Is the American Dream dead? -

[The Dude]

I've been thinking lately How the American Dream is either dead, or damn near close to it. We've gone from being a nation of rugged individualists with the mindset that anyone who applies themselves can do anything, to the mindset that you can't succeed without Papa Government helping you along.

Is the American Dream dead?

 

[Charon]

By mid-20th century standards, yes. Most people live in rental housing (duplex, apartment, townhouse, trailer), most people work in low- to mid-end jobs with a questionable future & wage, or are on a of some kind or another, labor unions and accrediting groups have largely lost favor, crime rates are high, people don't tend to own as much (or any) "nice" stuff, the middle class is being compromised, fundamentalist religion, bigotry & the Tea Party are gaining more & more influence, and financial equality is worse than Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan, Ivory Coast and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

However, in some ways, it is growing, marriage equality is spreading like kudzu, cannabis is being slowly legalized (mainly for the hemp crop, less so for recreational use), and science is progressing by leaps & bounds.

 

[cypocraphy]

imo, the "American Dream" was always cold war propaganda.

 

[QI 541]

How can something that was never alive be dead?

 

[Charon]

How can something that was never alive be dead?

The "American Dream" was/is a concept. Concepts are not "alive" persay, but are "active" or "extant", but with the decline of the "American Dream", it could be called "dead", or more correctly, "disappearing" or "obsolescent".

 

[QI 541]

How can something that was never alive be dead?

The "American Dream" was/is a concept. Concepts are not "alive" persay, but are "active" or "extant", but with the decline of the "American Dream", it could be called "dead", or more correctly, "disappearing" or "obsolescent".

Cultures tend to be diverse, especially when it's the US, and history wasn't written by the poor. I strongly doubt the American Dream was as popular as the history books suggest.

 

[Oglooger]

The American dream was the concept coined by Herbert Hoover to describe having " a chicken in every pot, and a car a car in every garage", this term is also associated with the late 1800's on how in america jobs where everywhere and everyone had a chance to go big if they were up to it and lucky enough to make through.
America was considered land of the free because of the little interference the government had with the market and people's lives.

Nowadays, this dream could be considered and "American nightmare" thanks to the ever growing Government, NSA spying on everyone in the name of "safety", the infamous war on terror and "War on drugs", People becoming more dependent on welfare and thinking the tug boat is a way of life, embracing of thug "culture" in media that stupefies it's target audience, the imminent crash and crippling debt of the economy, among others.
It's sad to see how the great will fall, nowadays, the american people are now so enamored of "equality" that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom

 

[exball]

I wasn't aware there was an American dream.

 

[Hasharin]

equal in slavery than unequal in freedom

Freedom can't exist without equality and vice versa.

You talk about "equality in slavery". Back in the times when I had right-wing views, I also liked to say that freedom and equality are contradictory (and of course I thought I defend the former against the latter). Particularly, I illustrated this with an example of everybody on the Earth being a slave- they would be perfectly equal, but not free. However, the thing that I didn't give a thought (or didn't want to) was that the point of being a slave is to have a master- a person who is above a slave, and thus not equal.

 

[Niachu]

I've been thinking lately How the American Dream is either dead, or damn near close to it. We've gone from being a nation of rugged individualists with the mindset that anyone who applies themselves can do anything, to the mindset that you can't succeed without Papa Government helping you along.

I can't speak to comprehensive American history of the challenges each generation faces but I will say that aggressive oversimplification won't help you find solutions.

 

[LM 697]

What happened to the American Dream? It came true. You're looking at it.

 

[Bgheff]

Not sure what the complaints are about. Goals and dreams adjust over time. You can't keep the same goals 80 years later when the world has changed. Adapt your goals or you'll just disappoint yourself and blame others for why you are unhappy.

Nowadays, this dream could be considered and "American nightmare" thanks to the ever growing Government

Sup Glenn Beck.

 

[Watcher]

What happened to the American Dream? It came true. You're looking at it.

[youtube]ShTVpGuzk1M[/youtube]

 

[Surtur]

[youtube]CxC3oAD1iUg[/youtube]

 

[Pissmaster]

2013: "Yeah, pretty much."
2020: "YES"

 

[The Dude]

2013: "Yeah, pretty much."
2020: "YES"

Nice thread necro.

 

[Emperor Julian]

Was it ever anything more than a noble lie to stop you all going nuts?

 

[AnnLurker]

2013: "Yeah, pretty much."
2020: "YES"

RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

Not quite yet, people just don't understand what the American dream is.

The American Dream isn't to Own a House, a Car, a Computer a TV, a PS4 ect.

The American Dream is to be able to live your life without The Nobility coming down on your throat, stealing all your extra resources, whipping you and telling you that you need to work 16 hour days 7 days a week.

 

[Just Some Other Guy]

Not quite yet, people just don't understand what the American dream is.

The American Dream isn't to Own a House, a Car, a Computer a TV, a PS4 ect.

The American Dream is to be able to live your life without The Nobility coming down on your throat, stealing all your extra resources, whipping you and telling you that you need to work 16 hour days 7 days a week.

Also it really isn't hard to own a house. Ppl just have astronomical standards nowadays.