Big Picture Thinking

[Occhidiangela]

Currently, the American wealth based aristocracy has found a way to maintain their privileged position, while mostly preventing any emergence of a noveau riche.

I challenge this statment.

I only challenge the second half. :) I am pretty certain that the rich do what they can to sustain that status (who wouldn't, being poor sucks) but charges that there is an active agenda to prevent a noveau rich are easily poo poohed by facts.

Little snippets, for example, such as "over half of American 'millionaires' are first generation wealthy."

Now, I suspect that some of that has to do with the last 20 years slowly but surely growing economy. If we have 10 years of less fertile ground, those figures may change. I for one am still irritated at how much lip service and how little substance is going into public school improvements on a national level. As I see it, investing in our future is all about raising the bar and the quality of our education, and not accepting social advancement as an acceptable norm. I realize I may be tarred and feathered for saying this, but the 'school voucher' system polarizes our society without addressing the root problem: our children, ALL of them, are the future of our country, and the grounding we give them in primary and secondary is an indispensible part of provinding for their, and our, future.

Enough on that.