Just how closed is the system now...economic discrimination?

[RadioRaheem84]

Has there ever been a sociological study on discrimination based on income in the US? Or how social mobility has shrunk due to employers discriminating?

It seems like these days the system seems much more class apparent, wheras before the country only felt "classless" because of the high income wage worker. But today that veneer is all but gone and the class nature of society is revealed along with it's horrors.

It also seems like the ruling classes are literally not even concerned with letting new people, new ideas or new anything enter the fray. They seem to be quite content picking people from their inner circles to spearhead new initiatives. From politics where for almost the past 20 years we've had Clinton re-treads in the Obama camp and Reagan leftovers in the Bush camp. The entertainment industry is one giant network of the same people and it seems like a closed network that doesn't seek new material or people to write new material.
College is a joke and it seems like employers could care less about a new pool of fresh applicants because they can be as picky as they want. The way diplomacy works in the media, the way talks are held, deals are done it all seems like a club of the same people, the same type of people all wetting their beaks. The consolidation and megers of so many major companies into these giant beastly enterprises kills smaller enterprises, reduces wages down and crushes social mobility.

Not to mention the ruling classes seem perfectly content with purchasing luxury items, constant capital and assets, property to make most of their money. They do not seem to really need us for much except work and toil for them.

Is it me or has social mobility really plummeted?

[blake 3:17]

There's a few things going on. One is the boomers and post-boomers aren't making any room. I'm most familiar with public institutions where older folks are living longer and clinging to jobs they often don't need at all.

The other big factors are the smashing of the unions and neoliberal economics forcing a war of all against all mindset very broadly.

[Flying Purple People Eater]

I actually wrote an article about it where I live in the local newspaper.

People were sending me hate-mail for being a racist. How the fuck is writing an article about the fact that there is a large socioeconomic gap between white and traditionally native people in the area (and that it comes from old white-supremacist laws in place)? Is it racist to highlight racism now? Only to fucking nazis I would've thought.

Edit: I didn't read what the thread was about, whoops.

[RadioRaheem84]

I was talking about how we would always hear stories about people with gumption doing all it took to make it. Real stories about people working from below and rising to the top, and not just rags to riches tales but stuff like my gf's grandfather who worked in the railroad, never went to college and was a union man but is now a wealthy retiree. Or a story I read about a guy selling pork chops door to door before schmoozing his way in to a wall st firm.

I mean I rarely read about that stuff anymore or hear anyone with a similar story. It even seems like firms and employers don't even care to hire or would twice at a guy with "gumption" and the desire to work. They all want people who already have the experience, and can hit the ground running.

Basically you cannot just work your way up anymore. That's not even commendable anymore to employers.

[blake 3:17]

I'm trying to finish getting hired for a job that will leave me under a living wage. It should be an entry level job with a certain amount of ongoing training. Friggin crap.

Was talking to some folks in the same situation who've more experience and education -- ready to snap. I know so many people will never make full time til they're retired