Saturday, February 22, 2014

The American Dream

"We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independant, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness; ..."
- Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence

The good ol' American Dream. What exactly are we referring to, when we talk about the American Dream? According to our founding fathers, the American Dream was "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" . They had longed for a land where these certain unalienable rights were protected for all men, who are created equal. That all seems pretty clear, but as for what constitutes this so called pursuit of happiness, is something that is not quite as clear.

So, how does one go about making use of these freedoms which are given them, inside of this United Nation? Well, it all depends on who you ask. I am sure that every American has his own unique perspective on the actual meaning of this American Dream. It seems, though, that most Americans would agree on the fact that the accumulation of wealth, as well as a general sense of financial security are some fairly significant staples to the pursuit of happiness.

Based on these financial goals, a way of categorizing people based on their level of accomplishment has arisen in the form of classes. Namely, "lower, middle, and upper class". Each class divides people based on income, job, and social status. Upper class is, of course, the most desirable of the three, since it consists of those with the highest financial security and the best social standing. In contrast, the lower class is the class that is to be avoided, because it is the lowest on the spectrum of happiness. The lower class is unable to properly afford what is needed to ensure comfort, therefore compromising happiness. Most Americans are part of the middle class, which is neither desired or avoided as much as the upper and lower classes.

The use of these classes effectively stereotypes and seperates people, those who are idolized from those who are looked down upon. In addition to wealth, there are other, often unspoken, conditions that should be met, to at the very least, increase social standing. College attendance, bank accounts, career status, physical appearance, social security, 401k, technological advancement, celebrity news, etc. are all necessary to ensure completeness.

Not very supportive to the idea that all men are created equal, huh? What we have is an unclear dream based upon consumerism, a societal fantasy that worships the ownership of paper, possessions, and politics. It's evolved into nothing more than an advertisement. In other words, the American Dream is the pursuit of happiness, and happiness is simply measured by ownership and appearance. It is an insatiable dream, a greedy dream.

When you hear the words "American Dream", what do you picture in your head? A person who grows up in a supportive, financially secure family? Who goes to a nice university and graduates to a high grade salary career? Who gets married and has a family, and goes to church, and attends family reunions and owns all the latest electronics and nice expensive cars? And works a 9 to 5 job, and comes home to sit down in front of the Television to eat dinner and relax? Who works everyday, filling the bank account, until one day, when they are old and tired, they retire so that they can support their children to live the exact same way? Who dies happily, surrounded by a rich family, and lots of money in the bank? If that's what you think of when you hear the word American Dream, then congratulations, you just watched an advertisement play out in your head.

I think it's time we admitted to this meaningless dream, and realize that money and power cannot buy happiness.

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