>I find the denial of a class system in the US always amusing.
>
>Your child has exactly the same opportunities and connections in life as an Ivy League student from one of the older families. I'm sure . Not. :-)

You're right, of course, but in this country, there is a wide belief that if a person can overcome the obstacles placed in his or her way, he or she can rise to the top. That is, there's no question that some kids start out with more opportunities, but for those with fewer options who make it anyway, there's no caste system.

My husband's family is a decent example. His great-grandparents were immigrant farmers (actually, they hadn't been farmers in Russia, but that's a whole 'nother story) and his grandmother had only a grade school education. She died pretty well off and her son (my father-in-law) made it not only to college, but to law school. He's a well-respected member of the community.

I don't know whether it's still true, but there's a general belief that in England (and perhaps more generally in Europe), the grandmother wouldn't have been socially accepted. I suspect that was much more true before WWII than it is now.

Okay, after writing all that, I think the key issue is that the US has always had a lot of class mobility and it's generally believed here that that's not the case in England.

Tamar