Do We Have Equal Opportunity?

No.

I don't think it's fair either.

IMO, true equality of opportunity isn't achievable.

 

Of course we don't all of equal opportunity in America. This is the result of a capitalist based system. Almost always, success- or failure- is the result of luck, pure chance, coincidence, and 'who you know'. In most cases, the poor will become poorer, and the richer will become even richer from their profit on the working class.

 

There is more class discrimination, than racial. A person that is considered a "redneck", from a working class background, may have just as much difficulty getting many jobs as a person from a group that is considered a "minority". It could even be worse for the white, because this type of discrimination is not recognized or addressed by affirmative action programs - only racial types are.

 

We're all made of the same stuff, but that doesn't make us mentally or physically equal to one another. Inequality is a natural occurrence. We can't all be football players just like we can't all be rocket scientists. Where some people may excel, others will not. Where some will show aptitude in one area, others will show aptitude in another. Trying to force equality across the board is a fool's errand. As far as opportunities go, well... I think that for the most part, we all have many opportunities in many areas available to us, but as mentioned before I think that some will naturally have a better chance at seizing some opportunities more than others.

 

No, we don't have equal opportunity.

The same few people have been in control of our economic policy for for far too long, and they set all the rules. Almost every regulatory law is sought out to preserve monopolies and protect special interests, not to protect the US consumer/worker.

If success or failure is the result of "luck, pure chance & coincidence..." then how is that not equality of opportunity?

And secondly, no, this is not the result of a capitalist based system, because the US has been a mixed economy for almost a century.

The people who "profit on the working class" are indeed the problem, but they are surviving through the policies of socialism, not capitalism. Corporate bailouts paid in fiat currency is about as socialist as you can get.

Not to mention the various industrial complexes that have been in bed with the Federal government ever since she acquired carte blanche via the Federal Reserve. If the state aids a corrupt corporate economy, that is called corporatism or fascism.

1. Put risk back into the marketplace. If you suck, you go down. No more easy money, SAVE.

2. Eliminate deficit spending. Don't let the state create exploitative monopolistic corporations. Spend our revenue on what's most important.

3. No more inflation, only gold and silver as legal tender. Inflation hurts the poor the most, and the rich profit from it.

 

I believe America has come a long way in regards to discrimination. Most companies have it in their mission statment that they are anti discrimination.

It will never be achievable if you want to keep your liberty.

 

No, we have an extremely wasteful government that places a huge tax burden on the middle class. The super wealthy elite (not multi-millionaire down the street) get many tax breaks and use tax exempt foundations and trusts to avoid heavy taxation.

The "working poor" are poor because of taxation and inflation, and this also is decremental to the middle class.

Also many people get "free" (taxpayer) money through social programs, which is unfair to someone who is middle class and trying to get by.

The middle class will eventually be squeezed out if we do not end the taxation, runaway inflation, and excessive spending.

We need a smaller government, greatly reduced social programs, no bailouts, etc and a low income tax rate.

An equal economic playing field is more important that making sure there is enough Mexicans, Blacks, or whatever else in a university or company.

Equal treatment and proection under the law to and special privileges for none is the way to go.

 

How could you begin to argue that everyone having luck, pure chance and coincidence provides an equality of opportunity? Logically think about that. It's unfair.

It's not only the US that has been incorporating Marxist-style policies since the dawn of capitalism, it's almost all other countries as well. Nonetheless, this doesn't mean that most workings of a capitalist system don't exist- they do, and it can be observed everyday, everywhere.
You speak as if America is 50% socialist, 50% capitalist... this is sadly not the case. The bourgeois exist because the USA is a capitalist system. Even if there are socialist-style policies being brought into play, it's not like it's taking over capitalism.

 

It's not fair, and the only benefit of that is the one person putting in the most effort will show more appreciation for what they'll be doing later... but with that appreciation and passion, you may go further than that other person who didn't put much work in at all

 

Going on welfare basically guarantees that said person will always be poor. That's how the system's designed, to give the poor enough to get by so they don't riot, but to keep them in their place.

The problem is that there aren't enough jobs. If the government wanted to create real, long term jobs they could have done that by creating economic climates known to encourage job creation and by making it easier for people to open their own businesses and for current businesses to expand more. Instead, they just funneled a bunch of money into various government agencies and banks which (they knew) had no intention of helping the economy at large.

 

^This. How many generations of the same families do you have to see on welfare to concede that it doesn't do jack shit to help them get out of the situation they are in? There is no equal opportunity because instead of trying to fix the cause of the problem, the govt has sought to instead compensate for the symptoms while ignoring the causes. In doing so, the govt actually muddled it even further, so that now discrimination is institutionalized, an illusion of equal opportunity has been fabricated, creating artificial social divisions, which in turn has become the justification for implementing the same kind of "band aid" policies that have aggravated, rather than solved or even alleviated the problem. So, is it intentional or not? Maybe what we see as the problem, which is the lack of equal opportunity, and the continued existence of discrimination is not what the ruling elite think the problem is. Then what are the problems they see, and how do the govt's policies deal with them?

 

Sure, unless you are an able-bodied white male.

Our resumes get tossed in the trash in the name of racial diversity in the workplace.

 

I believe your life is what you make of it. A white kid born into a rich home could fuck his life up just as easily as a poor black kid in the hood could fuck his up.

I don't think we're all given the same opportunity, but you have the opportunity to take your life in the direction you wish. Some just have to try harder...a lot harder than others.

 

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Derivatives are the new ticking time bomb Paul B. Farrell - MarketWatch
Buffett and Gross warn: $516 trillion bubble is a disaster waiting to happen



The SAME people who created all the bad policies which directly led to VIRTUALLY EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM we face on this planet are creating worse policies based on reducing the human population. The toxic fluoride in the water, mercury in the vaccines/teeth fillings/childrens toys from china, toxic air no thanks to an entire society based on burning fossil fuels. I theorized myself years ago that the air was toxic based on my research and guess what scientists now are admitting it.

There have been THOUSANDS of free energy inventors. Nicola Tesla created wireless free energy 100 years ago and is STILL being surpessed by the fascists who want to keep their pyramid sceme the way it is, and the hell with the planet.

NOTHING in this world works the way you think it does. Banks don't lend money, Schools are not there to educate you, they are there you make you satisfied with your shitty life however it turns out because you did something with your life because you have a silly peice of paper that looks pretty. Do you know whats really funny. I am 23. I did NOT go to college/university. ALL MY FRIENDS went to college/university, everyone who finished so far either has no job, or are working real shitty hours at some go nowhere job. and these are people with peices of paper which say they are 'certified' to do science, electricity, mechanical, engineering degrees, doctorates in stupid fields lol it turns out schools DID LIE TO STUDENTS MAKING THEM BELIEVE THEY COULD DO WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO DO IN THIS WORLD. There starts the deception. Riddle me this: If schools were correct in what they said, then why is it millions of people are already running around with their USELESS certificates, degrees, diplomas NOT doing anything with them, ontop of all the people supposedly 'learning' getting diplomas/certificates thinking they will find work after but won't because they haven't learned that they were lied to, and might never get it because they are so ignorant.


Wants some valuable information? Ever wanted a job but needed experience, or need something for a resume that says your educated by a university. SIMPLE. Call your local government and find how much it costs to register a business name. You can also register a phone number if you wish to make it look more legit but THIS WORKS 100% because of the fact EVERY SINGLE college/university IS a business, out for profit, just like doctors they don't care about peoples health, in fact they are profiting off making them unhealthy you could say. Call it Carl Marx University whatever you want employers are none the wiser.

 

As a white guy who has lived in both types of settings (Chicago area and I used to live in "the sticks" in Iowa) I just have trouble agreeing with you. I actually somewhat agree with you that the "redneck" type person may be subject to a certain level of discrimination, but I definitely don't agree that they are subject to as much discrimination as minorities. Not even close.

You are confusing opportunity with qualification. Some people are more qualified than others, sure. The problem is that many people don't even get the opportunity to demonstrate their qualifications to others due to prejudice and discrimination.
I can definitely say that I've seen people who are sufficiently qualified for something get passed up simply because of discrimination. It's sickening.

There is absolutely nothing foolish about trying to give people equal opportunities.

 

Well, not everyone can be a professional sports player just like some people don't have what it takes to be a rocket scientist. How can someone who is born into a rich family with lots of connections be made to have the same (equal) opportunity as someone who was born into a poor family and was raised by a single mom?

 

Simply, no. if you had twins who possess the same amount of natural talent and intelligence, and one child is raised by a "rich" or upper-class family and the other to a "poorer" or "working class" family; it should be obvious which child will have to work harder to get to the same places that the other child can get into with far less effort, that is, in terms of better schools, better neighborhood, etc.

As for how to remedy this? That's difficult, but other posters have pointed out that we would be far closer equal opportunity if we could get the state and the politicians out of bed with the corporations & the CEOs. That is one way to break down our corporate plutarchy, and level the playing field more in the favor of the working class.