Who wants to be a millionaire?

I have seen many people express bewilderment about how so many ordinary Americans can be persuaded to vote against their own economic and social interests. Part of the answer can be found in the endless mass-media attempts to distract and divide with wedge issues. Part of it is an unfortunate, knee-jerk anti-intellectualism that rejects a more truthful and complex story in favor of a simplistic narrative. Yet, in contrast to their counterparts in Europe, many Americans cling to the delusion that America is a "classless society." While we do not recognize titles of nobility to be sure, the myth that we are a land of equal opportunity flies in the face of reality. Poor Americans may on occasion escape their status, but the Horatio Alger rags-to-riches scenario is pretty rare. A poor youth, whether an African-American in Detroit, or a white in rural Kentucky, stands a fairly good chance of becoming a poor adult. This is not because of "poor life choices" as many moralizing economists and sociologists sometimes claim. Rather, it is because of poor life opportunities. Working hard in school will guarantee a diploma, but not money for college. For someone who's really poor, paying $45 to take the SAT may seem an unjustifiable expense. Upon entering the workforce, poor folks must jump through hurdles they find particularly difficult. Even if they impress management with their hard work, they are unlikely to possess the kind of polish that will make management feel comfortable in promoting them too high. Racial and gender discrimination are of course still widespread, but so is class discrimination. The son of a wealthy attorney is simply given many more chances than the son of a forklift-driver. We all see this, yet we try to deny it with more Horatio Alger tales. Professional athletes and entertainers who hit the big-time are a rebuke to those left behind in their old neighborhoods. Drive, ambition and talent are all it takes, so what's wrong with you? 80% of Americans, who can't afford the carefree suburban lifestyle portrayed as normal on T.V., are made to feel like "losers." So these "losers" identify with the wealthy "winners" and accept their "wise" counsel on tax policy. The fact that a billionaire like Ross Perot could run as the people's champion, and actually get some votes, shows how stubbornly Americans want to believe that the very wealthy really aren't so different from the rest of us. That's why attacking the super-wealthy for incompetence, greed, and heartlessness is far more effective than merely denouncing the enormity of their fortunes. Praising philanthropy and conscious efforts to provide good jobs helps to emphasize the extremely sociopathic behavior of the greedheads.