thier society stll trails the USA in social mobility
That’s not even remotely true. The Horatio Alger/Scarface myth is deeply embedded in our national psyche, but it’s no borne out in reality. Social mobility in the US is much lower than Europe.
Now, the degree of difference between the very successful and unsuccessful here is greater — western europe has a larger middle class; we have many more ultra-wealthy — and so the few individuals who do “make it” in America make it big and loud, but if you’re born poor in America you’re more likely to die poor having had poor children.
Horatio Alger is Dead
thier society stll trails the USA in social mobility
That’s not even remotely true. The Horatio Alger/Scarface myth is deeply embedded in our national psyche, but it’s no borne out in reality. Social mobility in the US is much lower than Europe.
Now, the degree of difference between the very successful and unsuccessful here is greater — western europe has a larger middle class; we have many more ultra-wealthy — and so the few individuals who do “make it” in America make it big and loud, but if you’re born poor in America you’re more likely to die poor having had poor children.
Check it out. Here’s wikipedia on social mobility and interesting lecture.