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It’s telling when a mainstream outlets like the Wall Street Journal is alert enough to notice an impediment to groaf, yet seems unable to follow its evidence to the logical conclusion. The whinge of the day is how American mobility has fallen. In this story, that means physical mobility, as in moving to a new residence, as opposed to far more important income mobility, Keep in mind that for nearly a generation, there has been none in the bottom in the 40%. If you are born into a poor or near-poor family, the odds of being able to move up the food chain are very small.

The focus on physical mobility means the Journal is conflating two sets of issues. One is households simply wanting to