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There is no relation between the American dream and the average person.HTColeman said:I hear alot of people ranting on about fulfilling the 'American Dream', I might have even done it at one time myself. But what is the American Dream? I am not talking about a string of cliches that don't really mean anything, I'm talking about what is the AD in relation to the average person's life?
Old and wise said:There is no relation between the American dream and the average person.
To live the American dream a person has to be intelligent and have the ambition to succeed. Those traits are not very abundant in this country.
A person living the American dream has used his/her intelligence and ambition to get ahead in life and has become successful in accumulating enough wealth to be able to live to the end of his/her life in relative comfort.
Not something that many Americans are willing or capable of doing.
Old and wise said:There is no relation between the American dream and the average person.
To live the American dream a person has to be intelligent and have the ambition to succeed. Those traits are not very abundant in this country.
A person living the American dream has used his/her intelligence and ambition to get ahead in life and has become successful in accumulating enough wealth to be able to live to the end of his/her life in relative comfort.
Not something that many Americans are willing or capable of doing.
Old and wise said:There is no relation between the American dream and the average person.
To live the American dream a person has to be intelligent and have the ambition to succeed. Those traits are not very abundant in this country.
A person living the American dream has used his/her intelligence and ambition to get ahead in life and has become successful in accumulating enough wealth to be able to live to the end of his/her life in relative comfort.
Not something that many Americans are willing or capable of doing.
hawk2 said:You are indeed "Old and Wise". I will add a comment or two but I disagree that there are not many people in the US capable of living the American Dream. This country has a wealth of entrepreneurs, all of which are seeking and/or living the American. Capitalism provides the environment where innovation can flourish and innovation is the seed that creates the American Dream. It is the last product that we as Americans have in vast quantities and it is because we have the "can do" attitude which provides the engine that drives innovation and the personal freedome to be as great as we are capable of being.
No whiner has ever lived the American Dream. They are the ones who question whether on or not it exists.
The animals who destroyed the New Orleans dome during and after Katrina are the antithesis of the American Dream as are the jelly fish who never want to get off welfare.
Asking if the American Dream is well and alive is analogous to the Director of the US Patent office in 1898, who said that the Patent Office should be closed because everything that could be invented had already been patented.
Ask Bill gates whether or not the American Dream is well and alive.
Mark A Shrider said:The American Dream: politicized...
In political rhetoric it has become the desire to obtain just a little more than what you'll ever have. This reasoning makes the party not in power able to always use the "American Dream is dead" slogan to run on & place the blame on the party of power at the time. Primarily it's economics for political purposes. Life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness: these things mean different things to different people. Therefore, the American Dream is different for everyone. Find your dream & then work toward achieving that dream. The fact that is still possible proves that the American Dream is still alive & well.
hawk2 said:Thanks for providing some good logical support here.....I have no understanding for those who are willing sit on the sidelines and whine about not having any opportunity to live the American Dream, just as I have no time for the homeless who would rather live in the woods than get a job and try to confront their demons. NOTE: I am not speaking of someone who is disabled physically.......perhaps it can be said that all homeless people are mentally disabled but I would rather call it an unwillingness to face reality and who would rather beg for crumbs. All people are born equal in the eyes of God but I have not observed God helping those that are less equal in reality.
HTColeman said:Besides, I am not saying that the American Dream doesn't exist, it happens, but not very often. My question is what is the American Dream, owning a home, having a family, being wealthy, etc., etc.
hawk2 said:Your question has already been answered by Mark A. Shrider with the following exerpt from his post and I agree:
Life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness: these things mean different things to different people. Therefore, the American Dream is different for everyone. Find your dream & then work toward achieving that dream. The fact that it is still possible proves that the American Dream is alive & well.
HTColeman said:That is a way to go about life, American Dream implies a certain goal. Would it be in your view, achieving that dream? So if someone does not achieve that dream, then have they failed as an American?
hawk2 said:America gives you the opportunity.......the rest is up to you.
Wow, a couple of posts and you know what I seem to think? No, I am not spoiled, and no, I do not think life is easy because mine hasn't. Once again, do not patronize me, I have not disrespected you or discredited your age, I only ask the same.hawk2 said:Most people fail on their first try.......the trick is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again. Nobody said it was easy. There is no certain formula and there are no guarantees.
You could say it is similar to writing a book.........most people write several before they ever get one published. You seem to think you should be able to write a "best seller" the first time around.
You seem to think life is easy.......is that because you have had everything handed to you like my grandchildren?
America gives you the opportunity.......the rest is up to you.
Old and wise said:Hawk, you are absolutely right. I immigrated to this country from Germany at the age of 16 with nothing but the shirt on my back (so to speak).
I never received any help from the Government but I used my intelligence and ambition to make something of myself. I served my time in the service to this country. I made it on my own because I put everything I could muster into making a better life for myself. I raised 3 children, send them through college, and made enough money the honest way to be able to live the rest of my life very comfortably.
Anyone can do it if they put their mind to it.
UtahBill said:I know what MY American Dream is, and have achieved it. Others have a higher level of American Dream, good for them. My younger brother's dream is to live alone in a run down house, well not completely alone, he has his dogs. But if he is happy, he has achieved his dream.
The trick is to set reasonably achievable goals. Certainly if my dream was to become a world famous pianist, I would fail at the onset. I can barely type. If it wasn't for spellcheck, this would be almost unreadable.
To each is own, as long as he pays for it himself......:2wave:
HTColeman said:I hear alot of people ranting on about fulfilling the 'American Dream', I might have even done it at one time myself. But what is the American Dream? I am not talking about a string of cliches that don't really mean anything, I'm talking about what is the AD in relation to the average person's life?
EugenicHegemony said:You want the truth?
It's a UTOPIC lie that has been sold to the masses.
iamjack said:This isn't a Marxist country last I checked. In fact I can't remember the last time I ever heard a shred of American Utopian optimism. In fact I can't remember any American optimism that didn't result in the utter, seething outrage of some disgruntled liberal or foreign narccicist.
Comrade Brian said:Where did Marxism pop up for?
And if he hates the current US govt. and Social system I doubt he's a liberal, they support most things of the current systems, same as republicans.
Hornburger said:I think the American Dream deals with financial success, and having the opportunity to achieve such a materialistic dream and make one's life better. To achieve this, people must have the opportunity to achieve the dream, so freedoms also come into play. So basically, I think the end result of the dream is financial success, while the means are opportunity and hard work.
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