Divided We Fall
In his new book, Coming Apart, American Enterprise Institute scholar Charles Murray argues that the United States is cleaving as never before.
Murray divides Americans by income into two groups—the top 20% and the bottom 30%, and presents a host of data to make the case that, more and more, these castes are culturally isolated from each other. They watch different TV shows, eat different foods and live in different clusters. The top live old-fashioned middle-class lives, while the bottom live unstable, atomized lives.
“The truth is, members of the upper tribe . . . have low divorce rates, arduous work ethics and strict codes to regulate their kids,” David Brooks wrote recently in the New York Times, as he summarized Murray’s book. Meantime, members of the “lower tribe” are plagued by high rates of divorce, single parenthood and joblessness. (To eliminate race as a complicating factor, Murray confines his study to white Americans.)
Murray, a libertarian, sees reduced government as a solution. Regardless of whether one agrees with such a remedy, however, the problem remains. How does the U.S. regain cohesion and offer dignity to the bottom 30%?
Peter Drucker, as we’ve noted, greatly valued the habits of middle-class American life, but he considered its preservation to be a significant challenge—especially at a time when the labor force has split into two main cohorts: knowledge workers and service workers.
Photo credit: Pink Sherbert Photography
“The rapid increase in the productivity of the workers making and moving things overcame the 19th century’s nightmare of ‘class conflict,’” Drucker wrote (as he explored a theme we’ve taken up before). “Now, a rapid increase in the productivity of service workers is required to avert the danger of a new ‘class conflict’ between” them and their knowledge-worker cousins.
“Knowledge workers and service workers are not ‘classes’ in the traditional sense,” Drucker added. “The line between the two is porous. In the same family, there are likely to be service workers and knowledge workers who have advanced education. But there is a danger that . . . society will become a class society unless service workers attain both income and dignity. This requires productivity. But it also requires opportunities for advancement and recognition.”
Is the United States segmenting into two castes? If so, what can be done about it?
32 
81
10 Comments
Don Lehmann
February 3, 2012It’s a values issue.
If they are not learned at an early age by example, environment and faith, they probably can’t be taught in school or on the job.
An exception would be military service, which can develop a moral and social set of values.
Certainly, more goverment “help” would only provide additional support for the status quo.
IMHO
DL
Daniel Pacheco
February 3, 2012The world has always been divided into a caste system be it India or America. There is the rich upper caste which has the money and there is the poor lower caste which works for the rich upper caste and sets some of their money. Remember the words of a good man “the poor will always be with you”
Gary Moore
February 5, 2012Your quote by the good man is out of context. He was speaking to his impending death. He was not going to be around much longer but they still had the ethical imperative from Torah to continue to help the poor. His saying is not passive as you suggest but an active engagement even after the death of the good man.
Juan Pablo Salgado
February 3, 2012Drucker also valued the non-profit sector as the only one than can help those left behind by the public and private sectors.
George Williams
February 4, 2012It is neither more or less; just different! In the beginning, rich whites gave policing powers to poor whites with the understand that they would protect the interests of the rich and keep the poor (and non-white) in their place. Reagan came along and convinced poor whites they were middle class and got them to give up their unions — their true source of economic advancement.
In the 21st century, the rich do not need the poor of any color, and have no interest in their interests.
Mike Grayson
February 4, 2012Robert Kyosaki, the author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” has been a champion of financial literacy, which is not being taught in the schools. His contemporary, Dave Ramsey, teaches many of the same principles but on a more basic level. The bottom line is that people are enslaved by debt, and it is this debt that causes such a stark contrast between classes, and is what has eaten away at the middle class during the past decade.
So, one element of the problem is the financial literacy, or lack of it, by those who are economically poor, but is it not the only element that causes the division, the other element is a lack of opportunity.
In order to have opportunity, a level playing field is required. It should be the role of government to facilitate this “Pursuit of Happiness”, as written in our Declaration of Independence, but it is often the culprit that tips the playing field in favor of a certain group of people. The number of regulations are onerous for anyone wanting to start a business, and even a small business has to deal with a mountain of paperwork and reporting. At a corporate level, 4 companies control 80% of the food distributed in this country, while in 1970, those same 4 companies only controlled 20%, why do you think that is? It is because government policy and regulation has tipped the scale in their favor.
Likewise, the finanical industry is benefiting from legislation that not only keeps newcomers out, but destroys those who are not positioned in the right way to benefit from that legislation. Hundreds of lawyers are being employed, just to insure compliance to the Dodd/Frank bill, can a small bank, that limits its profit and scope, employ a staff of lawyers? Or must they close their doors, or get out of the aspects of the business that is impacted by that regulation? The answer is obvious, the competition, and the opportunity, are being driven out.
What can be done? Those of the lower classes must become more financially literate, and not succumb to the temptation of debt. Equal opportunity must be defended. The legislation that tips the level playing field must be reversed, and the special interests must be defeated.
America used to be called “the land of opportunity”. We can regain that title again but it is going to take some work. Is the Drucker Institute up to the challenge?
Greg Zerovnik
February 4, 2012In order to for our society to become less individuated, we need to have all socioeconomic levels do more things together–not just any things, but things that inculcate positive, constructive social norms. The answer is for us to require UNIVERSAL SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY FOR TWO YEARS for every man and woman. You hit the age of 18, in you go. You can choose from one of three options: military service, Peace Corps, or VISTA. The Peace Corps option would not be automatic; you would have to pass some kind of qualifying test or have a particular skill set. The VISTA and military would get the bulk of the people. People would learn what it means to be part of a team, to have to carry your share of a load, to work for your keep. With that as a starter, a lot more falls into place. You get people out of their narrow little milieu and show them a different slice of reality.
Jeffrey Smyth
February 5, 2012The vision of “the City on a Hill” that has each of us striving individually to climb up toward the top has been a defining objective for the past 30 years. But it is a dividing objective because there will always be those who can compete the climb and those who can’t — i.e. winners and losers.
There is another view of society, as expressed in Queen Elizabeth’s comment today on reaching her Diamond Anniversary as monarch: “In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope that we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign.”
From the apex of society is a reminder that we are all in this world together.
Alba Patricia Valencia
February 5, 2012The society always has been to divide. This is a Mathematic law and The United States is victim of its own invention.
La sociedad siempre ha estado dividida. Esta es una ley matemática y Estados Unidos es víctima de su propio invento.
Wendevan
February 7, 2012Yea the bottom 30% and the top 20% should do more together, If the bottom 20% showed up for work every morning they would get to know the top 20% or maybe they could all go to church and pray together.. Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their evil ways then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.