> Nick Reding argues that it's due to a Protestant work ethic combined with a frontier mentality that creates a uniquely American view that hard work, no matter how unfocused, is not only the key to success, it's also the key to Heaven and that un- or underemployment is a personal, moral failing. The defect in this reasoning is that "Protestant work ethic combined with a frontier mentality" are key traits of Scandinavia. Scandinavians work hard, but they prefer working in a focused manner and return home. To me a culture shock moving back to the US was how much time was wasted in the office or during working time. I also believe Scandinavians are at least as frontier people as Americans. Well said.White working-class people aren't truly poor so long as black working-class people are poorer. We don't choose our anchors, society does... and when those beneath us are no longer beneath us, we have fallen.