Why It's Called "The American DREAM"
Because "dreams" is how you'd like your life to be, without all the jerks and lies and greed and whatnot. But reality says, "Sorry, you'll have to fight through that, and maybe more, to get close to what you want." For minorities, it's even more so, and this story from the Washington Post sums it up:
I'd say that in a way it confirms that the American Dream is just that: a dream. An idolised version of America that doesn't exist; and if it did/does only for a small select group of people.
I always saw the American Dream as an extension of the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) : "the opportunity and freedom for all citizens to achieve their goals and become wealthy and renowned if only they work hard enough." Why? Because everyone wants to be prosperous in some manner or another, but no one can do that entirely on their own. You can make the perfect product, but if no one helps you develop it, test it, manufacture it, market it and deliver it who gives a damn? So you have to hire people to do all of these things, and the unwritten promise is: As I advance, so will you. You will be rewarded for your contribution. So you hire directors and VPs and managers and project leaders who not only know what the hell they're doing, but can work well with people (both employees and customers) and reward them as well. The company does well, and everyone gets a piece of the pie...some larger than others, of course, but the bottom line is: because we were in this together, working as a team, we'll all have a better tomorrow.
But the reality is: I'm looking out for me. Screw you. The idea of helping your fellow man has been deteriorating at a mind-boggling pace. My belief is that somewhere down the line, some people decided to "re-slice the pie," giving those who weren't getting alot to begin with less.
If we're ever going to be able to give every American the ability to see their dream become a reality, the "me first" attitude has to change, and the pie-slicing will have to be revisited.
Forty-five percent of black children whose parents were solidly middle class in 1968 -- a stratum with a median income of $55,600 in inflation-adjusted dollars -- grew up to be among the lowest fifth of the nation's earners, with a median family income of $23,100. Only 16 percent of whites experienced similar downward mobility. At the same time, 48 percent of black children whose parents were in an economic bracket with a median family income of $41,700 sank into the lowest income group.
This troubling picture of black economic evolution is contained in a package of three reports being released today by the Pew Charitable Trusts that test the vitality of the American dream. Using a nationally representative data source that for nearly four decades has tracked people who were children in 1968, researchers attempted to answer two questions: Do Americans generally advance beyond their parents in terms of income? How much is that affected by race and gender?
I'd say that in a way it confirms that the American Dream is just that: a dream. An idolised version of America that doesn't exist; and if it did/does only for a small select group of people.
I always saw the American Dream as an extension of the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) : "the opportunity and freedom for all citizens to achieve their goals and become wealthy and renowned if only they work hard enough." Why? Because everyone wants to be prosperous in some manner or another, but no one can do that entirely on their own. You can make the perfect product, but if no one helps you develop it, test it, manufacture it, market it and deliver it who gives a damn? So you have to hire people to do all of these things, and the unwritten promise is: As I advance, so will you. You will be rewarded for your contribution. So you hire directors and VPs and managers and project leaders who not only know what the hell they're doing, but can work well with people (both employees and customers) and reward them as well. The company does well, and everyone gets a piece of the pie...some larger than others, of course, but the bottom line is: because we were in this together, working as a team, we'll all have a better tomorrow.
But the reality is: I'm looking out for me. Screw you. The idea of helping your fellow man has been deteriorating at a mind-boggling pace. My belief is that somewhere down the line, some people decided to "re-slice the pie," giving those who weren't getting alot to begin with less.
If we're ever going to be able to give every American the ability to see their dream become a reality, the "me first" attitude has to change, and the pie-slicing will have to be revisited.
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