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Non American here. They seem to be the greatest country on earth. They have a big problem with the gap between the rich and the poor but have huge upward mobili

by xupybd 7y ago

Non American here. They seem to be the greatest country on earth. They have a big problem with the gap between the rich and the poor but have huge upward mobility. The education system is too expensive and a bit of a scam but does that cause the problems people think it does. Can you make it in the US without a degree?

throwaway936482 7y ago
Social mobility in the USA is actually much lower than in other developed countries.
- xupybd 7y ago
  It's not the best in the USA but I understand it's not terrible. https://www.oecd.org/centrodemexico/medios/44582910.pdf https://www.oecd.org/centrodemexico/medios/44582910.pdf It's also incredibly complex so perhaps it was a silly thing for me to comment on as I don't think it's that easy to define or measure.
  - redorb 7y ago
    upward mobility doesn't scale well. USA is doing epic for the scale on the upward mobility. If you were born here or get to become a citizen you've won a lottery compared to the bottom 50% of the world. To claim much worse and to be a US citizen is to say you've 'earned winning the lottery' .. Not to build up the US or put down any other country just the way it is imo
  - thundergolfer 7y ago
    They do measure it though, and the best measurements show that the USA does not compare favourably to other developed nations at all. I think the line commentators tend to use is “the American Dream is alive and well, in Denmark”
- barry-cotter 7y ago
  Social mobility is basically invariant across societies, with a heritability of about 0.7 according to Gregory Clark’s research (A Farewell to Alms, The Son Also Rises, the upcoming For Whom the Bell Curve Tolls). The difference is explained by the number of generations covered.
paulddraper 7y ago
> Can you make it in the US without a degree? Absolutely. * This being HN, I should point you can make it in IT/software without a degree though you must start at the low-end and climb from there. * Skilled blue collar work has its limits but provides an accessible career more than capable of supporting a family. * Military service has its drawbacks but has quite cushy benefits. * For the ambitious, service-based small businesses are easier than ever. While it's possible to make it in the US without a degree, I'd recommend more of a middle ground of a 2 or 4-year degree from a local college or state school.

by xupybd 7y ago

throwaway936482 7y ago

Social mobility in the USA is actually much lower than in other developed countries.

xupybd 7y ago
It's not the best in the USA but I understand it's not terrible. https://www.oecd.org/centrodemexico/medios/44582910.pdf https://www.oecd.org/centrodemexico/medios/44582910.pdf It's also incredibly complex so perhaps it was a silly thing for me to comment on as I don't think it's that easy to define or measure.
- redorb 7y ago
  upward mobility doesn't scale well. USA is doing epic for the scale on the upward mobility. If you were born here or get to become a citizen you've won a lottery compared to the bottom 50% of the world. To claim much worse and to be a US citizen is to say you've 'earned winning the lottery' .. Not to build up the US or put down any other country just the way it is imo
- thundergolfer 7y ago
  They do measure it though, and the best measurements show that the USA does not compare favourably to other developed nations at all. I think the line commentators tend to use is “the American Dream is alive and well, in Denmark”
barry-cotter 7y ago
Social mobility is basically invariant across societies, with a heritability of about 0.7 according to Gregory Clark’s research (A Farewell to Alms, The Son Also Rises, the upcoming For Whom the Bell Curve Tolls). The difference is explained by the number of generations covered.

paulddraper 7y ago

> Can you make it in the US without a degree? Absolutely. * This being HN, I should point you can make it in IT/software without a degree though you must start at the low-end and climb from there. * Skilled blue collar work has its limits but provides an accessible career more than capable of supporting a family. * Military service has its drawbacks but has quite cushy benefits. * For the ambitious, service-based small businesses are easier than ever. While it's possible to make it in the US without a degree, I'd recommend more of a middle ground of a 2 or 4-year degree from a local college or state school.