 % of those born in 1980 have done so. This research is important because there are so many people who believe in the American
Dream and don't even begin to questions the assumptions behind it. The basic
premise of the American Dream is that America is meritocratic and that everyone
has an equal opportunity to to realize their full potential and 'make it'. But even
this is over simplistic because 'success' can be defined in so many different ways
that it is not always very clear what it means to be successful. Are you successful
because you have two cars or one ? Have you made it if you finally 'own' your
apartment by the time you are 35 or 65 ? And how do counter a Buddhist monk
who claims to have successfully overcome consumerism by relinquishing all
his possessions ? Is not the latter making a mockery of the American dream?
What is crucial to understand is that the real causes of poverty in America are
not laziness, incompetence or a lack of the virtues but structural causes such
as an industry collapsing due to falling demand, discrimination, corruption,
corporate greed, highly rented accommodation and widespread low pay where
the wealthy refuse to share their wealth.
The childish and naive illusions that poverty can be magically conjured away
by a doze of positive thinking or 'pulling yourself together' through 'hard work'
seems absurd. It is like trying to wish away your toothache by thinking nice
thoughts. No matter how upbeat you are, the thronging pain remorselessly
returns.
The report is not all grim. Some poor people do manage to escape from poverty
An estimated 27% of poor Afro American school children managed to attain
some economic success. What is moving is how so many Afro-American
families manage to cope with such immense difficulties due to the help of
families, friends and informal social networks. In contrast to most poor whites,
they can draw on this safety net.
Another factor noted is the role which 'luck' can play in changing circumstances.
A poor person's misfortune might be reversed simply by being taken under the
wing by a benefactor or helpful mentor. Social support from churches can also
play an important part in preventing some poor people from falling into complete
despair. Many minorities tend to have a much stronger sense of resilience than
their poor white counter parts. There might be a grain of truth behind the
benevolent person who intervenes to save the hero from relentless poverty as
in Charles Dickens ' novels 'Oliver Twist' , and 'Our Mutual Friend'. But we should
not overstate this narrative as Dickens indicated by the reversal of fortunes
experienced by Pip in 'Great Expectations'. The hero of those novels doesn't
always get a second chance.
Despite those and other previous findings which explodes the American Dream,
people will continue to believe in it. This is especially true of so many migrants
who view America as an attractive beacon of hope in a very stormy world.
They maintain that though America is not perfect, it seems fairer than , say,
IL Salvador or the Congo. Many people I encounter in Russia dream of living
in America forever. An artist i met could not understand why I was still in Russia.
"Don't you get sick of living here? I would love to live in America. At least they
would pay me on time, unlike here ! " She maybe wonders why I do not go
go to America or rather, doubts my sanity. A few months ago I was teaching a
pleasant manager who told me his dream was to win a lottery ticket to go to
America. And I was asked to check the application of an actress who was seeking
to renew her Green card. Those people won't be dissuaded from going to
America or cherishing their dreams of a better life. Such people , as well as
minorities in America, deserve something much better than to have their dreams
rudely shattered.
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