Land of Opportunity . . . a meme whose time has gone?

abumbyanyothername

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Tue Aug-04-09 06:24 PM
Original message

Land of Opportunity . . . a meme whose time has gone?

A discussion that broke out in another person's thread.

I claim that the "work hard, get ahead" meme is positively harmful in our society and a lie, because it applies to so very few that even if you can point to one or two examples, it is clearly not a path that the multitudes are going to take. Meanwhile, people who are buying into the "get ahead" meme understand that you get ahead by getting over on your fellows.

The whole concept of working hard and getting ahead is simply a meme that is propagated by the rich and powerful to keep us separated and antagonized toward each other.

The core of the divide and conquer strategy.

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valerief

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Tue Aug-04-09 06:27 PM
Response to Original message

1. There's plenty of opportunity. If you start out as one of The Chosen Assholes. nt

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anigbrowl

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Tue Aug-04-09 07:03 PM
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2. Speaking as european...

I think the 'work hard, et ahead' idea is one of the best things about the US. I've never taken it to mean 'ahead of your neighbor', but rather 'ahead of your current position'. That said, I think access to opportunity has suffered a severe decline during the Bush administration, But I basically like the entrepreneurial culture of the US, or at least that of California (where I spend the vast majority of my time in the US).

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taught_me_patience

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Tue Aug-04-09 07:07 PM
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3. California is the land of opportunity

and will continue to be so. I'm highly optimistic about the future and see potential to improve my life everywhere... even in this recession.

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Phoebe Loosinhouse

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Tue Aug-04-09 07:15 PM
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4. The BEST thing about the US is that we do not have the Classism to the extent other countries have

Edited on Tue Aug-04-09 07:15 PM by Phoebe Loosinhouse

You CAN come from a poor family and go to a top school or simply be an entrepreneur and actually strike it rich or open a business that does well, etc. No one is actively standing in your way to prevent you from being your desire.

BUT - I was just wondering when this thread appeared, when the US would start seeing drastic declines in immigration due to wages and healthcare?

If you right this minute were a brilliant scientist from some unnamed country,and all choices were open - would you immigrate to the US or Canada or France?

That is what a Land of Opportunity is - a place where people COME to make their fortunes.

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