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Offline Carl

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What is the "American Dream"?
« on: December 13, 2010, 07:40:38 AM »
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9763229

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cali (1000+ posts)          Mon Dec-13-10 08:02 AM
Original message
What is the "American Dream"?
      

Clearly it's different things to different folks. One common descriptor is that the next generation will be better off than the one preceding it. But even that's open, somewhat, to interpretation. Better off how exactly?

For many people the American Dream is a bloated fantasy of consumerism: McMansions, gadgets galore, cruises, new cars. Education isn't valued for its own sake but as a vehicle to get the stuff.

I think this iteration of the American dream is the dominant one, and a strong factor as to why so many people in the middle class support the tea party crap and tax cuts for the wealthy: They believe that they or their progeny will achieve this American Dream. In other words, they're voting against their own self interests of today for their perceived self-interests of Tomorrow. Mix this in with the strong religious strain and you've got a stubborn belief system that is impermeable to logic and reason.

Damn people just won`t accept failure and compensate me for mine.

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Vinca  (1000+ posts)        Mon Dec-13-10 08:05 AM
Response to Original message
1. For me the American Dream would be an existence that didn't
   include constant worry about paying the bills and obtaining medical care. I'm not interested in great wealth, just a reasonably safe and happy life. And I want that for everyone.

I don`t want to be wealthy,I just want everything free.

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Democracyinkind (1000+ posts)        Mon Dec-13-10 08:18 AM
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4. For me the American Dream is the one fiction that is keeping us from actually getting forward.
   Edited on Mon Dec-13-10 08:20 AM by Democracyinkind
To me it simply stands for the notion that somehow this country - in contrast to any and all others in the world -(maybe because it supposedly is so unique??) provides enough opportunities for upward social mobility so that everyone has an incentive to keep quiet and go on with the rat race. At least in theory. Of course, the reality is that there was never enough social upward mobility in this country to actually benefit the whole of the population, but who cares? As long as the fiction that you can somehow come out on top prevails no one has an incentive to actually change anything, because everyone is led to believe that it's going to happen for them.

It's a dangerous fiction, meant to keep us in the dark ages. As Carlin said, it's called the American dream because you have to be asleep in order to believe it.....

So to sum it up the American dream is a fiction perpetuated by the upper class in order to convince the masses that it is more rewarding to participate in the rate race than to unhinge the wheel we're spinning in.

And no, I don't believe there ever was a time in this country when the "American Dream" was more than a fiction. The notion of the "dream of upward social mobility" is even a joke in the most progressive, wealthy countries where you actually have a shot at climbing the social ladder. Even in such filthy rich countries like Switzerland it is a joke to frame this "dream concept" along the lines of "upward social mobility for all". The very definition of upper class entails that there is such a thing as a lower class - so don't fall for it when they tell you that everyone can escape being a member of the lower class. It never has happened, and never will happen. That's where the American Dream comes in. As long as we hold onto that fiction we can waste our energy on competing against each other instead of competing against the upper class for political control of this system.

In other words...I am a loser,will always be a loser,am happy to be a loser and want everyone else to be a loser like me.

I will keep it simple for lurking DUmbasses.

To me the American dream is to live freely in this country and to make my way through life as best as I can.
That means the ability to make a mistake,deal with the consequences and pick myself up and go on to hopefully better things.

Success has been the story of America and what everyone should have as a goal.
You worthless shit stains relish failure and want to be applauded and compensated for it.
No matter how hard you try you will never undo what has made this country great because as you just saw last election when you try we will stand and fight you.

 :bird:
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Offline USA4ME

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2010, 07:51:13 AM »
I have yet to have a single primitive explain to me why not voting to increase the size and scope of gov't and soaking those who make more money than me in taxes is "voting against my own interest."  They've tried, but they can't do it.  Every possible reason they have is so easily shot down unless, like we've talked about at this site, you have the attitude of "self, self, self, me, me, me," which is their trait, not mine.

.
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Offline Tucker

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2010, 07:59:52 AM »
To the liberal intelligentsia, it's just sitting in a circle, jerking off while discussing their reason to be.  Except to them, their reason to be is limited to the here and now.

While they imaging themselves to be on some Himalayan mountain, giving the masses some enlightenment as to how we should live our lives, in reality, they're sitting on an ant hill. The tingle they feel crawling down their is is a colony of piss ants, and they sting.
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Come to think of it, unions do create jobs. Companies have to hire two workers to do the work of one.

Offline Ralph Wiggum

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2010, 08:42:43 AM »
Quote from: Tucker on December 13, 2010, 07:59:52 AM
To the liberal intelligentsia, it's just sitting in a circle, jerking off while discussing their reason to be.  Except to them, their reason to be is limited to the here and now.

While they imaging themselves to be on some Himalayan mountain, giving the masses some enlightenment as to how we should live our lives, in reality, they're sitting on an ant hill. The tingle they feel crawling down their is is a colony of piss ants, and they sting.

H5 for truth. :cheersmate:
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2010, 09:29:47 AM »
Packing all the hard-core Obamites onto the craft in The Spaceship of 1957* and launching them off to found a new Utopia would be aces with me...

*C. M. Kornbluth novella.     
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Offline BlueStateSaint

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2010, 09:59:05 AM »
Quote from: DumbAss Tanker on December 13, 2010, 09:29:47 AM
Packing all the hard-core Obamites onto the craft in The Spaceship of 1957* and launching them off to found a new Utopia would be aces with me...

*C. M. Kornbluth novella.     

As long as that spaceship turned directly for the Sun . . . and didn't turn away . . .
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Offline jukin

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2010, 10:17:29 AM »
To move forward to what the USSR was or maybe to what North Korea is.  That's what the progressive agenda will inevitably bring. Of course, the useful idiots will think..no BELIEVE that this time there will be the benevolent dictator that will make the world one big rainbow utopia. Th DUchebags are just like the soviet dissidents that after bieng put in the Siberian camps would actually say, " Does Stalin know about this?"
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When you are the beneficiary of someone’s kindness and generosity, it produces a sense of gratitude and community.

When you are the beneficiary of a policy that steals from someone and gives it to you in return for your vote, it produces a sense of entitlement and dependency.

Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2010, 10:23:36 AM »
Quote from: BlueStateSaint on December 13, 2010, 09:59:05 AM
As long as that spaceship turned directly for the Sun . . . and didn't turn away . . .

Not to give away the ending, but it didn't make it that far.   :-)
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Offline Splashdown

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2010, 10:30:06 AM »
Quote from: DumbAss Tanker on December 13, 2010, 09:29:47 AM
Packing all the hard-core Obamites onto the craft in The Spaceship of 1957* and launching them off to found a new Utopia would be aces with me...

*C. M. Kornbluth novella.     

See, I was going to go in a similar directon, only with Koz Kidz swimming to Cuba with a DUmmie under each arm.
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Offline Godot showed up

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2010, 10:33:11 AM »
Quote from: USA4ME on December 13, 2010, 07:51:13 AM
I have yet to have a single primitive explain to me why not voting to increase the size and scope of gov't and soaking those who make more money than me in taxes is "voting against my own interest."  They've tried, but they can't do it.  Every possible reason they have is so easily shot down unless, like we've talked about at this site, you have the attitude of "self, self, self, me, me, me," which is their trait, not mine.

.

Amen to that. How does the millionaire or billionaire 10 miles away or wherever hurt me? He takes nothing from me. On the contrary, he buys a tonload of products and services from American vendors (if not necessarily producers) including, possibly, from the company where I work. He generates jobs and employs people directly. And this is to my harm?

The federal, state, and city governments, on the other hand, tax take confiscate steal about half of what I work so hard to earn, and, also, although I might be able to create a side business to make more in addition to what I earn as an employee (and possibly exceed it), and would like to, have set up so many regulatory roadblocks that it's just about impossible to start a business with my small amount of capital any longer, especially here in NYC (I have often had the idea/dream of starting a small liquor store; forget about it in NYC, not unless you have friends somewhere in government and have plenty of extra capital to pay out bribes). So who's hurting me?

We don't call them DUmmies for nothing.
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2010, 10:33:16 AM »
That sounds good too, Splashdown!

 :cheersmate:
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Go and tell the Spartans, O traveler passing by
That here, obedient to their law, we lie.

Anything worth shooting once is worth shooting at least twice.

Offline GOBUCKS

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2010, 10:58:32 AM »
Winners never whine, and whiners never win. Democrat DUmmies, here in the midst of the greatest, most prosperous, happy and free nation in the history of mankind, are miserable, abject failures because that's what they expect of themselves. There will always be a democrat underclass because they make it a self-fulfilling prophesy. If they spent half as much effort in bettering their lot as they do in envying and hating successful people, they would probably end up as Republicans. But that's hard to do when you're stoned.
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Offline dandi

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #12 on: December 13, 2010, 11:07:52 AM »
There is no single definition of the "American Dream." It is as individual as those who dream it.

The American Dream is simply the freedom to strive for whatever station in life one aspires to. For some, it is to become rich. For some it is to become financially secure. Still others are content living paycheck-to-paycheck. The American Dream is not one of equality of outcome, but of opportunity and freedom to rise to whatever level one is willing to put forth the effort for. This cannot happen with a government that sets a limit on achievement, in essence saying, "Beyond this point we will take what you have and redistribute it because it is unfair to others that you have more." The American Dream is not "whatever the state says I am entitled to," which is basically what the Left espouses.

This type of government-enforced mediocrity is what kills the dream.
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Offline AllosaursRus

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #13 on: December 13, 2010, 11:21:41 AM »
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Bella Pelosi: "Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance."

This is all I need to know about these asshats and their enablers!
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Offline true_blood

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #14 on: December 13, 2010, 02:39:43 PM »
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Vinca  (1000+ posts)        Mon Dec-13-10 08:05 AM
Response to Original message
1. For me the American Dream would be an existence that didn't include constant worry about paying the bills and obtaining medical care. I'm not interested in great wealth, just a reasonably safe and happy life. And I want that for everyone.
Well then, you are a socialist through and through. How does a gubberment pay for all those entitlements? IT.DOESN'T.WORK.
Are you really that lazy that you don't want to work for what you want/need personally? Yeah, probably. Sorry I asked.
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Offline AllosaursRus

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #15 on: December 13, 2010, 03:15:26 PM »
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Vinca  (1000+ posts)        Mon Dec-13-10 08:05 AM
Response to Original message
1. For me the American Dream would be an existence that didn't include constant worry about paying the bills and obtaining medical care. I'm not interested in great wealth, just a reasonably safe and happy life. And I want that for everyone. And somebody else to pay for it!

fixored!
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Offline Freeper

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Re: What is the "American Dream"?
« Reply #16 on: December 13, 2010, 04:13:01 PM »
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In other words, they're voting against their own self interests of today for their perceived self-interests of Tomorrow.

When I pulled the lever on election day I was protecting my self interests. No, I'm not rich but, I believe in freedom and that includes economic freedom. I am consistent because I not only don't want my taxes to increase I don't want the taxes of the rich to increase either. Are not all Americans entitled to the fruits of their own labors, whether you make $18,000 (I believe that is about the min wage) or 18 billion in a years time?
Just like you are not entitled to have your hand on my paycheck I am not entitled to have my hand on Bill Gate's paycheck either.

What the DUmmies can't grasp is, if we taxed everyone at a flat 10% the rich would still pay a majority of the taxes in this country. Basic mathematics says that 10% of 1 billion is a whole lot more than 10% of 18,000.
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