For many individuals the American Dream represents the aspirations and hopes of individuals in general. Many generations of Americans lived by the American Dream and foster their freedom and liberty. The American Dream started as a revolutionary idea that each individual possess the right to follow the freedom to achieve a better life through dedication and hard work. Nonetheless, the changes in the global market led to the American Dream becoming an expectation about making money and owning material possessions. Many immigrants have come into the country to seek freedom, liberty, and achieve a good lifestyle. But, there is more to the freedom that many individuals crave. Not many individuals are willing to work hard to achieve their dreams, and therefore they find methods that give them a good life without hard work. The American dream continues to change as when one thinks of the American Dream one automatically thinks of greed, poverty, and war.
Pallensen quotes American philosopher, Zoltan Istvan, “The American Dream has become a death sentence of drudgery, consumerism, and fatalism: a garage sale where the best of the human spirit is bartered” (as cited by Pallensen, par. 8). From Istvan, one sees that the American Dream is slowly losing its value as individuals see the American Dream like a garage sale where the human spirit becomes battered through the obedience, comfort, and trinkets that determines material wealth and gain. Individuals no longer crave the desire to work for an honest living because there are easier opportunities to achieve success.
Another factor that has led to the destruction of the American Dream is the breakdown in family values. The family value that comes with the American Dream has lost its meaning as more families have become dysfunctional. The family classic, “The Brady Bunch” represents the ideal family living the American Dream. The father works and takes care of his family. But, this is a dream that many Americans wish for but cannot have in this modern society where fathers abandon their responsibilities. For the average individual, the American Dream lies in "achieving the nostalgic ideal of 1950s family life—Dad in charge of the household, Mom always looking pretty, and their children happily obedient and affectionate," (Johnson, par. 1). The common premise is that success comes from residing in a nuclear family in the suburban homes.
Still, a number of Americans "disparage any lifestyle that departs from this false image of family life," (Johnson, par.1). Many people living in America are unable to afford to buy their own homes or adapt the lifestyles of the families in the fifties that formed the ideal American Dream. Nonetheless, advertisers continue to use the media to delude individuals about attaining the American dream. In addition, "consumers continue to spend their money in hope of achieving it," (Johnson, par. 1). For one to truly achieve happiness, one must reject the false representation of the American Dream and lean towards creating new dreams to achieve happiness. Clearly, it is next to impossible to go through a week in many parts of America and not hear about the American Dream. But, the notion is a fundamental part of the culture in the country, but only a limited amount of individuals give the idea close attention.
Many individuals from across the world come to America to pursue the American Dream, but not many individuals achieve their dream. Historian Matthew Warshauer postulates that the American Dream changed significantly over the years, (Warshauer, par. 2). The founding fathers of America established America with the belief that the citizens could hold onto the dream of life, happiness and liberty. Throughout history America has been the land of opportunities. But, how does an individual achieve the American Dream? Warshauer writes “one components of the American Dream seems, however, to be fairly consistent: the quest for money,” (Warshauer, par. 3). A number of critics reject the idea that Americans focus on the “almighty dollar,” (Warshauer, par. 3). Those who own a nice car and a big house differ from those who cannot afford the American Dream. The economic situation disallows many individuals to achieve their dreams as the increase in job loss manifests itself in a way that shows that the American Dream dies with each economic crisis.
Snyder writes that in the past, "the United States had the largest and most prosperous middle class in the history of the world," (Snyder, par. 1). Sadly, this changed with time. In present day America, the increases in prices and the reduction in income diminishes the ideals of the American Dream. The lack of jobs all those who currently seek jobs adds to the breakdown in families and even more dire economic disasters. In addition, the wages are lower and barely meets the standards of living; hence, the destruction of the American Dream. Snyder points out that "more than 49 percent of all Americans receive benefits from the federal government each month," (Snyder, par.3). The harsh reality is that the number of Americans who rely on the government assistance, diminish the hope constructive and ambitious motivation to achieve the American Dream. Unfortunately, politicians set aside and do nothing to stop the increase in inflation and the lack of jobs and as a result there is little or no hope for maintaining the American Dream.
Studies show that the United States spent almost three trillion dollars on welfare programs in the past five years, (Snyder, par. 5). Does this really foster the American Dream? In addition, "student loans are up by an astounding 61 percent over the past three years," (Synder, par. 5). Additionally, "if the American dream is defined by the desire to have money for personal advancement, then it is only natural that it should be marked by such terrible symptoms of slavery, corruptness, gambling, and false law suits," (The Degeneration of the American Dream, par. 1). People are generally lazy and would prefer to collect money for work they do not carry out. In fact, these individuals take advantage of the fact that they can collect money for work that they do not do. Game shows and lotteries are incomparable to the degeneration of the American Dream because for many individuals, the American Dream means having exorbitant material possessions that they can exchange for monetary gains.
Shapiro postulates that "the American Dream has long evoked the idea that the next generation will have a better life than the previous one," (Shapiro, par.1). Nevertheless, many Americans today feel as though the dream is in trouble. The American Dream is one of the fundamental fibers in America's politics, culture and music. The idea of the American Dream is in peril since the recession three years ago. Shapiro reinforces the typical view that "the American Dream for the average man doesn't exist anymore," (Strandberg, as cited by Shapiro, par. 2). But, the destruction of the American Dream started long before the recession. At least thirty-five years of constant psychological warfare and economic tampering,” (Mayhew, par. 6) and another five long decades to see who could compile “a larger stockpile of nuclear weapons that neither country would ever use,” (Mayhew, par. 6) helped to trigger a well-orchestrated and reprehensible policy that created a shameless waste that almost bankrupted America, (Mayhew, par. 6).The ensuing wars against other nations added to the economic depression and increased job losses in the country.
President Obama, in his 2009, describes "his inauguration as a fulfillment of the American Dream," (Around the Nation, par. 1). Research shows that Obama embraces the American Dream as only in American one gets a fair chance at becoming the President of the United States irrespective or social or racial background. But, just as one realizes the American Dream still exists, the cruelty of many racial slurs reminds one that there are a number of whites who do not extend the American Dream to non-whites. One would think that with the end of slavery over a century ago, people would no longer think in black and white even as they realize the American Dream. Slavery restricted the upward mobility of the black race and as such many blacks cannot successfully enjoy the benefits of the American Dream. The challenge in the American society today comes from the number of immigrants who seek to achieve the American Dream. Many measures are now in place to stem the influx of illegal immigrants who seek escape to the land of freedom and the pursuit of happiness in the American Dream. While immigrants do not shy away from dedication and hard work, many Americans find it hard to work to achieve their goals. As a result, these Americans bring to the forefront the destruction of the American Dream and its values, while the immigrants struggle to maintain this dream.
Needless to say, the faith in the American Dream falters with each decade. Domock postulates: "Lower income whites and lower income African-Americans are more skeptical about the American Dream," (Domock, as cited in Around the Nation, par. 3) as they cannot enjoy the freedom and liberty afforded to the whites. Still, the "higher income blacks are pretty optimistic about the American Dream, as are higher income whites," (Around the Nation, par. 2). As harsh as it appears, the truth is that those who believe that the American Dream exists are those who lived the American Dream. Individuals in the society today, struggle constantly to meet their financial needs. How can one achieve their financial dreams and in turn the American Dream when the country currently faces the economic struggle to survive? Baruma believes: “The American republic likes to claim that it represents not only the hopes of humankind, but universal values,” (Buruma, n.p). But how many Americans can truly say that they live the American Dream?
In concluding, if the American Dream is the desire to have money for individual advancement, then it is only natural that this money should be marked by such horrifying results of corruptness, false lawsuits, and gambling. People are fundamentally lazy, and they gravitate towards the easiest way to make money. This notion is far off from the foundations of the American Dream and leaves one to accept that there is the destruction of the American Dream. The lotteries and game shows offer the opportunities to get money easily, but the premise of the American Dream rests in hard work and dedication. One cannot hope to achieve the American Dream if one does not wish to work hard. With this in mind, the ideals of the American Dream faces continued degradation as individuals continue to rely more on government assistance rather than work hard to achieve the American Dream.
Works Cited
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Baruma, Ian (2011, October 11) “Napoleon’s Curse - The illusion of omnipotence has exhausted
America and spoiled its allies. Web. Accessed December 7, 2014
Experiment Garden - The Degeneration of the American Dream - Response to Matthew
Warshauer's Essay. Labels: Sociology (2014) Web. Accessed December 7, 2014
Johnson, Lorie A. (2006) The American Dream Does Not Exist Is the American Dream a Myth?
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Mayhew, Pablo (n.d) “How Ronald Reagan destroyed the American Dream,” Raw Story
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Pallensen, Joern (2013) Book Review and Recommendation – Zoltan Istvan” (The
Transhumanist Wager. Web. Accessed December 7, 2014
Shapiro, Ari American Dream Faces Harsh New Reality May 29, 2012. Web. Accessed
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Snyder, Michael, (2013) “25 Stats That Prove That the American Dream is Being Systematically
Destroyed - Economic Collapse. Web. Accessed December 7, 2014
