The European Dream
Abstract:
This paper is inspired by American author Jeremy Rifkin’s book ‘The European Dream’ where he has made comparisons between the American dream and the European dream. He elaborates on the differences between the two and speaks about the challenges the European dream faces. This paper will focus on understanding the validity of the European dream and the obstacles it faces in contemporary Europe. The sui generis nature of European integration makes it a particularly interesting case study in terms of establishing a shared vision. Jeremy Rifkin’s book speaks about four main hurdles Europe needs to overcome to create a shared vision of the future. This paper will draw light on these mentioned obstacles and examine Europe’s
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It is not a widely used term unlike the American dream, from which it seems to have drawn inspiration. Through Rifkin’s book (2014) the term can be defined as an antithesis to the American dream. The American dream holds individualistic ideals and is based around the notion of every individual receiving in an equal opportunity in America to realize their materialistic ambitions and provide them with a comfortable life. Whereas, the European dreams is set around the ethics that are more expansive and take into account humanity as well. The European dream focuses on the quality of life, sustainability, peace and harmony. Rifkin explains that Europeans hold these values in high regard and thus, go by the notion of ‘you work to live’ and not the other way round. This vision also a very different perspective of security and what it means to be free and this can be associated with their approach towards border control and the Schengen agreement. With this in mind Europe is defined as less territorial and more cosmopolitan. Having said that, the dream emphasizes on the need for an individual to conserve his cultural identity and live in a multicultural world. If the American dream and European dreams are compared, at the core of their ethos, both are very diverse but what catches ones attention in Europe’s vision is the importance given …show more content…
The sui generis structure of the pan European institutions has encompassed the concepts that Jeremy Rifkin defines as the European dream. The union which was conceived for mutual economic benefit of all member states, also held a vision of transforming into a political union over a course of time. Today, it is deemed successful in terms of establishing their trade through unity and acting in harmony in the global trade scenario. However, the European Union’s vision of becoming a political union has not materialized and the idea itself didn’t charm the member states enough. This also generated discussions about the priority of the union and brought forth some arguments pointing towards the union’s
If you look up the meaning of the American Dream, you will keep finding definitions similar to this one: “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” The real meaning of the American Dream however, varies from whom you ask. Many people argue that the American Dream is alive and well, whereas others might argue that the dream is pretty much dead. If you ask me what I think, I personally believe that the American Dream was once a farfetched goal of the people of America, where people dreamed of going from rags to riches. Though the dream might still be alive, it is no longer what is use to be. I believe that the American Dream nowadays, is just a short redefined version of living a middle class lifestyle. But, for others the dream might simply mean to escape poverty and give their children a better life. The American Dream however, is in my opinion not only applicable for natural born citizens but to legal and illegal immigrants as well.
Sedelmeier, Ulrich. ‘Is europeanisation through conditionality sustainable?: lock-in of institutional change after EU accession’ West European politics, 35(1), 2012, 20-38
"The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret
Of course, the origin of this concept is the United States of America. In fact, this notion is “the prospect born out of the Declaration of Independence: the freedom of all men to pursue their dreams and goals in life with the only strings attached is that they are willing to work for it” (Excelsior). However, even though the American Dream did actually exist, this concept only included the rich and powerful. For the majority of the population who eagerly migrated to the United States in order to experience this concept, the American Dream was nothing but a lie (Ditchfield). The harsh reality of this dream was stunning. These facts concerned the immigrants who sought to realize their dreams in America:
There are many different ideas that come to mind when someone thinks about the American Dream. An American dream is the thought that an individual can be successful and have an equal amount of opportunity as the next guy. Raoul Duke has a somewhat twisted idea of the American Dream as he travels Las Vegas seeking an adrenaline filled, crazy trip to money.
Up until now, the term American Dream is still a popular concept on how Americans or people who come to America should live their lives and in a way it becomes a kind of life goal. However, the definitions of the term itself is somehow absurd and everyone has their own definition of it. The historian James Tuslow defines American Dream as written in his book titled “The Epic of America” in 1931 as “...dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” The root of the term American Dream is actually can be traced from the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
Peterson, J. and Shackleton, M. 2002. The institutions of the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This general expression links to multiple visions and opinions. In other words, this expression has a different core meaning for each individual based on their specific wants in life. To me, the American Dream is an arrangement of standards in which freedom integrates the opportunity for achievement and upward progress for families, accomplished through diligent work in society without many limitations. America’s establishment is on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With this said, not everyone has an equal opportunity for success although freedom is what America supposedly is. However, everyone has their own vision of the American Dream. The only details that tie every vision together are opportunity and
The American dream is the idea held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity.
The American Dream can obliterate any prospect of satisfaction and does not show its own unfeasibility. The American dream is combine and intensely implanted in every structure of American life. During the previous years, a very significant number of immigrants had crossed the frontier of the United States of America to hunt the most useful thing in life, the dream, which every American human being thinks about the American dream. Many of those immigrants sacrificed their employments, their associations and connections, their educational levels, and their languages at their homelands to start their new life in America and prosper in reaching their dream.
The American Dream has changed; it is no longer the same as it was fifty or even one hundred years ago. Today, people not only search for prosperity and wealth, but they also search for happiness, equality, and determination. The American Dream is for everyone, not just the rich. The term “The American Dream” is a term used to describe the American way of life in general. It is a noun stating “the idea that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” Dreams are not limited to just one social class, everyone has a different version of the American Dream but they all work together in a community to create an organized, working society. A dream is a cherished aspiration, ambition, or idea that is open to anyone.
The American Dream, is about becoming something, to the best way to achieve fulfillment of ones life. The dream is and always has been a reality. The more that Americans and immigrants insist on the dream as a right, and pursue it with determination, the more likely it will be to remain a live option accessible to all. The dream does not originate from America; it derives from us, the people. If we exert all our efforts, we at any moment in American history are more likely to be what the country had intended to become. With that predicament already visible, every advance we make may very well lead to another, and every realization of the American Dream will evolve.
Senior, Nello Susan. "Chapters:4,15." The European Union: Economics, Policies and History. London: McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.
The enlargement of the European Union (EU) in 2004 and 2007 has been termed as the largest single expansion of the EU with a total of 12 new member states – bringing the number of members to 27 – and more than 77 million citizens joining the Commission (Murphy 2006, Neueder 2003, Ross 2011). A majority of the new member states in this enlargement are from the eastern part of the continent and were countries that had just emerged from communist economies (EC 2009, Ross 2011), although overall, the enlargement also saw new member states from very different economic, social and political compared to that of the old member states (EC 2009, Ross 2011). This enlargement was also a historical significance in European history, for it saw the reunification of Europe since the Cold War in a world of increasing globalization (EC 2009, Mulle et al. 2013, Ross 2011). For that, overall, this enlargement is considered by many to have been a great success for the EU and its citizens but it is not without its problems and challenges (EC 2009, Mulle et al. 2013, Ross 2011). This essay will thus examine the impact of the 2004/2007 enlargements from two perspectives: firstly, the impact of the enlargements on the EU as a whole, and thereafter, how the enlargements have affected the new member states that were acceded during the 2004/2007 periods. Included in the essay will be the extent of their integration into the EU and how being a part of the Commission has contributed to their development as nation states. Following that, this essay will then evaluate the overall success of the enlargement process and whether the EU or the new member states have both benefited from the accessions or whether the enlargement has only proven advantageous to one th...
The process of EU enlargement has developed through the different rounds of enlargement. Applicant member states are required to adopt a total version of the acquis communautaire, as opposed to older member states who had more time to adapt and could opt-out in some cases. Political steadiness has become an increasingly important factor to consider in recent enlargement rounds. Starting in 1994, after the demise of communism, former soviet nations sought to link their economic futures with the EU. Communism had isolated them from the world and they decided to jump into the EU bandwagon, especially for its presence in the international market in today’s globalized economy. Inside Europe, the wealth d...