The American Class System

I do not feel that Mantsios is making the explicit argument that the wealthy have exploited the poor. Rather, he seems to feel that the current economic system has taken advantage of the poor. Mantsios makes the point that those born into a certain social situation will almost always continue to exist in that particular social situation. Those born into wealth and privilege will most likely continue living this lifestyle while likewise, those born into poverty will find it extremely hard to advance beyond those circumstances. This does not seem to me to be a knock on the wealthy, for those who are born into privilege can hardly help being born into privilege. Rather, it seems to me that Mantsios is bemoaning the fact that a certain mythos seems to permeate America that if you work hard enough, you can overcome any circumstance, while in reality we do not give the poor enough opportunities to do this. The fault does not lie inherently with those in the upper social classes, they can hardly help the situation they were born into. The real fault lies with the fact that many cannot find jobs they so sorely need, or that the jobs they do find do not pay enough. In addition, lackluster education compounds the problem. There is an old axiom that goes "Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime". One of the best way to help improve the situation of the poor is to give them the tools they need to escape their poverty. Education in this country is simply not up to the standards it should be in many areas. Is there one simple solution for this problem? Obviously not. If there were, I'm sure it would have been attempted at this point. But the fact remains, if we intend to close the economic gap between the classes, we need to give the lower classes the tools they need to advance themselves.