The American Dream in the 21st Century

[Suppressed Poet]

What does the term ‘the American Dream” mean to you?* The concept has evolved over time.* Today I feel that many Americans discard this as broken or have an unrealistic expectation.
*
In my family we were taught the American Dream meant being a homeowner.* I’ve heard others define it as the freedom to send your children to college, some say it is to move up in social class and to become wealthy.* Some say it is the idealism of an American middle class family, while others talk about a God-given right to freedom and opportunity.
*
It seems to me that none of the above are really good tangible concepts of this principle.* Politicians and government have used this to romanticize the life of an American.* For me, I have grown increasingly irritated with this phrase as it has become an overused collection of hollow words.
Don’t get me wrong.* I love America.* I’m very thankful to call the United States my home, but I sometimes feel we are heading into a direction of corruption of fallen empires like Rome before us.* Our political parties are becoming more and more divided, and every year grows a greater separation between economic classes.
*
James Truslow defined the American dream as “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”* While I like this, I feel it excludes an important American value that has degraded over time.* Drive.* Will.* Ambition.* Hard-work and sheer diligence.* Whatever you wish to call that…* America succeeded and was founded on the principal that we work harder, better, faster, stronger.* (thank you Daft Punk)
*
As a nation, we need to wake up and reevaluate our priorities.* Being a homeowner doesn’t really mean that you made it in life.* We have learned the hard way in the current time that going to college does not entitle you to a great stable career.* While America does have opportunity to go from rags to riches, very few of us will ever achieve that and I find that to be an unrealistic association with that term.* The idealism of the “middle class American family” is long gone, just accept that no longer exists and was never truly sustainable.* Our right to freedom and opportunity are not God-given.* They were earned by those who have gone before us.* Opportunity is presented to those who prepare themselves, and freedom is a lifestyle choice.* We are plagued with slavery traps of debt via consumerism, cycles of poverty, and more – true freedom is mastered through sacrifice to achieve goals.**
*
Today, I define the American dream as improving the overall quality of life for the next generation.* I want my son and daughter to achieve more in their life than I ever could.* I want to pass onto them principles, morals, and education that will make them happier individuals.* I expect that they will have to absolutely work their ass off in whatever endeavor they choose to be successful, and I share with them this expectation.* I wish our politicians today viewed the American Dream as their responsibility to make it easier for Americans of ALL social and economic classes achieve their own dreams, for those individuals with the desire and will to do so.
*

[Suppressed Poet]

Not sure what is up with all the * as I coppied and pasted from Word...

[Liagala]

Not sure what is up with all the * as I coppied and pasted from Word...
You put far too much effort into this if you needed to draft it up in Word first.

As far as the actual subject matter goes, I always saw the American Dream as a contrast with the countries the original settlers came from. They were coming out of feudal systems (or systems graduating out such over the previous century or two), and into a democracy. People could advance themselves, if they put in enough time and effort, and didn't do anything too stupid. You weren't doomed to a life of being a peon simply because that's where you were born. There was no Divine Right of Kings, inherent nobility, or anything else. In today's era, that sort of thing doesn't matter. The class separation doesn't work like that anymore, and the concept of the American Dream has gotten murky. Now it means whatever you want it to mean.

[AnticorRifling]

I'm living it. I have a career I like, a family I love, I've got my dogs, home, and toys. I'm free to worship or not worship as I decide and all my basic needs and most of my wants are met. Perspecitve.

[Suppressed Poet]

You put far too much effort into this if you needed to draft it up in Word first.

As far as the actual subject matter goes, I always saw the American Dream as a contrast with the countries the original settlers came from. They were coming out of feudal systems (or systems graduating out such over the previous century or two), and into a democracy. People could advance themselves, if they put in enough time and effort, and didn't do anything too stupid. You weren't doomed to a live of being a peon simply because that's where you were born. There was no Divine Right of Kings, inherent nobility, or anything else. In today's era, that sort of thing doesn't matter. The class separation doesn't work like that anymore, and the concept of the American Dream has gotten murky. Now it means whatever you want it to mean.

Heh - well I was thinking about this today and I like typing in word much better than the forum box.

Though we don't have a formal class system, it would be ignorant not to identify that classes exist today. The reality for most is that the life you are born into is often the same life you will end with. Though it is possible, it is damn difficult for the a person of the working class to make the leap to upper-middle or beyond. Honestly, I'm ok with that. What I'd like to see is America have the best quality of life within each category as compared to other nations. While we have historically done this, I think in the last 50 years we have seen it trend the other way. The baby-boomers had a better life than what they left for the next generation, and the Gen-Xers have shown to do this even more so. I think the American Dream is that we reverse this trend.

[msconstrew]

What is with the assumption that people in America no longer have drive, will, ambition, etc? I don't get it. People say this over and over again, and it's like war drums beating for the Republican party, but I just think it's an invalid (or at least unproven) assumption. And before you start in on the "welfare state" and "leeches on society" or whatever buzzword now applies... really think about it. What percentage of the total population is now on welfare or receives other social services? What receipt of social services disqualifies you from having drive, ambition, and etc? And what percentage of the population received those services back when they were originally incepted? What proves that you do have drive and ambition?

I realize that you could make the claim that my group of friends is rarefied and therefore my experiences with them are largely invalid. Nevertheless, I am familiar with a lot of professionals and non-professionals through my work. Even the people I would define as lying, cheating plaintiffs are not people I would describe as having no ambition or drive (they just want to game insurance companies, which is a whole different issue). I can think of exactly two people I know who I would look at and say, "You are living off your spouse's money/inheritance/career and are wasting your life."

Anyway, to answer your actual question, I think I'm living the dream right now. I've got a great job, no debt, great friends, upward mobility in my career, and a family whom I love and who loves me back. I don't know what more I could expect from life. I'm money motivated, so I want to make more money than my parents and grandparents did and be more "successful" in that way. Maybe I will, maybe I won't... my parents and grandparents were very successful, so it's hard to judge how I'm doing in that regard. As for what everyone else expected from the American dream, I suspect that's largely a personal calculus.

[Suppressed Poet]

I won't go so far as a welfare state. I just feel that my generation had certain expectations that if you did this you will get this' and it's ok to get by with minimum effort. Well, that is simply not the case. Also, with my kids it's even more noticeable (not specifically them but for instance my sons basketball team). To them, winning or losing seems to have no bearing anymore. I feel like, as a general whole, Americans are losing that competitive spirit.

This is in fact based on my personal experience and can not be proven. I'm just throwing it out there for discussion. Don't get all lawyer on my ass. :p

[Latrinsorm]

Not sure what is up with all the * as I coppied and pasted from Word...It starts as a space or other otherwise invisible character (tab, paragraph), but gets interpreted by the PC as a *. I used to have the same problem when I c/ped the NFL schedule, I wore out find and replace " at " with " at ", the first copied from the source and the second typed manually.

That's the American dream.

.

It's greatly reassuring to believe that our forefathers built our empire because they worked harder, or were smarter, or were more noble, or were favored by God, and further that the reason for our supposed decline is that we're not that anymore. It's so simple, we just need to work harder and we'll be like we were in the 50s, when we came within an eyelash of being annihilated by a nuclear enemy. Oh. Okay, well like in the 40s, when 400,000 families buried their children (although at least a quarter of those were buried thousands of miles away, so they've got that going for them). Hm, still no? Ok well like in the 30s, when we lost 30% of GDP.

Every generation has viewed succeeding generations as lazy, coddled, pampered, shiftless, and yet this is by far the best time and place to be alive that the world has ever seen. We are by far the strongest military power in the world, by far the largest economy. I don't understand the push towards fundamentalism.

[Sad American]

It sounds like many people equate the American dream to success. Mostly on a personal nature and with their career and accumulation of stuff. I think good careers and acquiring things is a result of the American Dream, not necessarily the American Dream itself.

I wonder where the term, 'American Dream' first originated.

I don't know if I really hold to a concept of the 'American Dream' anymore. There are things that I'm glad I'm able to achieve in our society, but it's not like that you can't achieve goals in other countries. Sure, it may be harder. It seems to be getting harder here. Not everyone is truly afforded equal opportunity.

I guess I would see the American Dream as more of a reality for someone who grew up in very difficult circumstances, such as poverty and then reaching pinnacles of achievement through hard work and sacrifice. Like in that movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness" with Will Smith.

The original American Dream was escaping religious persecution in England and being able to worship freely in the New World.

[Liagala]

Replying to your own thread isn't going to magically convince us that your alt is in fact a totally different person. Just sayin'

[Latrinsorm]

I wonder where the term, 'American Dream' first originated.Liars in positions of power.
The original American Dream was escaping religious persecution in England and being able to worship freely in the New World.Case in point.

[Jarvan]

I really do think the phrase means different things to different people, and while some may say it didn't always do so, everyone has and had different needs and wants. Some people came to escape religious persecution, some came to be able to get their own land to own and work, some came to get away from authorities, and some didn't have a choice in coming here.

[Sad American]

Liars in positions of power.Case in point.

What do you mean?

[AnticorRifling]

Being obtuse != asking good questions.

[kutter]

It is very simple for me. The generation that comes after me should have a better life than I did. By that definition, I would say the dream is dead. Cradle to grave handling by the federal government means a lower quality of life for everyone.

[Back]

To me it has meant that if you work hard, no matter who you are, where you are from, what race, religion, sex, orientation, whatever, you can make a good life for yourself.

Sure there is always room for improvement but I think we are doing pretty well.

[AnticorRifling]

It is very simple for me. The generation that comes after me should have a better life than I did. By that definition, I would say the dream is dead. Cradle to grave handling by the federal government means a lower quality of life for everyone.

Then you failed.

My kids are on track to have much better experiences than me.

[TheEschaton]

This has to be the gayest thread I've seen on these forums in awhile.

[AnticorRifling]

This thread is for Americans, you get the fuck out!

[Latrinsorm]

What do you mean?It is in the interests of whoever is in power to (1) remain in power and (2) have a productive work force. So you don't give the people a guarantee (empirical, numerical), you give them a dream (idealistic, nebulous).

Case in point: the Puritans came to America to escape being religiously persecuted and had no problems doing the religious persecution when it suited them, hence our word Puritanical, and yet they are held up as exemplars of religious freedom.

[~Rocktar~]

Such a lovely tribute to mediocrity. And that's the problem over all, the acceptance of mediocrity and the villanization of success. My generation, generation X, is the first generation in the history of the US to have a lower standard of living than our parents. Way to go!

[Bobmuhthol]

I'd love to know what world you live in that the standard of living has decreased.

[Suppressed Poet]

I'd love to know what world you live in that the standard of living has decreased.

It's fairly simple. The baby-boomer's middle class could comfortably live on one income earner, retirement was practical and paid for by the employer, healthcare was affordable, people ate better real food they actually cooked, it was cost effective for them to take a significant family vacation once a year, etc. The dollar stretched much further and the baby-boomers generally had a posotive net worth (more assets than debt).

Today is certainly more CONVENIENT than it was 50 years ago, but that does not necissarly equal a better quality of life.

[Suppressed Poet]

Replying to your own thread isn't going to magically convince us that your alt is in fact a totally different person. Just sayin'

If I were going to create an alternate identy to get my political kicks (and to preserve my excellent reputation and integrity of Suppressed Poet?), I wouldn't call my other self Sad American. I don't get sad. Most of the time I'm happy, sometimes I get pissed-off, and occasionaly I just like to bitch or start some shit. But sad is useless. Fuck that emo self-self pity BS.

Of course I will not convince you, jizz-master Tiny Tim, and I'm ok with that. Just thought I'd share that I would not name myself Sad American.

[Latrinsorm]

Standard of living and quality of life are similar but not necessarily interchangeable terms. Putting that aside:

-The middle class can comfortably live on one income earner now, too. My family was upper middle class and my mother stayed home until we were all in (or through) high school. I think you are confusing desire and/or female empowerment with necessity.

-I don't see how retirement is any more or less practical now, but surely you're aware that Social Security started in the 30s and was well in effect in the 50s and 60s.

-The Baby Boomers are the generation of Twinkies. Noted sociologist and historian Dave Barry hypothesized that the parents who survived the Depression were happy their kids were eating anything, so they didn't put much thought into nutritive value.

-I'm not sure what you mean by the dollar stretching further. It's a fact that household income has outstripped inflation, that in real terms we're richer now than we were then. You can't get a ride on the trolley for a nickel and have three cents left over for the nickelodeon and the papers, but the same amount of work gets you more wealth. Which is more important?

[Latrinsorm]

If I were going to create an alternate identy to get my political kicks (and to preserve my excellent reputation and integrity of Suppressed Poet?), I wouldn't call my other self Sad American. I don't get sad. Most of the time I'm happy, sometimes I get pissed-off, and occasionaly I just like to bitch or start some shit. But sad is useless. Fuck that emo self-self pity BS.

Of course I will not convince you, jizz-master Tiny Tim, and I'm ok with that. Just thought I'd share that I would not name myself Sad American.You should embrace your emotional self, it's healthier. :)