Kristof: Argument

In this article by Nicholas Kristof, he argues that in today's society it is more difficult to escape the economic class one was born into. 

Kristof discusses how despite what politicians say about rising from the bottom to the top, the cases of it actually happening are few and far between. Despite it being nice to think about America being a land of opportunity devoid of the ways of olden Europe, it has actually become the society the founders were originally trying to escape.

By being in a lower class, Kristof argues, you are already set on a path towards more of the same. Because people in the middle class are given the tools from the beginning to succeed in society, they often do so. He uses the example of his friend who was born into a family where one parented left them and the other died of alcoholism. In order to feed everyone, Kristof's friend had to hunt for food which is something very Americans can even ponder doing.

Kristof's friend was arrested over thirty times and was at one point in their life an alcoholic and a drug addict. Despite having so much talented, he was not able to hold down a job a long period of time. If his friend had been giving the tools to thrive in a middle class culture dominated society, he would not have had such a difficult life. 

Kristof's best metaphor describing the chances of rising from the lowest rings of society to the cream of the crop was that a five foot six parent does not normally have a child that is six foot one. It happens, but it is rare.

Tall offspring and short parents instantly conjured up this scene in Mary Poppins. It wouldn't be funny if it was common.