4 ms·

The book is really good and definitely worth a read, especially for the analysis he presents in the first few chapters. The "Fishtown" vs. "Belmont" graphs are

by clarkm 13y ago

The book is really good and definitely worth a read, especially for the analysis he presents in the first few chapters. The "Fishtown" vs. "Belmont" graphs are brilliant. They do a great job illustrating just how much trends in marriage vary between classes. The upper 20% still marry and divorce at the same rates they did in the 60s, but the bottom 30% has changed dramatically. Murray also does great analysis on what he calls "SuperZIPs": the zip codes in the top 5% of combined income and education. You can see you score here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/local/2013/11/09/washington-a-world-apart/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/local/2013/11/09/washington... It's not just neighborhoods where the elites cluster -- it's entire regions.

aidenn0 13y ago
Apparently, I grew up in 96th percentile zip-code, but bordered on a 99 and 2 98s.
redthrowaway 13y ago
Counterpoint from David Frum, a guy I disagree with on many issues but nonetheless respect immensely: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/06/charles-murray-book-review.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/06/charles-mur...
- tesseractive 13y ago
  Thank you for this link. I've only gotten through part 1 so far, but it's a devastating critique of Murray's framing of the problem. One particularly interesting bit: > As I looked backward and forward in time, however, I had to face this awkward fact: America became more culturally stable between 1910 and 1960 as it became less economically and socially libertarian. As it became more economically and socially libertarian after 1970, America became culturally less stable: > "The greatest generation was also the statist generation. Like them or loathe them, the middle decades of the twentieth century were an entirely anomalous period in American history. Never had the state been so strong, never had people submitted as uncomplainingly, never had the country been more economically equal, never had it been more ethnically homogeneous, seldom was its political consensus more overpowering."

by clarkm 13y ago

aidenn0 13y ago

Apparently, I grew up in 96th percentile zip-code, but bordered on a 99 and 2 98s.

redthrowaway 13y ago

Counterpoint from David Frum, a guy I disagree with on many issues but nonetheless respect immensely: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/06/charles-murray-book-review.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/06/charles-mur...

tesseractive 13y ago
Thank you for this link. I've only gotten through part 1 so far, but it's a devastating critique of Murray's framing of the problem. One particularly interesting bit: > As I looked backward and forward in time, however, I had to face this awkward fact: America became more culturally stable between 1910 and 1960 as it became less economically and socially libertarian. As it became more economically and socially libertarian after 1970, America became culturally less stable: > "The greatest generation was also the statist generation. Like them or loathe them, the middle decades of the twentieth century were an entirely anomalous period in American history. Never had the state been so strong, never had people submitted as uncomplainingly, never had the country been more economically equal, never had it been more ethnically homogeneous, seldom was its political consensus more overpowering."