Neither Trumpain, nor child-optimizing for meritocracy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One other random thought I have on this.

The top 1% will always be able to buy their way into everything. They and their kids are set.

And elite institutions are now focusing heavily on diversity and inclusion, which is GREAT. I'm 100% in favor of that.

But this 9.9% group typically doesn't fit into either of those categories.

So there is definitely a feeling that there are fewer and fewer slots for this cohort.

I’m UMC and this is exactly how I feel. I grew up LMC and will do everything I can to give my kids a high standard of living. I don’t feel guilt about that at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One other random thought I have on this.

The top 1% will always be able to buy their way into everything. They and their kids are set.

And elite institutions are now focusing heavily on diversity and inclusion, which is GREAT. I'm 100% in favor of that.

But this 9.9% group typically doesn't fit into either of those categories.

So there is definitely a feeling that there are fewer and fewer slots for this cohort.

I’m UMC and this is exactly how I feel. I grew up LMC and will do everything I can to give my kids a high standard of living. I don’t feel guilt about that at all.

I think the 9.9% is also fairly set but they are setting up these increasingly fine-grained "meritocratic" barriers. But the 30-90% --which represent the largest numbers-- who aren't benefiting from diversity and inclusion efforts and who have seen their wages and opportunities stagnate but without the benefit of investment portfolios--will likely revolt if there isn't change. The 9.9% and their institutions can feel good by letting in and supporting the lowest as the number of high achieving kids from low income areas are relatively few-- but who they really want to keep out are the middle bracket who could both more likely compete with them and outnumber them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our family. We are neither 9.9, nor we are 0.1 - in the way that this article discusses.

In some ways, we belong to both and neither. We have our own culture and training that enables us to avoid the pitfalls of both and ensure that our advantages are sustained over generations.

We are immigrants with centuries of tradition of being educated in letters, sciences, religious and esoteric matters. We are adept in cracking the privilege code of any foreign culture and reaching into our academic bag of tricks to pull out the one talent/skill that is in demand. Without changing too much of who we are at our core and without shortcharging the next generation.

This also requires doing everything to ensure that the children are raised with their emotional and mental health intact and strong. Very rare to have dysfunctional families in our group, mainly because it is a sure way to mess up the children. This means that every individual within the family has to be realized and content - or know how to reach that state.

In this sense, we are different from others of the same racial, ethnic, national origin as us, but from different groups. They can actually attain a lot of material gains in this country (much more than our group) but invariably the next generation crashes and burns.

We are most likely to have an ultra educated parent or grandparents staying at home in this country, because we don't want to have a poorly educated caregiver raising our children. Education and skill building begins from such a young age in our children, and with such hyper-focus, that they are the only children who will deny ever having a tiger parent, because they have never ever felt the pressure to do well in school. They don't understand why they are high performers in school without too much effort. The group I can most closely identify with are the Jews without all that gruesome history of historical persecution, nomadic lifestyle, holocaust, Israel bit...

White Americans find solace in labelling us Tiger parents, because it must mean our kids are secretly damaged emotionally and cutting themselves because they are cracking under pressure. POC Americans find solace in labelling us as complicit collaborators with the dominant culture in a devious plot to keep them and their children down. Both are incorrect. We do not strive to be in any %age point. Money is a means to an end but how much money is also very debatable.

Yes, 9.9 is a difficult place to be. If you are trying to remain there or if you are trying to get to 0.1. You don't need to be a stone that sinks at 90%, 9.9% or 0.1%. These buckets are not the end all. You don't need to be a cork that bobs at the various percentages but remains stationary. What is the point of that?

You can be a sentient organism that can effortlessly go back and forth these various percentage buckets, skimming over them, taking what you need, savoring the experiences and remaining emotionally, mentally and spiritually strong, content and happy.

9.9 is a great place to be but it cannot be your destination. It can be your emergency fund to weather uncertainties but if that is your end all and be all...you will be in an endless race and a whole lot of stress all the time.

i'll bite. FSU? I'm from FSU and I agree with most of what you wrote...

DP. Very rare to have dysfunctional families? Ultra educated parent staying at home? Nay, not FSU

(Born and raised in FSU)

oh, you are right, i missed that. I re-read and i think asian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our family. We are neither 9.9, nor we are 0.1 - in the way that this article discusses.

In some ways, we belong to both and neither. We have our own culture and training that enables us to avoid the pitfalls of both and ensure that our advantages are sustained over generations.

We are immigrants with centuries of tradition of being educated in letters, sciences, religious and esoteric matters. We are adept in cracking the privilege code of any foreign culture and reaching into our academic bag of tricks to pull out the one talent/skill that is in demand. Without changing too much of who we are at our core and without shortcharging the next generation.

This also requires doing everything to ensure that the children are raised with their emotional and mental health intact and strong. Very rare to have dysfunctional families in our group, mainly because it is a sure way to mess up the children. This means that every individual within the family has to be realized and content - or know how to reach that state.

In this sense, we are different from others of the same racial, ethnic, national origin as us, but from different groups. They can actually attain a lot of material gains in this country (much more than our group) but invariably the next generation crashes and burns.

We are most likely to have an ultra educated parent or grandparents staying at home in this country, because we don't want to have a poorly educated caregiver raising our children. Education and skill building begins from such a young age in our children, and with such hyper-focus, that they are the only children who will deny ever having a tiger parent, because they have never ever felt the pressure to do well in school. They don't understand why they are high performers in school without too much effort. The group I can most closely identify with are the Jews without all that gruesome history of historical persecution, nomadic lifestyle, holocaust, Israel bit...

White Americans find solace in labelling us Tiger parents, because it must mean our kids are secretly damaged emotionally and cutting themselves because they are cracking under pressure. POC Americans find solace in labelling us as complicit collaborators with the dominant culture in a devious plot to keep them and their children down. Both are incorrect. We do not strive to be in any %age point. Money is a means to an end but how much money is also very debatable.

Yes, 9.9 is a difficult place to be. If you are trying to remain there or if you are trying to get to 0.1. You don't need to be a stone that sinks at 90%, 9.9% or 0.1%. These buckets are not the end all. You don't need to be a cork that bobs at the various percentages but remains stationary. What is the point of that?

You can be a sentient organism that can effortlessly go back and forth these various percentage buckets, skimming over them, taking what you need, savoring the experiences and remaining emotionally, mentally and spiritually strong, content and happy.

9.9 is a great place to be but it cannot be your destination. It can be your emergency fund to weather uncertainties but if that is your end all and be all...you will be in an endless race and a whole lot of stress all the time.

i'll bite. FSU? I'm from FSU and I agree with most of what you wrote...

DP. Very rare to have dysfunctional families? Ultra educated parent staying at home? Nay, not FSU

(Born and raised in FSU)

oh, you are right, i missed that. I re-read and i think asian.

What’s FSU?

[Anonymous]

Former Soviet Union

[Anonymous]

Someone who has earned a living from intellectual pursuits or highly specialized profession that requires a lot of education. Certainly not a farmer.

[Anonymous]

I’m so tired of books like this. This whole equity and class warfare thing really has some intense echos of the French Revolution. First they wanted to stop the extreme inequality and Marie Antoinettes let them eat cake nonsense, then the moderate Girondists toppled the monarchy but stayed the middle course, then it STILL wasn’t enough for the purists and the Jacobins took over, and focused on the bourgeoisie - beheading 17,000 at the guillotine in the Reign of Terror. People got sick of that and they ended up with Napoleon.

The Dems have all three branches of government, automatic child payments, and a new bill just coming down the pipe. What more do they want???

So, my point in raising all this is that the middle class and upper middle class should not be viewed as enemies. The bourgeoisie have been anchors of American prosperity since its inception.

And btw, as American we don’t have anywhere else to go- nowhere is as good as America for freedom and capitalism etc.! We need to fix our problems together, instead of spending all this time tearing ourselves apart over minute class and distinctions. It’s more than just navel gazing, it’s dangerous.

Rant over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m so tired of books like this. This whole equity and class warfare thing really has some intense echos of the French Revolution. First they wanted to stop the extreme inequality and Marie Antoinettes let them eat cake nonsense, then the moderate Girondists toppled the monarchy but stayed the middle course, then it STILL wasn’t enough for the purists and the Jacobins took over, and focused on the bourgeoisie - beheading 17,000 at the guillotine in the Reign of Terror. People got sick of that and they ended up with Napoleon.

The Dems have all three branches of government, automatic child payments, and a new bill just coming down the pipe. What more do they want???

So, my point in raising all this is that the middle class and upper middle class should not be viewed as enemies. The bourgeoisie have been anchors of American prosperity since its inception.

And btw, as American we don’t have anywhere else to go- nowhere is as good as America for freedom and capitalism etc.! We need to fix our problems together, instead of spending all this time tearing ourselves apart over minute class and distinctions. It’s more than just navel gazing, it’s dangerous.

Rant over.

You're missing the point. There is a growing population in this country who want to do away with capitalism. Notwithstanding the fact that it helped them and previous generations of their families get into a position where they can be educated and have enough downtime to ruminate on political processes, they want to change America into some huge socialist / communist juggernaut full of entitlements and mediocrity all around. That way, they don't have to compete for anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m so tired of books like this. This whole equity and class warfare thing really has some intense echos of the French Revolution. First they wanted to stop the extreme inequality and Marie Antoinettes let them eat cake nonsense, then the moderate Girondists toppled the monarchy but stayed the middle course, then it STILL wasn’t enough for the purists and the Jacobins took over, and focused on the bourgeoisie - beheading 17,000 at the guillotine in the Reign of Terror. People got sick of that and they ended up with Napoleon.

The Dems have all three branches of government, automatic child payments, and a new bill just coming down the pipe. What more do they want???

So, my point in raising all this is that the middle class and upper middle class should not be viewed as enemies. The bourgeoisie have been anchors of American prosperity since its inception.

And btw, as American we don’t have anywhere else to go- nowhere is as good as America for freedom and capitalism etc.! We need to fix our problems together, instead of spending all this time tearing ourselves apart over minute class and distinctions. It’s more than just navel gazing, it’s dangerous.

Rant over.

You're missing the point. There is a growing population in this country who want to do away with capitalism. Notwithstanding the fact that it helped them and previous generations of their families get into a position where they can be educated and have enough downtime to ruminate on political processes, they want to change America into some huge socialist / communist juggernaut full of entitlements and mediocrity all around. That way, they don't have to compete for anything.

Just stop. No one wants actual socialism or communism. People do want a social democracy with more of a social safety net.

[jsteele]

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