American Dream = Pipe Dream?

[sandmanwake]

Depends on what you think the American Dream is. To me, the American Dream is about being able to make something of your life through your own hard work. You can begin with nothing and still be able to building a comfortable life for yourself through your own hard work. If this is your definition of the American Dream, then it's still possible. Heck, I'm living the Dream right now. I started out with nothing and now I'm the most successful one in my family. I don't own my own home or even have furniture other than a desk and my bed, but I've got a roof over my head, food in my stomach, and I'm able to squirrel away a decent amount of cash every month for retirement--don't really need much more than that.

If you think the American Dream is "I should get anything I want and I shouldn't have to worry about how to pay for it", then yeah, it's a pipe dream. I know people who make more than me and that's their definition of the Dream. Now most of them are waking up to the nightmare of not having any savings, house getting foreclosed on, and all the toys they've bought over the years hasn't made them any happier then me.

 

[BarneyFife]

The American dream was starting off small and getting to the top through hard work. Now its all about surviving and stabbing everyone in the back so your job doesn't get outsourced.

 

[Pliablemoose]

As only George Carlin could put it....

God I miss him.

 

[Svnla]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
I sincerely hope America learned the lesson of putting the former CEO of Halliburton in the White House, and the former CEO of Goldman Sachs in charge of the Treasury.

Expensive lesson.

If you think this big mess is a result of Republicans and within the last couple years, you need to get out more and may learn something. Like I said in the other thread, both sides have their hands in this mess and this have been going for years.

http://www.investors.com/edito...cle&id=306978378974502


To the OP, no the dream is still alive, it is getting harder. What make me so mad is I work hard, went to college, get a decent job, save money for rainny days...ie..I did all the right things and now, I and millions like myself are forced to pay for other stupid scums for their mistakes.

 

[Mursilis]

Originally posted by: shinerburke
The American Dream is still well within reach for intelligent and reasonable people.

This.
My in-laws are of Asian descent, and thier parents did not come from money when the immigrated to the US from the Philipphines. My father-in-law raised 5 kids on an enlisted Navy sailor's salary and ran a mail room after retiring from the military, so they were never "rich", but they're all doing quite well now, just based on hard work, hard studying, and keeping thier noses clean. Most of thier extended family is the same.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: spidey07
How are poor choices by stupid people mean it's a disaster?

The main problem is living beyond peoples means and thinking you "deserve a nice home" or your are "entitled to nice things". That's not the American Dream. I think it's mainly a problem of perception that to have a house it has to be a big one. That wasn't how it was just 20 years ago - you bought a starter home, 2 bedrooms, one for you, one for the first or 2nd kid. Kept working, then got a bigger one when it was financially prudent to do so and the family needed it.

Not today, today 1st home must be large, 3-4 bedrooms and it's expensive. Too expensive for people buying it. Now if you're making 300K+ and can afford the 600K home good for you! But complaining that houses are too expensive means you are looking at a house that is beyond your means. I see it all the time with younger people/couples...they want to have a house like the one their parents had without understanding it took 20+ years for their parents to get that kind of house.

-edit-
What I'm trying to say is being stupid with money isn't the American Dream, but a good portion of society has warped it to mean lots of big things. When the average joe has 7-10K in credit card debt...something is wrong with average Joe's decisions making abilities.

Bingo.

For example, I am 26, single, not into 6-digit earnings yet, but closing in, and in a year or two I will be looking to buy a house in the $60,000 to $100,000 range. That will get me an old house in a small town somewhere which is all I need at this point. People today talk about "needing" 3 bedrooms and a three-car garage. It's ridiculous.

ZV

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
People today talk about "needing"

I think this is the crux. People have become so spoiled that they can no longer differentiate between needs and wants.

I'll also point out that the "American Dream," as proffered by the OP, is never approached by the vast majority of Americans. Only 30% of the adult population ever graduates from college, for example. My version of the American Dream is much different. In it, people decide what they want, then do what is necessary to achieve it. That's as specific as it can be because it differs in each case.