Yes, Ultra Conservatives: There Really Is an Income Gap

by Joye Barksdale  |  January 06, 2012

The gap between the very rich and everyone else has been growing for decades, but as yesterday’s New York Times pointed out, even ultra conservatives are starting to notice the obvious: It is very hard to pull yourself up by your bootstraps – especially if you don’t have any.

Whether you call it income inequality or a mobility gap, the problem runs deep. A recent study determined it’s much harder in America than in comparable nations for the poorest of the poor to move up the ladder. According to the study, only 8 percent of American men in the bottom fifth of income rose to the top fifth, compared to 12 percent of British men. Basically, there are a lot fewer rags-to-riches stories in America than there used to be.

Family background plays a huge role, too, as do access to a good education and all the opportunities and connections that come with it. And it’s no surprise that upper-income families are able to invest more in their kids’ education than families struggling to make ends meet.

Even as they pay lip service to understanding there’s an obvious economic disparity in this country, here are two compelling reasons for entrenched poverty you aren’t likely to hear ultra conservatives talk about: The social safety net is flimsier in the United States than in other countries, and our nation is less unionized than many peers.

Maybe we should just be glad that politicians like Rick Santorum, one of the leading Republican candidates for President, are at least aware of income inequality. But we won’t hear Santorum – or any of the GOP candidates – talking about making it easier for working people to join unions, or advocating a greater investment in public services to provide a leg up for families in need. After all: They still likely believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and trickle-down economics.