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Criticism of the American dream
the american dream criticism
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The American Dream is so many different things to so many different people. While other countries around the World would like to argue that Americans’ only aspiration is to become infinitely wealthy, Dinesh D’Souza claims that it is not wealth that Americans want. He believes that it is simply a better life. Michael Moore too acknowledges Americans’ ambition, especially his own, to create a better life for themselves. These two views of the American Dream come from very opposite Americans, but it is their differences that make their ideals so beautifully unique.
To begin the comparison between these two authors, I will first examine Moore’s ideology. As it is obviously stated in the title of his book, Moore is not exactly subtle person. He voices his contempt of what has become the American Dream through his own story of an underpaid and underappreciated pilot. Moore disgust for the pilot’s situation when he crudely utters, “Never, ever let someone fly you up in the air who’s making less than the kid at Taco Bell.” (Moore, 48) Moore, of self-admitted wealth, sympathizes with men that collect food stamps. These pilots, as well as the rest of Americans, are being robbed of our American Dreams by corporate minions that have been stockpiling income for the last, “two decades.” (Moore, 50) These same CEO’s and other suits are the greed at the tops of huge corporations that, with the absence of Clinton, have had a field day with ripping off Americans by and large through tax shelters, off-shore subsidies, and other means of defrauding the American Public. Moore drives this point home when he attacks Mercedes Benz tax dodging of emissions fines as a blatant tactic, “so that rich people could drive around big, fancy cars and ruin people lungs.” (Moore, 53) Although he admits to living among the rich people, Moore points out that the government too is among those that are flushing away the American Dream, because tax audits have increased among the less paid in American society. Moore reveals that his true vision of the American Dream is the success of people who have, “played by the rules, gave their heart and sole and first marriage to their company.” (Moore, 55) Certainly success is anything but guaranteed in any competitive Capitalistic society. This competition is what makes America thrive. However, Moore feels that it is not Capitalism fault, as much as it is...
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...ti-patriotism. I see his aggressive style as his way of embracing our democracy and forcing it to make our country better in any way it can. What he is saying is to refuse mediocrity in our own government. I too believe we should always be striving to make our country better. It is this reason that I call D’Souza naïve. Our government did not become what it is over night. It has been hundreds of years of fight and struggle from people like Moore that pushed America through her weaknesses, like segregation, racism, injustice, etc.. D’Souza touches on this idea somewhat when he quotes V.S. Naipaul’s notion that Americans believe in an individual’s potential for, “perfectibility.” (D’Souza, 85) Because of our government, more directly its rule by the people, this perfectibility should also be extended to our every political ideal. Even though I admire D’Souza and his blind love for America, I agree that Moore’s head is in the right direction.
Works Cited
D’Souza, Dinesh., What’s So Great About America (Washington, Regnery Publishing, 2002).
Moore, Michael. Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation. New York: Regan/
HarperCollins, 2001.
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The philosophy of the American Dream has been with Americans for centurie; James Truslow Adams says that, regardless of social class, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (Adams). Although this vision has never fully encompassed the entirety of America, it has been generally a positive ambition that all Americans should look past their circumstances and rely on only themselves to succeed at life. However, American capitalism and Marxist ideas have contradicted the traditional dream. Materialism is a simple concept, but its definition has been skewed over time. At ...
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Michael Moore made the movie Capitalism: A Love Story to show his audience that because of all of these big banks and large corporations, we are in this huge economic mess. He goes directly to the people affected by this crisis to try and get his point across. Two of the main unethical acts done by these large corporations, according to Michael Moore, are taking out life insurance on employees and infiltrating our government to pass there own agenda. Then Moore goes on to talk about FDR's proposed bill of rights to help the average working American. All of these things come together to create Moore's movie and help him prove his point. We need to act now to prevent these problems from happening in the future.
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With America actually being seen as the land of assurance, the American dream is usually associated with the freedom and opportunity of gaining prosperity, recognition, power, triumph, and contentment. On the surface, this dream appears virtually delighted, offering individuals the exceptional hope of accomplishing success despite of one’s race, religion, or family history. The American Dream is accurately what it seems to be the chance of perfect lying nearby the corner. However, the actual nature of this dream prohibit the pleasure of the victory one has earned, as the desire is always demanding one to work a slight harder and gain a slightly more.