Those “freedom fries” look pretty French right now
Looks like the dictum, "Work hard and get ahead," is another myth gone bust, along with the other pretty bubbles that make up the American Dream.
A new three-year study deflates the notion of social mobility in the United States. Because the gap between the wealthiest and poorest is larger in the United States than in 30 other developed nations, our ability to improve our economic status is less than that of the United Kingdom. Stated another way: If you’re born in this nation, you have less chance of upward mobility than in England, our stereotyped epitome of the immobile, class-based society.
The study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) of its member nations found that in the United States the richest 10 percent earn an average of $93,000—the highest level in the OECD. The poorest 10 percent earn an average of $5,800—about 20 percent lower than the OECD average.
As Eli pointed out this week, the (typically) illusory notion held by millions in this nation that they will rise well above their current income bracket often results in Americans voting for their aspirations and against their economic interests. The new OECD study is a must for helping us bust this myth, as are recent analyses that demonstrate the many reasons why the U.S. economy fares better under Democrats than Republicans.
The OECD report couldn’t be more blunt in slicing through the myth of U.S. social mobility. In short:
The United States has the highest inequality and poverty in the OECD after Mexico and Turkey, and the gap has increased rapidly since 2000, the report said. France, meanwhile, has seen inequalities fall in the past 20 years as poorer workers are better paid.
"The gap has increased rapidly since 2000."
After eight years of George W., seems like the French are having the last laugh.
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Great post Tula. Thanks.
That wage disparity gap is a biggie. Kinda fries me, if you catch my drift…
“Work hard and get ahead” is the old dictum.
There’s two new ones: “Be born wealthy” and “Marry wealth”.
I wonder how teacher salaries compare to other countries.
I missed the first one. May try to work on the second one.
As long as idiots like Joe the Plumber vote against their economic interests because they mentally masturbate about being rich, we will have this problem.
and there is where the differance goes between lower wages and higher wages, the cost savings does NOT go to higher prices, prices are based on what people will pay not what the unit cost.
lower wages goes STRAIGHT to ceo bank accounts and bonuses (bonuses= boni?)
This gap will continue to accelerate because there is another report today that children are now less likely to graduate high school than their parents.
Well if the richest 10 per cent average $93K and 62 percent make less than $50K, that leaves 28 per cent making between $51 and $92K.
So where is the ‘middle class’ really in terms of income? Yes the media won’t fess up to the issue of what actually comprises the ‘middle class’ when it comes to income.
Of course the number for the richest 10 per cent is skewed because the top 400 individuals in America saw an increase in their wealth of $670 billion, so that by 2007 the top 1 percent earned more income than the bottom 50 percent.
There are lots of statistical reasons for wealth to tend to concentrate- and unless steps are taken (inheritance taxes, progressive taxation, etc) it will continue forever.
Does anyone know if this study includes the Navajo Nation? That is some of the most crushing poverty I’ve ever seen.
OT but Perris, I answered your concern re your Dad here
We beat Mexico for social inequality?
Are these numbers individual income or family income? Anyone know?
i dream of being in the middle class some day ….
thanx ubetchaiam, will look into that and advise
much appreciated
Stupid Amurikans..got their wish.
America does have a great propaganda meme devoted to promoting the anyone can get ahead in America theme.
Maybe future tyrants will copy that to keep their own people happy. Conservatives seem to love propaganda that says we are number one! and Hate the different.
Those two things in a nutshell are the GOP’s way to win elections.
To bad that the reality of a losing war and down economy being blamed ON the GOP is forcing people to pay attention to the issues.
Isn’t the American Capitalistic bull$hit $illy?
We are, indeed, ‘exceptional’ and damned proud of it!
However, the new ‘game plan’, which research has shown to be widespread among the populace, is breath-taking in both its grasp and actual genius.
Most people in this country now intend to win the lottery.
THAT is the new ‘Murkan Dream.
The odds of its success are hardly any less than ’success’ in ANY of ‘Murkah’s other mythical ‘dreams’, at least today …
Maybe, possibly, perhaps that will change one day next month …
We shall see.
Excellent AND critically important post, Tula.
Hopefully, the people of the nation are actually paying attention.
How sad link please and John plays craps so he is one of the hoard.
Am I elitist if I think gamboling is a quick dumb way to lose your money?
“Most people in this country now intend to win the lottery.”; thanks for reminding me; I forgot to check my tickets *G*
How much better would America be doinging the rankings if we just pretended the Bush years never happened?
That sounds like an Obama ad.
and so the American empire went out not with a bang, but a whimper.
That’s Bush’s real legacy.
What salaries do teachers get paid in America ?
Welcome to the United States – governed by plutocracy.
That Gamboling on the Lottery is now seen as a better path to being rich than hard work hmmm… then Bush’s legacy is Despair!
Depends on where you live and how rich the school dist you teach at is.
It’s also a recognition that hard work doesn’t do diddly-squat for you any more. All it does is make you tired. It damn sure doesn’t help you get rich or even tread water.
No linkerage, TCU, this is based on private info, kind of like the Federal Reserve makes use of …
Actually, Things, said ‘research’ is me own and the sample in question is both derivative and postulatory, representing conversations which have taken place over the past several years in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh regions of Pennsylvania.
Were you to engage in similar ‘research’, doubtless your ‘findings’ would correlate very well with my own.
The real value of the lottery ‘perspective’ is not so much winning, per se, as having the comfortable ‘fall back’ position of knowing that one’s needs and those of one’s family are just a winning ticket away …
Hope is a superball ticket and a huge ‘prize’.
And we ALL are exceptionally deserving of winning (at least next month).
Of course, then we have to ‘make’ Obama do what is needful.
Hazarding a guess, it looks as if we shall be spending the rest of our lives insisting that our ‘leaders’ do what is needful AND just.
In the pursuit of meaningful endeavor, therefore, we are wealthy beyond measure, if not imagination.
;~D
Isn’t there a base salary ? Up here, Private school teachers don’t have one but Public School Teachers do. (thanks to their Union)
Brilliant !
Well, if you really wanted to get rich, other than winning a Lottery, you could become a Wardrobe Consultant
to the RNC …
LOL!
Aw, shucks … Petro.
;~D
Good question I don’t know
Petro, I took a $5,000 moving from NYC to Texas. But I don’t pay state or city taxes here.
I don’t know for sure. I’m sure there are no nationwide base salaries and I don’t think there are any state-wide (or at least not for the states I’ve lived). At most there might be district-wide due to a union agreement.
But those also mandate continuing education requirements that push the teachers to get a master’s or above or lose accreditation.
The class structure of a third-world nation, just as Prescott Bush always dreamed.
Surprise. Surprise. After the last 8 years of Bush Republican administration glorifying mediocracy, what would one expect?
Stage right, Sarah Palin producer of babies, babies, babies, babies, babies, and neither number one or two finished high school, if what I have read is correct. Someone do correct me if I’m wrong.
Wait ’til ‘they’ decide they need a ‘MORALS consultant’, Petro.
Either that will be the most lucrative and interesting ‘position’ ever devised (think political ‘Kama Sutra’) or else ’twill meaning nothing at all. Just about what ‘their’ morality means today.
Poor things, Gawd Bless ‘Em.
(Being one of them thar atheists, Petro, I can say that without fear of supernatural consequence, don’t mean nuthin’ a’tall.)
;~D
I’m only asking because Teachers who were making $35-40K up here took jobs in San Antonio and other parts of America that paid them close to $50K + moving fees.
I guess those were not average salaries paid by every Board.
Tula,
Forgive my manners but the french fries look oh so delish and I’m hungry! *g*. I forgot to say great post.
LOL !!!
I thought Luntz already had that position … /s
How many years experience? Masters degree? How wealthy a district?
I’m sure I would have missed this important report; thanks for posting, Tula. All the loose talk about redistributing wealth wears me the fck out, as if that had not been an ongoing crusade in the opposite direction for the past decades.
“Well, I bought a lottery ticket today, so I guess I’ll vote GOP.”
Is that the aspirational logic Joe the Plumber uses to justify his McCain/Palin vote? “I might be rich someday!”
Wow.
Gotta Concentrate that Wealth. eh?
I admit I got hungry looking at photos of fries for this post.
(Thought I’d make up for last week’s ugly TOE):
http://firedoglake.com/2008/10…..pedicures/