in message , steve
') wrote:

Im hoping some of our European friends will comment here. I know the
US is famous for class mobility, but I was under the impression that
class immobility was a thing of the past even in Europe... especially
after the
two world wars shook up the social structure. Bob obviously
disagrees..and he's been there, which gives him a big advantage over me
(a "dumbass", no doubt).

What do our European friends think? Rigid class structure and social
pressure to stay put? Or is social mobility now the norm?

It depends what you mean by social mobility, but no, in Europe (like the
US) there is little real class mobility. Old money is old money the
world over, and people with old money stick together. They went to
the 'right' schools and the 'right' universities, have the 'right'
contacts and relations, marry the 'right' people.

In Europe this universal truth is slightly gilded by titles which the
powerful have, over the centuries, given themselves, but it doesn't
really make any difference. You ain't goin' to marry a Rockefeller, and
if you go to court against a Rockefeller, you're going to lose. The fact
that he doesn't call himself 'Lord Rockefeller' is immaterial.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; ... exposing the violence incoherent in the system...