"And when three men hoard one trillion dollars ... "
How long before Americans finally catch on that this is the real problem they face? That what has killed the American dream is unchecked, unimaginable avarice?
We desperately need to articulate a new dream, and not just for America but for the whole western world. We could and should do so much better than what neoliberalism and transactionalism have delivered.
Except the second half of the article is about how the dream was no good from the start. Those goals pointed us away from the best of ourselves. I hope against hope that we can use the polycrisis to discover a new, collective vision instead. We don’t need the big house and two cars: we can co-house and share our means. We’re doing it anyway because we have to, our kids can leave home and our older relatives need us more. So let’s be intentional about it and develop our humanity in the process
I mostly agree. We as a society should strive for something better than lonely consumption, but I fear the underlying shift is we should settle for scraps and be happy.
The American dream was a nightmare from the beginning for millions of people brought here, enslaved, genocided, and then, over the last 150 years, mistreated (a mild word for what happened). The dream of the American West, along with its manifest destiny and self-sufficiency, was often, if not usually, subsidized by the government.
The boom of the post-WWII era for folks (not equitably shared) felt pretty dreamy, I have to say. I grew up with the benefits of that, and as an X'er did pretty well for myself, as did my older in-laws. But now? I'd be hard-pressed to keep up with that standard (retirement is laughable), and my kids? Certainly not.
There has been no actual dream, and it's good that people are waking up. Trillionaire hoarders? The most absolutely immoral thing, and the evil mythos of it fed to us like it's a sacred path. It's shameful.
i've been pushing the idea of a new "four freedoms" campaign built around the four fundamental things we need to be free: housing/transportation, health, education, and employment. all four work to reinforce one another and form a coherent response to the many ways we are unfree.
HEALTH: Personal, public, & environmental health are all inextricably linked. The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, & the communities in which we live & work affect our well being. Health freedom encompasses universal health care, bodily autonomy, community investment, & environmental restoration.
HOMES: It's really housing and transportation because getting around is part and parcel of how and where we live. This means democratic planning to shape our urban habitats, building housing at scale through state action, and investing in the operations & expansion of transit systems to improve connection both within & between regions. It necessarily incorporates environmental protection, not just for its own sake
EDUCATION: Our kids must be free to learn so they may become full adults and adults must have the opportunity to learn throughout their lives. Learning about the world shouldn't involve going into debt or throwing yourself into penury.
EMPLOYMENT: It's not so much "a job" but really economic freedom to resist bad bosses, unsafe work, mental stagnation, and precarious conditions. Having health care, housing, and education wrapped up is a critical part of it all. Not everyone can work and we shouldn’t expect them to and not all work is for pay; children, students, elders, (some) disabled people, and family caregivers are just some of those who fall into this category.
Great topic and interesting take. To me the funny thing about this is how the American dream changed over time. At one point, it seemed to be more of a social contract where a person that invests effort gets back social and economic mobility. The interesting thing to me is that the pinnacle of this used to be defined as the single family home, couple of cars, couple of kids, nice vacation etc. That definition felt like an embodiment of security and trust in the culture and government that provided the opportunity. Now, the dream seems to aim towards endless wealth accumulation as you note. We laud these billionaires as captains of industry instead of selfish pricks watching the world die of thirst as they run sprinklers over a ten thousand acre lawn. We don’t shoot for security any more but for lottery winnings. Personally, I think if we could change the trajectory of our aspirations back to creating a society where effort could yield a secure life free of constant fear that any bad turn could ruin us then we would all be better off. That’s wholly achievable with a few changes to the tax code.
I prefer to say the American Dream is out of reach. Dead makes it seem like it can never come back. But as you suggest, there are still parts of it that are achievable or at least need to be reimagined
Our situation right now is dire and feels incredibly overwhelming, but I want to believe this is a defining moment in time when we not only can, but will take collective steps toward a better world for everyone. It’s a daunting task, but the alternative is giving up, and that’s even more frightening to me.
The West is utilized as a breeding ground for a “Wild West,” which died long ago. Of course the Billionaires will have their battles there and in many cases win. Break them.
I think that it is not over yet. The situation will just get worse, and worse, and worse. Until we reach nepal level of "i don't want to deal with your shit anymore"
"And when three men hoard one trillion dollars ... "
How long before Americans finally catch on that this is the real problem they face? That what has killed the American dream is unchecked, unimaginable avarice?
The majority may never catch on it depends on educating them. It’s depends on breaking the propaganda that we’re constantly marinating in from birth.
My fear is that the American dream of a house, car, and 2.5 kids will be replaced by a different and yet also familiar American dream (fascism)
As George Carlin said “It’s called the American Dream,because you have to be asleep to believe it.”
Bingo! Beat me to it. lol
We desperately need to articulate a new dream, and not just for America but for the whole western world. We could and should do so much better than what neoliberalism and transactionalism have delivered.
^^^^^^
Except the second half of the article is about how the dream was no good from the start. Those goals pointed us away from the best of ourselves. I hope against hope that we can use the polycrisis to discover a new, collective vision instead. We don’t need the big house and two cars: we can co-house and share our means. We’re doing it anyway because we have to, our kids can leave home and our older relatives need us more. So let’s be intentional about it and develop our humanity in the process
I mostly agree. We as a society should strive for something better than lonely consumption, but I fear the underlying shift is we should settle for scraps and be happy.
The American dream was a nightmare from the beginning for millions of people brought here, enslaved, genocided, and then, over the last 150 years, mistreated (a mild word for what happened). The dream of the American West, along with its manifest destiny and self-sufficiency, was often, if not usually, subsidized by the government.
The boom of the post-WWII era for folks (not equitably shared) felt pretty dreamy, I have to say. I grew up with the benefits of that, and as an X'er did pretty well for myself, as did my older in-laws. But now? I'd be hard-pressed to keep up with that standard (retirement is laughable), and my kids? Certainly not.
There has been no actual dream, and it's good that people are waking up. Trillionaire hoarders? The most absolutely immoral thing, and the evil mythos of it fed to us like it's a sacred path. It's shameful.
Indeed, we 'go woke' because we realize the dream was a figment of our imagination and it was never real in the first place.
i've been pushing the idea of a new "four freedoms" campaign built around the four fundamental things we need to be free: housing/transportation, health, education, and employment. all four work to reinforce one another and form a coherent response to the many ways we are unfree.
HEALTH: Personal, public, & environmental health are all inextricably linked. The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, & the communities in which we live & work affect our well being. Health freedom encompasses universal health care, bodily autonomy, community investment, & environmental restoration.
HOMES: It's really housing and transportation because getting around is part and parcel of how and where we live. This means democratic planning to shape our urban habitats, building housing at scale through state action, and investing in the operations & expansion of transit systems to improve connection both within & between regions. It necessarily incorporates environmental protection, not just for its own sake
EDUCATION: Our kids must be free to learn so they may become full adults and adults must have the opportunity to learn throughout their lives. Learning about the world shouldn't involve going into debt or throwing yourself into penury.
EMPLOYMENT: It's not so much "a job" but really economic freedom to resist bad bosses, unsafe work, mental stagnation, and precarious conditions. Having health care, housing, and education wrapped up is a critical part of it all. Not everyone can work and we shouldn’t expect them to and not all work is for pay; children, students, elders, (some) disabled people, and family caregivers are just some of those who fall into this category.
Great topic and interesting take. To me the funny thing about this is how the American dream changed over time. At one point, it seemed to be more of a social contract where a person that invests effort gets back social and economic mobility. The interesting thing to me is that the pinnacle of this used to be defined as the single family home, couple of cars, couple of kids, nice vacation etc. That definition felt like an embodiment of security and trust in the culture and government that provided the opportunity. Now, the dream seems to aim towards endless wealth accumulation as you note. We laud these billionaires as captains of industry instead of selfish pricks watching the world die of thirst as they run sprinklers over a ten thousand acre lawn. We don’t shoot for security any more but for lottery winnings. Personally, I think if we could change the trajectory of our aspirations back to creating a society where effort could yield a secure life free of constant fear that any bad turn could ruin us then we would all be better off. That’s wholly achievable with a few changes to the tax code.
I prefer to say the American Dream is out of reach. Dead makes it seem like it can never come back. But as you suggest, there are still parts of it that are achievable or at least need to be reimagined
Our situation right now is dire and feels incredibly overwhelming, but I want to believe this is a defining moment in time when we not only can, but will take collective steps toward a better world for everyone. It’s a daunting task, but the alternative is giving up, and that’s even more frightening to me.
The West is utilized as a breeding ground for a “Wild West,” which died long ago. Of course the Billionaires will have their battles there and in many cases win. Break them.
American Dream? Proven 100 years ago a myth.
I think that it is not over yet. The situation will just get worse, and worse, and worse. Until we reach nepal level of "i don't want to deal with your shit anymore"
"Imagination is eternal delight" (William Blake). Welcome to the Blakean Revolution.