Mayor Bloomberg says America is a Land of Opportunity

Is the U.S. Still a ‘Land of Opportunity’?

New York Times - January 8, 2012 9:02 PM

A growing body of evidence suggests that the United States, far from being the land of opportunity celebrated in our history and our literature, is instead a country where class matters after all, where upward mobility is constrained, especially among those born into the bottom ranks.

There is a growing consensus that it is harder to move up the economic ladder in the United States than in many other places, like Canada. Should more Americans consider leaving the U.S. to get ahead? The economic crisis has put a substantial crimp in a cornerstone of the American dream – their ability to climb the socio-economic ladder. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that young ambitious Americans may be headed overseas – to China, India, emerging economies and other places to pursue economic opportunity.

For a Pew Foundation project on economic mobility, my Heritage colleagues and I identified three crucial “leading indicators” for upward movement. One is accumulating savings.  Second, family breakdown has devastated economic progress for those on the bottom rungs.  The third is education. It’s almost impossible today to move up the ladder without a college degree. The good news: American higher education seems on the brink of a huge reorganization and cost reduction, thanks to new business models and advances in online education.

Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/08/is-the-us-still-a-land-of-opportunity

The U.S. Still a ‘Land of Opportunity”:  Mayor Bloomberg

“A growing body of evidence suggests that the United States, far from losing its status as the ‘the land of opportunity’ should be celebrated as a land of limitless opportunity,” says Mayor Bloomberg in New York city.   In our history and our literature, it is now clear that  class matters after all and  upward mobility is unconstrained, especially among those born into the top ranks.

There is a growing consensus that it is easy to move even further up the economic ladder in the United States.  The economic crisis has given substantial advantage to cornerstone of the American dream:  – the ability of the rich to even further exploit the poor while they are suffering.  Anecdotal evidence also suggests that young ambitious Americans may be headed further up the economic scale.

A project on economic mobility done by the “For the Few Foundation”, identified three crucial “leading indicators” for upward movement. One is accumulating savings and it is clear that the rich are showing an ability to enjoy the opportunities here.  The second is that family breakdown has devastated economic progress for those on the bottom rungs which means more opportunities for those in the upper rungs.  The third is education, where it is almost impossible today to move up the ladder without a college degree. But rising tuition makes sure that lower classes cannot get in.  The good news: American higher education serves the top 1% well. 

Mayor Bloomber cheerfully points out that America clearly remains a “land of opportunity.”  “Look at me” says Mayor Bloomberg.  “I was able to buy an election and can now continue to serve the needs of the one percent.  What an opportunity and I was able to make it happen with nothing but hard work and lots of money!!”