The progressives' dilemma

One of the best things about studying in Britain is getting to observe a country that's similar to ours grappling with the same problems we face.

Currently, British intellectuals are fixated on a piece in "Prospect" by David Goodhart. In a provocative article entitled, "Too Diverse?" Goodhart delineates the "progressive dilemma." Simply put, there is a surprising contradiction between two of the left's most cherished principles: diversity and economic justice. On one hand, progressives prefer diversity to homogeneity because a cultural mix enriches our collective experience. On the other hand, progressives believe that the state ought to redistribute income from those with money to those without.

As Goodhart sees it, the problem derives from taxpayers' perceptions of those to whom their tax money is directed. Working people, he argues, will tolerate taxation to the extent that they can identify with those who receive government aid. If the poor are like them, taxpayers will be able to empathize. If, however, the poor seem alien, taxpayers will view redistribution with suspicion.

As Britain welcomes more and more immigrants to its shores, diversity and social justice will come into conflict, and the consensus that underlies the generous welfare state here will fray.

The United States has been dealing with this dilemma for more than a century. For a variety of reasons, the racial/cultural composition of the American lower class in does not mirror those of the middle or upper class, which is overwhelmingly white, Christian, and English-speaking. Americanborn minorities and immigrants are overrepresented among the poor in the United States, even more than in Britain. If Goodhart is right, this goes pretty far toward explaining why we have weak social safety net: Members of the dominant racial/cultural groups with money resent being taxed to help people who aren't like them.

You may be wondering why I'm telling you this. For a long time, the American Right has succeeded in playing upon our empathy deficit to roll back income redistribution. Remember the Clinton-era debate about "welfare queens?" What image was that supposed conjure for most people?

This is the challenge for progressives: We need start talking about how similar Americans are. The Lebanese family running a restaurant in Queens, the African-American woman getting a finance doctorate from Princeton, and the white man looking for a construction job in Des Moines want the same thing — the opportunity to get ahead. Progressives think that government should actively help them succeed. To get taxpayers to agree to foot the bill, we need to start emphasizing our common "American-ness". That's how we escape our own version of the progressive dilemma. Moses Kagan '03 now studies in Britain. You can reach him at mjkagan@alumni.princeton.edu.