U.S. no longer a land of opportunity | The Japan Times Online

U.S. no longer a land of opportunity | The Japan Times Online

As the US presidential election draws nearer, this issue of "fair opportunity" to be successful and have a decent quality of life is very important to me.

One related concept in economics seems to be intergenerational economic mobility: whether or not children of poor parents have a chance to be successful if they work hard. I am not an expert on international comparisons of mobility, so I'm not sure of how reasonable the article is, but the author of the article believes that mobility in the United States in more restricted than Europe. The rich stay rich, and the poor and middle class seem to have little upward mobility.

As an educator, my hope is that all students can have equal opportunity in quality of education regardless of parental income. I hope the next administration will not tell children of struggling families to just "fight in the free market" with no support, but will take resources from those (like Romney and his millionaire buddies) who have too much beyond what they need and allocate it to programs that make a difference in the lives of people who are at a relative disadvantage.

"Meritocracy" is basically a good concept. Those who work hard should be rewarded. Competition for rewards can stimulate creativity and productivity, and that leads to better quality of life for all. But from those who have much talent, must should be required. Those who have millions due to their investment ability or talent should be giving back to worthy causes almost everything except what they really need, whether it is through government programs or private donations.

Hopefully, the next president will not be fighting for the rich minority who finance the large part of political campaigns, but for the quality of life of all people in the nation.