Some are more successful than others. Well yes….
I am not at all sure how these figures of net household wealth listed by religious affiliation would translate to Australia, but this study from Britain’s official “National Equality Panel” reported by the indefatigable Theodore Dalrymple in the City Journal is suggestive of a principle at least. With this caveat — Australia is a different kind of host country, the ethnic makeup and origin of the immigrant groups is different, as are their employment opportunities — it is nevertheless worth noting Dalrymple’s general principle.
The figures were as follows (I convert into American dollars):
Muslim: $68,000
None: $224,000
Hindu: $337,000
Christian: $361,000
Sikh: $371,000
Jewish: $684,000
Overall, the figures demonstrate that, in an open society, cultural attitudes and characteristics are of enormous importance with regard to a group’s prospects in that society. Of course, it is no easy matter to change cultural characteristics that are not propitious for economic and social ascent; but the first step, surely, is to destroy the illusion that salvation lies in the hands of political and bureaucratic entrepreneurs whose only effect is to make society sclerotic and thereby transform class into caste.
[Thanks to reader Stone the Crows]
May 24, 2010 at 12:15
Rudd’s next apology on Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=4789164&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=121369914543425&aid=-1&id=633636676&oid=121369914543425