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| | TomPaine.com - A Class Act |
 | | In our boundless tell-all culture, there is no word or concept that is more off-limits than "class." As a society, we have, over the course of several generations, developed a common language to talk about differences of gender, race and sexual orientation. |
 | | Unfortunately, the Times also perpetuates this misunderstanding. In discussing class mobility, the newspaper uncritically cites the bootstrap boosterism of Forbes magazine, reporting that only 37 members of Forbes 400 inherited their wealth, significantly down from almost 200 in the mid-1980s. |
 | | The fact that these two newspapers have taken on the topic of class is important. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have approved the subject as valuable to American discourse. Now university presidents, foundation officials, legislators and journalists have the green light to explore themes of opportunity, mobility and class. |
| www.tompaine.com /articles/20050623/a_class_act.php (550 words) |
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