Myth of Opportunity in Our Country

Introduction

Newman and Tan Chen (2007) reported in the article that thirty-seven million Americans live below the poverty line. We know about them because journalists, politicians, think tanks, and social scientists track their lives in great details. In the early 21st century, poverty is responsible for a stark disparity in life expectancy between those who live in rich, industrialized nations and those who live in poorer, non-industrialized countries. The 2006 poverty line stood at $20,614; for a family of four (Joan, 45). This paper presents an analysis of statement whether myth of opportunity exists in our country or it is a vague concept that does not have any rationale to support considering the inequality existence in the country system.

Discussion

They are many factors that deny accepting the above stated myth in reality. They make a person to assure that displaying hard work, waiting for opportunity, and expecting for people to reward our merit does not have existence in contemporary age. Majority of factors contribute in negating the acceptance of myth in this age. These factors have been briefly discussed in this section.

Analysts noted that the disparity in life expectancy between rich and poor exists in wealthy countries as well. Segregated along economic lines, poorer segments of the populations in industrialized countries are frequently unable to afford health insurance, which can be prohibitively expensive in nations like the U.S (Newman, 38). As a result, poor residents of wealthy countries often do not receive adequate health care, which in turn leads to poorer overall health, higher mortality rates from disease and lower life expectancy (Collins & Mayer, 79). In developed countries such as U.S., life expectancy often correlates with racial background, health experts assert. Generally speaking, they assert that whites living in the U.S. have traditionally fared better than their minority ...