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- cross-posted to:
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Americans are increasingly unlikely to believe that those who work hard will get ahead and that their children will be better off than they are, according to two recent polls.
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It’s was a dream all the way long.
It’s not dying because it is already dead
Oh I thought they meant to die was the dream.
Who can afford to die in this economy?
You load 16 tons, what do ya get?
A written warning. Funking slackers loading less than 20.
I tie my piss bottle to my belt loop with a shoelace. My supervisor told me I have potential. Now I just need another shoelace.
It was never alive in the first place, it’s just a mean of giving some glimmer of false hope while the oligarchs continue being parasites.
Naw after WWII when half the men were dead, everyone had jobs, houses, and two women fawning over them. It was great, if only we had a way to kill off half the people so everyone could have twice as much.
It was, briefly, in postwar America.
If you were of the fair-skinned persuasion, maybe…
You’re right, but important to remember that 90% of America was white in 1960.
I disagree, back in the 60s it was totally possible to find a decent paying job, have a couple of kids, buy a house to store them in, get a new car every few years, send your kids off to school, go on vacations and retire at an age old enough to enjoy some time with the grandkids. Now that really isn’t a reality for the average person.
When my dad bought a house in LA during the 70s, his car cost more than the house.
However, the car died after 2 years which apparently was normal. He then drove a 1977 Ford Ranger up north and that thing would barely start, ever.
You don’t think any American generation did better than the previous one through work?
Why qualify this with “through work?”
Because that’s part of “the American dream”?
Not really?
American Dream, ideal that the United States is a land of opportunity that allows the possibility of upward mobility, freedom, and equality for people of all classes who work hard and have the will to succeed.
How would one “work hard” without working?
Some generations did better than previous ones due to economic conditions at the time, and this is especially true in the period between WWII and Reaganomics. Some individuals experience both hard work and success, but there are a great many hard working individuals who have no personal wealth to speak of.
As for working hard, (unless I miss your point) - it’s hardly new for older generations to accuse younger ones of not wanting to work.
This is a qualitative metric that may or may not be a reflection of the economy, but it sure seems like bad news. At least it’s bad news for those who aren’t coming from existing wealth or connections.
If most people believe that hard work - without needing a prior wealthy social circle - will not result in a commensurate lifestyle, they won’t be as willing to put in the time for education, be willing to grind their early career, or be willing to borrow money believing that tomorrow will surely be better. That can easily start a downward cycle where there are fewer and fewer opportunities.
Maybe that’s why I’ve heard rumors that more people are entering trade schools. Generally higher paying, shorter time to graduate, often unionized…
Many of them pay more than white collar work too.
Yeah, but on the flip side - this is the energy we can use to change things for the better
Debt only drives things under our insane system, there’s so many other options. People accepting that “hey, things won’t work out if we slave away for rich assholes” is the first step to coming up with a system that benefits everyone more (even the rich assholes… They’re not happy either)
Anyone else knows it is long dead.
Define what you think the American Dream is.
Funnily enough there’s literally an accepted definition, as it was specifically coined by an author, so I’m curious if it matches up.
‘If you work hard you can get ahead, and your children’s lives will be better than your own’
American dream? So this place isn’t a work camp?
The “American Dream” has been dead for a long time. People are just catching up to the fact.
To live the American dream, move to Scandinavia.
I’m not at all sure this was ever the case for most people, only ever a subset of the population, because it is a pyramid. Some achieving the upward path but that number gets smaller and smaller toward the top. More of an ad campaign than a description of the average situation for the average family.
But the country’s disintegrating. What’s happened to America? What’s happened to the American dream?
It came true. You’re looking at it. Now c’mon, let’s really put these jokers through some changes.
Is dying? That’s actually a really optimistic take. Nice work, all.
It has certainly never been the case that working hard will get you ahead, the inverse is actually more true. People who are forced to work hard to survive can believe this at their detriment.
This is probably the most accurate for people who are from less privileged backgrounds who are expected to demonstrate their merits before being accepted in to professional managerial professions. For people born in to that world it’s more important to not run against the merits that have been assumed for you.
I’ve never even wanted the American dream. I just want to stop being used and left out to dry.
I don’t want to be rich.
I want to not worry about my car breaking down and being unable to work or live because of it. I want to not worry about covering my mortgage and also having food in the fridge. I want to not worry about my 16 year old water heater failing on me and knowing that it’ll be, at minimum, months before I can replace it.
That’s all I want.
Been dead since I’ve been alive and I’ve been around since the 80s.
Naaa, the American dream is alive, just look at all of our ruling oligarchs’ yachts, vacation homes and private jets, not to mention all the judges and congressmen they own.
Dying? I was not aware it was ever alive to begin with.
