“Why is the American Dream Dead in the South?
By: Mathew O’Brien from The Atlantic
Commentary by: Sam Smathers 4th
URL: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/why-is-the-american-dream-dead-in-the-south/283313/
Apparently
the American Dream is only achievable in some parts of the country, such as the
Midwest. Mathew O’Brien says that this is due to multiple factors such as:
race, segregation, social capital, and family structure. The ideal scenario for
a low class person to rise to a higher class would be for them to be born into
a stable family with two opposite sex parents in a place where the middle class
is accepting of the lower class and there are resources such as a good
education that are not kept from said lower class person. The person would also
have to live in a place of low segregation and high social capital (lots of intuitions
built to help poorer people such as churches). These cities are not found in
the south but rather in the Midwest in cities such as Salt Lake City or San
Jose, because, for example, in Salt Lake City due to the high Mormon population
there are lots of intuitions built to facilitate the American Dream.
I think
that the American Dream is a strange concept for numerous reasons. Of course I
come from a family that doesn’t live in a cardboard box and I am typing this
from a laptop with my iPhone and car keys sitting beside me, so my opinion is
of virtually no value because of where I come from, but of course I still have
an opinion. I think the American Dream is only an idea that we have because
there are so many people in the world right now and they are all competing to
be the best at something, to make a mark in this global world we live in. If we
would all think smaller, local, if we would reach inward to our communities and
states and downsize or needs for luxury goods and need for excess everything,
we would provide the American Dream for so many more people, by allowing for
more intercommunity opportunity. But the only way to get the American dream to
everyone is to cut the population by seventy five percent. Right now there are
too many people for everyone to be “middle class” some people are just suck
being poor. Not because they don’t try or because they are not talented, but
because there are not enough resources for them to exploit to move upwards in
this social structure. Without schooling and money for college success in our
world is virtually impossible. The American Dream should not exist because it
is putting a band aid on the larger issues of government neglect and
overpopulation. We need to get rid of the band aid and start fixing the
injuries of America and the world.
Well Said
ReplyDeleteAlso, if one were to hold the belief that there is an "American Dream" then they regardless of their social/economic status, would be inspired to work harder. If everyone had this inspiration at every position then the economy would almost always be booming. It is very hard to inspire and motivate yourself to work hard at something everyday if there is no attainable goal that your hard work will help come to fruition (though it can be done and it requires a remarkable bout of selflessness).
ReplyDeleteBro, the american dream has been dead. When you can work 2 jobs full time, and still have to choose between eating and paying bill, thats when you should know the american dream is a lie. thats just how it is.
ReplyDelete