" In the United States, you look at the guy that lives in the mansion on the hill, and you think, you know, one day, if I work really hard, I could live in that mansion. In Ireland, people look up at the guy in the mansion on the hill and go, one day, I'm going to get that b******."
Even though I'm not as qualified as Bono to comment, I can easily accept that observation. I think there's probably more envy in Ireland - and in Europe generally - about success than there is in the US, and that in the US, even if there is envy, people are more likely to think "I want a piece of that myself and I'm going to try and get it", where as in Ireland people are more likely to feel resentment against the successful but do nothing about trying to achieve their own success.
At this point, TUC may well come in and say that according to all international studies into social mobility, the US has the lowest level of social mobility in the advanced industrial world and so the Irish citizen is more likely to end up living in that big house on the hill than the US citizen is.
no question -- but this story is of those often told "off the cuff" remarks....just a pet peeve.
Recent Posts