If you go on TV and say there's no other country in the world where you can be born poor and become rich, you get a huge megaphone. If you tell the truth, which is that most of the studies show actually the United States is worse than anybody except Britain in upward mobility, there is no audience for you.

Summary

This quote highlights the skewed perception of social mobility in the United States. It emphasizes that if one were to advocate the false belief that the U.S. offers unparalleled opportunities for upward economic mobility, they would garner widespread attention. However, if someone were to speak the truth, presenting studies that suggest the U.S. has lower mobility rates than many other countries, they would struggle to find an audience. The quote criticizes the societal tendency to prefer comforting narratives over confronting challenging realities, even when supported by data.

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