What really is the "American dream"?
436270
The American dream is different for everyone. The American dream, may indeed be phoney, but all the new immigrants obviously don't believe so. They immigrate here for a better life and a "chance at the American dream." So the American dream can't be all that phony. And no, the dream doesn't describe a white person, it just depends how you see it.\nJ'adore,\nConnie.
46245
Americans with communications skills like yours really can't blame anyone else for their employment troubles, and anyone who thinks this is washing away the American Dream doesn't have the faintest idea what it really means to be an American.\n\nThat being said, illegal immigration is a problem, and it's a problem for one simple reason. We have an system that turns immigration into a burden rather than an opportunity.\n\nThere's absolutely nothing wrong with the idea of someone leaving their homeland and coming to the US to make a new and/or improved life for themselves and their family. However, our government of the last several decades has created and perpetuated an entitlement society. By creating a 'safety net' that attempts to ensure the welfare of everyone (no matter how unproductive they choose to be), we have turned immigration into a burden that drags upon our nation.
544815
It is like winning the lottery and then giving your winnings to your community members. We have great freedoms here and with it the responsibility to be appropriate and self controlled amongst such vast opportunity.  Man kind can be lowly and make bad choices every where under the sun, and in some lands man given power unchecked equates to the casting down of his fellow man. In America all of this is possible however less likely to occur. We are a people that believe in human rights, freedom for all and even the downtrodden can be lifted up. I feel so good about America that I best describe it as a childish dream of electric delights and bright lights, of candy apples and warm family events. Certainly its not all milk and hunny but it’s a long way from the control of communism. Sure we have our problems too but our government is not totalitarian. Sure we have some bad politicians like the Clinton's, but even they are held at bay with checks and balances. Our advanced culture still cannot answer the problems of the homeless and children of abuse and neglect with the best programs and policies, however you can choose to be a success fight for that success, work hard on it, get it, and also order pizza delivery with your cable TV programming at midnight and get it hot and fresh or its free. Oh and you can drink the water. Like a great Russian once said of our country, “you can get chicken in a fish place, I love this country.”
1010693
Well now let's see.  Plight is an interesting word.  Like the American middle class is somehow poor or oppressed.  Your typical American middle class person potentially has their own house... almost certainly their own car... access to 3 square meals a day, and reasonable opportunity for betterment through education and hard work.\n\nI think other people are envious of the middle class American.  That's why they come here.  From all over the world.
708474
no im not living the american dream. only few people actually live it thats why its called a dream. life is an ongoing struggle for me and about 250 million americans. what needs to be changed is definitely the heathcare, and welfare system. the military budget also needs to be reduced from $400 billion to about $40 billion. spend $360 on healthcare and welfare. people will be better taken care of. food in the u.s. is great though. dont change that. i love american buffets and taco bell. i also like how people trust each other in the states. in a lot of countries people dont trust each other and that is sad. i also like how americans are much friendlier than other countries. thats one thing americans can teach others. and also the food as well. im not talking about mcdonalds coz thats rubish. but like american buffets. even steak, ribs, and chicken wings. other countries have taught me tolerance. many countries are real good at accepting people of different religious groups, backgrounds, gays, poor people, etc. we are all people, and sometimes thats hard to understand in the states because you have to fit into this mold on what a person should be.
1126576
Yar----the people are taking action. And there is more of us than Government..\n\nRelax and remember what truly makes a change. Americans have a good history of what they can do. They come from a strong line of all different nationalities and they have a good goal.
523455
"i have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident;that all men are created equal."\nBy Martin Luther King\nI'm sorry its not in my own words, but that's what the American dream is to me equality for all, whites, blacks, Hispanics,legal or illegal, we are all human i just wish everyone could see that, a piece paper does not define the value of a person.Racism, hate, war, and prejudice is not the answer.
529662
It is the belief that through hard work, courage and determination, anyone can achieve a better life, mainly through becoming rich. It means that many Americans may view happiness by material assets, their health, etc.\n\nThe truth is often far from this. Countries whose citizens generally report higher levels of happiness are often poorer than the US. For example, the King of Bhutan, when criticized by Western economists for not doing enough to improve the country's economy, replied he wished to maximize "Gross National Happiness", not "Gross National Product".
235419
I think the American dream is to be the best and the biggest. I mean look at our history. We over through England, than we tried to rid our land of the Native Americans, after that we tried to take over the Panama Islands, Alaska we bought from Russia, Hawaii we just plain took over, the Virgin Islands, now we're in Iraq. What's next..........Ireland, or Italy?
765349
LMAO . I saw it.  Many of them live a dual life .. . Hate America, but Want to Live Here. Makes about as much sense as the rest of their views.
542992
You are really rude. What about the American Dream? People should be able to have a chance in America no matter where they are from or their ethnicity. Think before you speak.
522366
An American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: “In the deepening gloom of the Depression, the American Dream represented a reaffirmation of traditional American hopes”' (Anthony Brandt).
848002
There are political elememts that benefit from spreading the myth that the American Dream is dead.  There are a lot of people who now believe there is no hope of acheiving their dreams.\n\nThose people are the socialist/democrats/liberals.
745679
I had never wanted anything more than to have children and be married someday.  I did a lot of great things before I settled down, and really have no regrets!  But here's the cold hard truth people!  Marriage and children, while they can be very fulfilling and bring a lot of happiness,....more times than not it is a lot of hard work and responsibility like you have never experienced in your life!!  I still have days where I wonder why I ever wanted such a thing....and wonder what the people who didn't really want it must feel!?  But, I also have days where I couldn't imagine doing anything else, and I know that my life would never be the same with out them!  The thing that is most scarry about being a parent and a spouse is being resposible for the well being of other's, besides yourself.....putting their needs before your own, and the realization the your heart will forever be walking around outside of your body..  With great gain...there is also much to lose!  It can leave you feeling very vulnerable sometimes!  But the bottom line as it all pertains to individual happiness is this.....Happiness is a state of mind.. No one is ever in a happy state of mind 100% of the time.....but if the state you are in leaves you feeling pretty happy a majority of the time, then you're good!  It's not for everybody, and that's okay.  Different strokes for different folks!  Don't feel the need to conform to societies standards of what happiness is, because it's different for everyone!  Only you can know, and decide what your "American Dream" is.  But the original "American Dream" was and still is..."Life, Liberty and the persuit of happiness!"  What ever that translates to be for you....that is your American Dream.
1082212
I think the issue is more then a depression. The United States is losing confidence throughout the world. Foreign and American investors are turning to Europe as the solidified economy. A depression indicates a periodic significant drop in the economy. I think its going to be much worse. It will be permanent. New jobs consist of unskilled and underpaid positions. When 10,000 Americans are applying for jobs that pay 8 dollars an hour, just so they can work, and basic fuel products, gasoline, natural gas, heating oil etc are skyrocketing, how are people going to afford this at 8 dollars an hour? We are watching the decline of the American dream and hence its empire. This is sadly written by someone who loves America.
31582
Martin Luther King had a dream and made a speech about it that changed all reality in the entire USA.\n\nThe USA is only a very small part of the Total Reality, but dreams that are good and beautiful probably all have some effects.
1169158
LOL, that's a good one.  It's all a matter of interpretation.  The buzzword is "democracy", when people use that word they can mean either an old fashioned American Style Democracy, or a European style social democracy.  Unfortunately since the mid thirties American government has been slowly morphing into the latter.  In a social democracy voting is merged with socialist ideology that everyone deserves a "minimum" standard of living.  In the older American model people got what they deserved through hard work or not.  Success was a prize to be won, not an entitlement to be taken for granted.\n      It all comes down to ideology, and niether one of the parties is "conservative" in the original American sense of limiting government's power, taxes on the citizens, and preventing a big central authority from dictating to the States or the people.  In my opinion, both parties are social democratic parties at their face value, but also elite privilege makers to keep corporate sponsors happy and donating to the campaigns.  We have evolved a strange two faced game where politicians try to placate the poor people with programs and the rich with tax shelters, leaving the hard working economic producing classes (middle or not) holding the bag.  The only real answer is a hard look at history (which most are scared to take) that inspires a new party that believes in limited government, freedom, and letting individual people sink or swim on their own merits, helped if they need help, by their families and local communities, not uncle sam's big fat pocket book. Happy surfing, I'm out.