For all its flaws why does it seem America is better than the UK when it comes to upward mobility?

[ArchibaultNew]

Hey guys,

I was watching a UK documentary and it seems that where you went to school matters as to how well you do in life. For instance, if you when to a public school(an equivalent to a exclusive private school) you are pretty much set for life.

You will have access to many positions like Politician, Judges, Olympics. Meanwhile, if you go to an average school or college you are pretty much screwed. There's little you can do to change your situation. You "can't change your class." I know class is irrespective of money but come on, not every working class person can become David Beckham.

Meanwhile, in America I've seen people who became CEO's and who went to a state school. I am not saying this happens all the time. But it seems every state prefers Locals over people having a fancy degree. In fact, I know some people who went to an Elite School in another state and nobody knows there's school in the state they are in.

What do you guys think?

[Moretorque]

Everybody has had plenty of time to figure this out, America is and has become the same way. All the the Supreme Justices only come from two schools in America now. The UK is total Government control and has been that is why people came to the US. Now the US has been taken over by the same financial system that has run the UK for centuries and their system is a total caste system and it is going down world wide. Communism is nothing but a super caste system. What you are saying was true in the past but overall not today.

The credit system runs everything for the most part world wide.

[Cornfed]

It seems pretty much the same all over the West. For a while the peasants were allowed to think they could get ahead in order to destroy the old ethnic and family ties. Now they are being put back in their place as newly isolated and alienated individuals.

[gsjackson]

Supreme Court and perhaps Masters of the Universe aside, I think the OP is right. Having local connections is everything in the U.S. My Duke degree and frat membership have never gotten me anything. My first job after graduation can be attributed to playing on the baseball team and interviewing with a boss whose pride and joy was the office softball team. It's who you know, and academic credentials mean absolutely nothing in 99 percent of the U.S. They do mean a little bit for getting into grad, law or med school, but for regular jobs -- nada.

That said, the American workplace, especially post Crazy Time, is a very dark and forbidding environment. People are just really screwed up here now.

[Moretorque]

Supreme Court and perhaps Masters of the Universe aside, I think the OP is right. Having local connections is everything in the U.S. My Duke degree and frat membership have never gotten me anything. My first job after graduation can be attributed to playing on the baseball team and interviewing with a boss whose pride and joy was the office softball team. It's who you know, and academic credentials mean absolutely nothing in 99 percent of the U.S. They do mean a little bit for getting into grad, law or med school, but for regular jobs -- nada.

That said, the American workplace, especially post Crazy Time, is a very dark and forbidding environment. People are just really screwed up here now.

I would agree with that in the past but not anymore, the way things are going if you are not hooked into the corporate machine you will be screwed in most cases and your credentials will mean alot as far as coming from the background they want on many fronts. This is social engineering 101 and more so every day. Also when you think about the US losing the world reserve currency that is a major major leaning towards you better be in with the corprate structure if you want a good job because most small to medium business will be gone much more so than even now..