"Social mobility implies the opportunity to fail."

Exactly! That's why we demand social justice!

Posner has been speaking truth to power for my entire adult life. I remember first reading his stuff back when I was in law school. He regularly posts on the Becker-Posner Blog. This blog is well worth a periodic visit.

Awesone Alliteration, Ace!

But, but, it's just so UNFAIR and MEAN-SPIRITED!

because it is still a nation in which the risk of economic failure is significant

I would change "risk" to "costs". If you get a high school diploma, avoid having children until married, don't get married until you're at least 21 and are willing to work full-time, the risk of economic failure is very low. For each of those guidlines you violate, you increase the risk, and our limited safety net for such people means the costs are higher than they are in Europe. Not everyone in the US get's rich, obviously, but if you are responsible and willing to work, success is almost inevitable, no matter your race or religion.

Of course our poor still have several televisions, 200 cable channels and their biggest health problem is obesity, so it can't be all that bad in the US can it?

Posner is pulling his punches.

Of *course* the issue is whether "Muslims identify with the culture of the nation in which they reside" But it's Pollyannaish to believe that the reason they don't is because that western society has adopted rules or a culture of it's own guaranteeing that separation.

The problem is that their culture will always be separate. Separate in Britain. Separate in France. Separate in Belgium. They will be separate, as they are currently, in every Western society.

And if the U.S. isn't feeling it yet, it ain't cause our system somehow melts/melds them in better. No. It's only cause the numbers ain't there yet. In France, they're getting there.

Yeah, France will survive this latest burp. For now. But will it survive when it reaches 30% muslim? 40%. The simple fact is that their culture is beyond assimilation by ours. Cell phones and cable TV how no signs of convincing them women aren't chattle. Whose culture will assimilate whose?

I think that Adam Smith might have been on to something!

fantastic article.

I have this sudden urge to watch 'Groundhog's Day' for some reason.

I'll second Michael's kudos for Posner. When I was in law school even my liberal professors acknowledged the man as a genius. He's a law professor at the University of Chicago, arguably the best law school in the country. He's also a federal appeals court judge, writes one or two books a year and numerous law review articles and articles in magazines. And then he also travels all over the country giving speeches. The man is a machine.

If the world worked as it should, he would have been a Supreme Court justice 20 years ago. Unfortunately, his own voluminous writings have doomed him. He's this generation's Learned Hand, i.e., the most qualified person never to be on the Supreme Court.

Posner is God.

Able achievement at alliteration Ace. Are you at all aquaint academically about apt antimetabole.

re: Posner: double duh! Absolutely spot on.

to cutty: Your last comment is absolutely spot on, also. Great observation.