Quote:
Originally posted by Mike AI
US's free market economy allows anyone to possibly be the next Bill Gates. In Europe, there is still a class system - unless you are born into money, its difficult to attain - and if you do attain they will tax most of it away from you. So there is not much motivation to go beyond normal work.
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And myths are not as prevalent in Europe either.
Sorry. Couldn't resist. Your statement would have been true in the 50's and 60's. But since then things have changed and over the past 20 years in the US, you have been 3-4 times more likely to slip down the economic ladder than to climb up it (ie to move from one distinct economic group to another). And while it is still very possible for people to better themselves within a single economic group, fewer than 1% who start out as middle class ever make it up to the group above.
The separation of rich and poor in the US has passed most of Europe and the gap is still widening.