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Sarooster, you're right about blame. There's blame to go around and it doesn't get us anywhere. It's true that working hard will produce greater success, but for some it produces a lot more than others because of those systemic barriers. No one should be guaranteed the outcome they seek, but many aren't even guaranteed the opportunity because opportunity costs money. Opportunity is in everything from the basics of food, clothing and shelter to medical care and education. If you can't get these things because you can't afford them and the government won't pay for them, you're probably gonna get screwed. It's a catch-22 for the working poor. They're told they need to go to school and get a job in order to succeed, but then they're not given the resouces they need to afford school or occupational training (for skilled professions that pay a lot more). As long as we trap people in this catch-22, we have no business purporting to be a nation of equal opportunity.
posted by
Dyl_Pickle
on December 23, 2004 at 9:06 AM
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There are so many things that go into making a person what
they are that it is hard to quantify and qualify it all. Hard work, as what my wife has done, generally will get you a moderate amount of success. We are free to be what we want to be in this country. The government guarantees we will all have an opportunity here, but they can't guarantee the outcome. I would not expect them to. My wife and I both work very hard and we have never been given any special treatment, nor do we have any great skills and knowledge. Hard work and desire is what did it for us. Anyone can do what we have done. If you don't work hard though you might not get very far. I know there are people who need help and they can get it right here in this great land. You have to do it mostly by yourself. You can't blame others for your lot in life.
posted by
sarooster
on December 22, 2004 at 7:30 PM
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You say "we all have to do it for ourselves," but not everyone has to do it for himself. The people who grow up in stable, well-to-do families have the best health care and educated provided for them. They work, but only after they've been given these things. They are given the opportunity to succeed. People on the bottom of the economic ladder get much less opportunity. There are systemic barriers: they can't afford health insurance, can't afford college and so have to work a blue collar job instead. Then what if they lose that job? They either go on the dole or they go hungry until they find a new one. When they finally find a new job, they will be at the mercy of the boss. They can work as hard as they can, but still will probably end up working for minimal wages. And if they get sick? Tough. They won't be able to afford the best medical care. But the wealthy and privileged will. Poverty and wealth are not just about individual effort; they're about social conditions and systems. When a person falls ill or loses a job or can only find a job that pays little, it's not entirely his/her fault. The society owes him/her something too, and should not just treat him like a serf. And a lot of people who start on the bottom will finish on the bottom because society doesn't give them their due. Social mobility is unfortunately not nearly as common as commonly believed. The cases you see are famous because they are rare. For the most part, blue collar people will die blue collar and white collar people will die white collar. Unless the government guarantees everyone the opportunity to really pursue their dreams by giving them the resources to do so.
posted by
Dyl_Pickle
on December 22, 2004 at 7:15 PM
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