Quote:
Originally Posted by Slava
And to be entirely forthright, the example you give of two professionals making $125k each compared to others making $50-60k/year is just always going to be a problem. I'm not sure how you can address that kind of inequality. I went to school with some brilliant people who went on to do nothing, and some other brilliant people who went on to be surgeons or lawyers or mayors. Arguably, the issue there wasn't opportunity, but application and choices that these people made.
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But it’s a problem that’s getting worse. Countries vary in how much economic mobility they have. Canada and Germany have more than the UK and U.S. But mobility is decreasing here. We’re becoming more like the U.S., and can expect to see the social ills that afflict the U.S. - crime, division, distrust - increase.
One school used to be much like another on Canada, and students across all economic classes would attend them together. Now professional-class parents send their kids to private and charter schools. When I was a kid, the children of affluent families in Pump Hill, Bayview, and Palliser went to John Ware. Now the students who attend John Ware all come from Braeside, Cedarbrae, and Woodlands because the affluent families now send their kids to Westmount Charter and Webber Academy.
We know that the amount of money first-time homeowners get from parents has soared into the 100k+ range. That was not the case 30 years ago. And it will only widen the divide between the professional classes and the rest.
The trends are all pointing towards Canada becoming more like the U.S. - more stratified, more divided. The fact it’s caused largely by smart parents doing what’s best for their children doesn’t make it any less troubling to those of us who think the U.S. is a trainwreck.