It’s not about social mobility
One of my pet hates is supposed lefties bemoaning the end of social mobility under New Labour. Adrian has written the post I wanted to on this. Excuse me for wanting the strong safety net and no-one bumping along the bottom.
You’ve also made me spot a few errors in the English in that piece, which I hope I’ve now fixed
Hhhmmm …. I see what you and Adrian mean, but what I take to mean ’social mobility’ is that the ability to move out of that bottom quartile should not be constrained by your family background or social circumstances.
Yes, there will always be that bottom quartile, so one person moving up, does mean one person moving down, and you’re right that the MAIN aim should be working for the end of poverty, full stop.
BUT, what frustrates me about many people on the left is the idea that there is a class-based phalanx of people in that bottom quartile who will always be there, and should celebrate the fact that they are there. Know there place, kind of thing. Social mobility to me means the ability to move out of that bottom tier based on your own skills and talents, while at the same time wanting to raise the bar for those who take your place.
But Adrian is right. Some people who talk about ’social mobility’ have other motives.
know ‘their’ place … obviously
“what frustrates me about many people on the left is the idea that there is a class-based phalanx of people in that bottom quartile who will always be there, and should celebrate the fact that they are there.”
Who on earth thinks this? It’s a weird thing to think. It’s a particularly weird thing for people who want to end poverty to think. I’m pretty sure I’ve never met anyone who thinks it.
All this is enough to make someone full of Ostalgie.
Oh, so because you say the goal of policy should be the elimination of poverty rather than ensuring more people get the “chance” to live in poverty you want to establish a one party state, a GuLag and shackle the economy to the will of the bureucrats? Nice smear manfarang.
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Do you know, all this talk of abolishing social mobility so the same people always stay poor reminds of a patient I once had.
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/887/45066290.JPG
Well, strictly, that (or something very much like it) is what I *removed” from a patient I once had.
It reminds me very much of the average Labour voter!
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