Americans are increasingly unlikely to believe that those who work hard will get ahead and that their children will be better off than they are, according to two recent polls.
Americans are increasingly unlikely to believe that those who work hard will get ahead and that their children will be better off than they are, according to two recent polls.
This is a qualitative metric that may or may not be a reflection of the economy, but it sure seems like bad news. At least it’s bad news for those who aren’t coming from existing wealth or connections.
If most people believe that hard work - without needing a prior wealthy social circle - will not result in a commensurate lifestyle, they won’t be as willing to put in the time for education, be willing to grind their early career, or be willing to borrow money believing that tomorrow will surely be better. That can easily start a downward cycle where there are fewer and fewer opportunities.
Maybe that’s why I’ve heard rumors that more people are entering trade schools. Generally higher paying, shorter time to graduate, often unionized…
Many of them pay more than white collar work too.
Yeah, but on the flip side - this is the energy we can use to change things for the better
Debt only drives things under our insane system, there’s so many other options. People accepting that “hey, things won’t work out if we slave away for rich assholes” is the first step to coming up with a system that benefits everyone more (even the rich assholes… They’re not happy either)