This current event is a little different. I spent some time this weekend reading this article in Time about the evolution of the American dream--the idea that with hard work and effort, anyone can make it in America. Meacham's thesis is that the government has often helped the American dream along, by giving support to the people in times of need.
Your task: find a news article that illustrates this idea, or refutes it, and post the link in the comments below. Summarize what the event is, and explain how it shows that the government helps people reach their "American dreams" or that it stands in their way sometimes. No copying articles or events from others, if you're posting to this one, you've got to come up with original work :)
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20120708/OPINION/207080315/Joseph-Stiglitz-Debt-buries-American-dream?odyssey=nav%7Chead
ReplyDeleteThe article I found refutes it by saying the economy has amde it impossible for people to find jobs unless they were already highly wealthy. He talks about how government has to work on the student loan problem and add a incentive for getting a higher education.
Deletehttp://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/27/opinion/la-oe-rodriguez-dream-20100927
ReplyDeleteThis article breaks down the American Dream in a scientific approach, as opposed to philosophically. We are given the opinion that the American Dream unites our country, and all the diverse peope from different walks of life contained within. It follows the timeline of America and then, as the title suggests, highlights the decline of the American Dream, and how as time ge on, fewer Americans beleive in the American dream, with it hovering at 50% at present. It also breaks down what parts of the population beleive, and cites other sources that agree.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/01/a_generation_losing_hope_the_shattering_of_the_american_dream.html
ReplyDeleteThis article shares a view of the American dream dying due to the government making poor decisions. Blame is put on how there is too much emphasis on elections. The author thinks that office holders spend too much time and money on pork-barrel legislation rather than using it in ways that would be more beneficial to our country. Many examples are given about how the government is not helping the people accomplish American dream, but holding them back and causing them to lose hope in the thought of the American dream.
The article I found supports Meacham's idea of government aid fostering the American dream. The author uses Obama as an example of one who benefited from the combination of American inspiration and help from those around him. The view of this article is that if government steps in to create a frame work with which to illustrate the American dream, the people will be able to achieve the dream with much more ease. The more liberal view of the dream seems to be that a citizen's achievement of the dream is not only their doing and does not benefit only them. Obama speaks on his own accomplishment, saying, "I stand here knowing that my story is part of a larger America story. That I owe a debt to those who came before me." In contrast, conservatives seem to embrace the individual more than a collaborative effort to achieve the dream.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/2012/05/30/153994202/obamas-own-story-defines-his-american-dream
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/opinion/30mon3.html?_r=1
ReplyDeleteThis article refutes the idea that with hard work and determination people can change their socioeconomic class and future. The article emphasizes this through studies. For example, one study said that the gap between the upper class and lower class has grown bigger. It also makes a point about how education is one of the biggest factors when determining one’s class. The better educated someone is, the higher up they have a chance to go. The rising tuition fees make higher education very difficult for lower-income families. Even with financial aid, college is a huge financial investment.
http://www.danielpipes.org/comments/136172
ReplyDeleteThis article breaks down and refutes the idea of the american dream. If the american dream is so reliable then why at many street lights we see many homeless people holding up signs? What happen? Did they not fall into the plan of the american dream.. if so why not? Who qualifies to reap the benefits of the american dream and who gets the "short end of the stick". If you look throughout the american population you would find that a large catagory of minorities do not fall under the idea of the american dream. Why not? Maybe because the american dream applies to those whose background consist of wealthy families, better education, and better neighberhoods. In conclusion, in my opinion the american dream is an american lie!
The article “A Movement to Reclaim the American Dream” shares the view that the American Dream is ailing and the people are necessary to help, but it does so by citing statistical facts and a specific movement. It talks of a distressed middle class and how easily politics get in the way of reform. Both articles mention the effects of globalization, but this one believes that the “loss of social protections” (entitlement programs) in government today is a contributing blow to the middle class. This article also introduces the progressive American Dream Movement, which encourages people be open to change and support more education, tax reform, entitlement and the general public good.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-movement-to-reclaim-the-american-dream/2011/09/26/gIQApFfz1K_story.html
ReplyDeleteAlex J.
The article “The Myth of Rags to Riches” written by Abby Rapoport refutes the American dream. The author uses statistics as evidence that the American dream has become the American myth. America’s class system is compared to the system used in the game SimCity. In this system the characters cannot change the economic class that they were created in. The Author argues that America has become increasingly similar to this game because it is becoming harder for people to climb the income ladder. Only four percent of all Americans that are born into poverty, the bottom twenty percent income earners, reach the top twenty percent. People are making more money that the previous generation, but cannot climb the income ladder because the income growth of the rich is extremely high. The author suggests that America can do something to solve this problem, but does not give any suggestions as to how we can address the problem.
ReplyDeletehttp://prospect.org/article/myth-rags-riches
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/06/157063512/american-dream-betrayed-by-bad-economic-policy
ReplyDeleteThis article tells us how the government is standing in the way of the American Dream by not doing anything. The government does this by not giving big companies like Apple an incentive to keep its work force in America and not outsource its jobs to other countries. The fact that America has a huge trade deficit links directly to the unemployment rate. The reason why we have such a huge trade deficit is simple, we import more then we export. The US doesn’t make anything anymore. Everything is made overseas where it is a lot cheaper to make then in America. This article states that there is no way we are going to get the jobs we have already lost to other countries back. We need to make use of the companies that have stayed loyal to America. The government needs to offer them rewards for keeping manufacturing jobs in the country. If more and more companies outsource their jobs to other countries that means there are more and more people without jobs and without a way to reach that American Dream.