Housing Shortage

[DodgyAgent]

America may well be founded on meritocratic principles, but can you honestly say that everybody has an equal chance of success there today?

a true meritocracy is an impossible concept.

[Troll]

No the best idea is to send all the welfare dependents and incapacity dependents to India and Poland where it is cheaper to house and feed them.

Intriguing idea- presumably this would then free up the council houses for the free market

[DodgyAgent]

Intriguing idea- presumably this would then free up the council houses for the free market

Yes

[Moscow Mule]

a true meritocracy is an impossible concept.

exactly

[Troll]

America may well be founded on meritocratic principles, but can you honestly say that everybody has an equal chance of success there today?

Look at the recent successes - Gates,Ellison et al are all (very) new money - within 20 years, and are now richer than established American 'old money'

[Troll]

a true meritocracy is an impossible concept.

Why?

[DodgyAgent]

Why?

Because if you are free to make as much money as you like and gain as much money as you like then you are going to be able to afford to give yourself, your friends, your family a better than equal crack at opportunities.

Maybe the point I should be making is that equality of opportunity is an impossible concept.

[Moscow Mule]

Look at the recent successes - Gates,Ellison et al are all (very) new money - within 20 years, and are now richer than established American 'old money'

Look at recent successes and failures;

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/bio.mspx

Born on Oct. 28, 1955, Gates grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. Their father, William H. Gates II, is a Seattle attorney.

Gates attended public elementary school and the private Lakeside School.

http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2322

Emergency management officials predicted with remarkable prescience the effects of a massive hurricane hitting New Orleans; but they did little with their knowledge, other than plan to leave the poor behind.

Are you still sure?

[Moscow Mule]

Because if you are free to make as much money as you like and gain as much money as you like then you are going to be able to afford to give yourself, your friends, your family a better than equal crack at opportunities.

Maybe the point I should be making is that equality of opportunity is an impossible concept.

Indeed, poor people have less opportunity in life so be nicer to them.

[Troll]

Yes

... and nothing to do with the higher margins you enjoy on Indians?