The American Dream?

The American Dream?

Politicians, pundits, patriots and people ordinaire often make reference to something boastfully called, “the American Dream”—as if everyone understands what that means, sort of like “apple pie” and “motherhood”. But not everyone means the same thing.

To some it means: a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage; a good-paying job; a house on Elm St.; a high school diploma or a college degree; a doctor and medicine for every ailment, etc. It means a government which ensures the availability of all these.

To me, it does not mean any of these things. Instead it means simply liberty and opportunity. The earliest Americans, mostly farmers and merchants, had no assurance of any of the niceties mentioned above, yet they saw themselves as being in an unequaled land of opportunity and freedom from oppression, either governmental or ecclesiastical. As evidence of this, note that neither the Constitution, nor the Pledge of Allegiance, nor the Star Spangled Banner, nor any holy writ provides a guarantee of anything but liberty, equality under the law, and opportunity to pursue all the rest.

Judging by the behavior and clamor of some, it appears that democracy has allowed too many of its citizens to equate “opportunity” with “entitlement”. They do not understand that opportunity is merely the priviledge of exerting oneself in the effort to succeed and advance with no guarantees and no favoritism. It requires risk, discipline, work and entrepreneurship.

Those of us who are receiving payments from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, food stamps, or receiving free emergency room healthcare, are the beneficiaries of a giant, government sponsored, Ponzi scheme. We are being paid out of funds collected from those who are required by law to be the payers. What we may have contributed earlier comes nowhere near covering the cost of what we are receiving now. As long as we perceive these payouts as entitlements, the percentage of would-be immigrants who are attracted by the prospect of becoming recipients will be high. Only a change in our thinking, from wanting entitlements to wanting opportunity, will cause an increase in the percentage of would-be immigrants who seek opportunity rather than handouts. This is how to restore the real American Dream.

It is not all Either Black or White

It Is Not All Either Black or White


Politicians tend to present issues as a choice of either black or white. This makes it easy for constituents to support the politician’s choice because they don’t have to study the issue or wrestle with other options. The politicians know that they stand a better chance of getting people’s support by avoiding any discussion of the gray areas, e.g. possible long term consequences. It seems to me that many of the leaders of nations in history became leaders because they promoted an us vs. them attitude. This attitude may be a necessary approach to international issues such as aggression and war; but with intra-national and local issues, it leads to extremes, abuses and inequality.

The present struggle in Washington over what to do about the problems of unemployment, high costs of health care, a sluggish economy, whether homosexuals should have the right to marry, campaign finance reform, and tax reform, runs the risk of decisions being made which are as harmful as the original problem because the decision makers did not consider the gray areas such as all possible consequences. If long range consequences had been made a part of the consideration, this might have called for a compromise—something which present day politicians, especially those of whatever party is in the minority and trying to regain the Presidency, avoid at all costs. It might make the other party look respectable.

Too many people, in my opinion, either don’t want, or don’t have the capacity, to think analytically about complex questions. This makes them vulnerable to whatever adamant, emotion-arousing leader comes along, however good or bad he/she might be. It is easier to choose one of two options than it is to choose one of six possibilities. We take the easy path at our own peril.