

The Rich Have Stayed Rich in England for 1,000 Years - alrs
http://allday.com/post/1688-the-rich-have-stayed-rich-in-england-for-1000-years#

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nostrademons
Something tells me that this isn't the full story.

While it may be true that the top 1% of British society has remained constant
for 1000 years, Britain's place within the world power system has changed
dramatically. They went from a sleepy backwater island during the Dark Ages,
to a major European power under Elizabeth I, to the pre-eminent global power
during the British Empire, to a sleepy backwater island as the U.S. ascended
after WW2. It's telling that the article eventually turns to "But what does
this mean for America, the land of opportunity?"

It's also telling that of the three families highlighted - Rockefeller,
Vanderbilt, and Kennedy - Cornelius Vanderbilt's great-great-grandfather
emigrated to America as an indentured servant, John D. Rockefeller was the son
of a con artist, and JFK's great-grandfather was an orphan who emigrated from
Ireland to avoid starvation.

I think a more accurate lesson might be that social mobility _within_ an
established social hierarchy is impossible. You have to transcend the existing
social structure, basically leaving your existing place in society to join a
different society that's growing much faster.

