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On a brisk September day in 2011, in the commercial district of Manhattan Island, a minute protest in Liberty Square commenced against the fiscal atrocities committed by economic establishments leading to the financial crisis and subsequent economic recession in 2007 and 2008. Over the course of the month, the movement protesting the miscarriage of justice and democracy following the economic catastrophe and the overall inequitable and unfair wealth distribution diffused to over 100 American cities as well as 1,500 cities worldwide. The revolutionary movement was named Occupy Wall Street and through occupying and protesting the symbolic location of the financial elite, Wall Street, the crusade aimed to “[revolt] against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process.” With mass media attention domestically and internationally in the months after the initial demonstration, Occupy Wall Street acquired global reputation as the representatives of the destitute 99% protesting the fiscal tyranny of the top 1% of income earners in the United States who were “writing the rules of an unfair global economy…[and] foreclosing on [America’s] future” (“About Us”). Occupy Wall Street exposed the controversy of income inequality to the forefront of American society, public, and politics, as the issue was being widely neglected in favor of social as well as racial diversity and inequality. These issues only illustrate one dimension of the multilayered diversity in America, the social aspect. While social diversity is an integral component to the foundation of American society today, the issues of income and wealth diversity is also paramount. Income inequality and its implications can be traced to th... ... middle of paper ... ...ranscript of the Constitution of the United States.” The Charters of Freedom. Archives.gov, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. . “2012 General Election Turnout Rates.” United States Elections Project. George Mason University, 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. . “2012 Presidential Race.” OpenSecrets.org. The Center for Responsive Politics, 2012. Web. 25 May 2014. . “Wealth Trends of Members of Congress.” OpenSecrets.org. The Center for Responsive Politics, n.d. Web. 25 May 2014. . Williams, Roberton. “CBO Details Growing U.S. Income Inequality.” Forbes. Forbes, 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. .
America was once known as the land of opportunity. However, that is no longer the case. Americans are still suffering from a depression that began three years ago in 2008. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2007, the United States unemployment rates were 4.6 percent. In 2009, one year after the depression began, the unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent. Millions of Americans are living in poverty, unable to afford the basic necessities. On the other hand, there is a minuscule percent of the population that are billionaires. Written in 2005, Holly Sklar’s essay “The Growing Gulf Between the Rich and the Rest of Us” argues that if something isn’t done about the growing inequality between the rich and the poor, the American economy as a whole will weaken. A year later, the Economist published the article, “Inequality and the American Dream” implies that the American dream is broken. Sklar’s argument sheds light on the Economist’s argument. In particular, Sklar’s use of facts regarding the wealthiest Americans, the poorest Americans, and the discussion of the impact of inequality on society provide insight into the Economist’s article.
In Bernard Malamud’s, The Natural, the American Dream traps many people in a never ending cycle of failure. This is seen when Roy is shot by Harriet in a hotel room after he tells her he will be the best in the game despite that she points a gun at his head. Secondly, when Roy and Gus are making bets, Roy keeps betting despite losing every time, showing his false sense of hope that traps in a cycle of failure. Finally, Roy’s desire to be with Memo finally corrupts him thus causing him to ruin his dreams to be the best in baseball and when he regains hope that he can win the game, it does not happen. The American Dream causes insatiable hunger and results in a never ending cycle of failure because Roy has a false sense of hope causing him to make the same mistakes multiple times.
...able like relationships with friends and family. The American Dream can be considered ironic because people in pursuit of the American Dream are looking for financial success and the comfortable lifestyle that is associated with success, but even when the think they have achieved the Dream, they are still unsatisfied with what they have and are always looking for more. This paradox of the American Dream could be resolved by having a balanced perspective between their aspirational goals and what truly makes them happy beyond financial gain. The satisfaction that one receives from the hard work he or she puts into achieving his or her goals is often more rewarding than the goal itself. The American Dream does not have a definite definition, it is dream that everyone interprets differently with the belief that it will bring them success, happiness, and satisfaction.
America in today's society is burdened with many economic and political problems that have begun to plague the nation. Controversial topics are constantly being debated from sunrise to sunset across the country with supporters and those who oppose each bearing various levels of financial and political misfortune. With the numerous economic and political problems that affect the nation, the argument over the issue of income inequality is one of the most notable. Creating a political civil war, proponents from both sides have brought the issue into national view and debate has grown substantially within recent years.
The United States has a pervasive issue of income inequality (Volscho & Kelly, 2012). While the wealthy few live in absurd abundance, poor hardworking individuals often cannot afford basic necessities. Such a dynamic is not only an affront to the ideals of equality of opportunity, but also may increase crime as a result of relative deprivation and lack of legitimate opportunities to achieve (Thio, 2010). This essay describes the magnitude of income inequality in the United States, reveals barriers that obscures its magnitude, and suggests a starting point from which corrective measures might develop.
South University Online. (2013). POL2076: American Government: Week 4: People and Politics—Interest Groups. Retrieved from http://myeclassonline.com
Krugman points out some alarming statistics in his New York Times article A report on inequality from the Congressional Budget Office
Most people claim to understand the importance of goal setting in order to attain a better life, in fact, most people are afraid to fail, or even worse, afraid that they might actually succeed. Social degradation and dehumanization of immigrants within society complicate what it means to be free when confronting social injustice. While some believe that the American Dream will help them strive towards a successful life, others will have to face the harsh reality and need to accept their corrupted and unreached dreams. Many authors in Units 1 and 2 have shown the other side of “American Dream” -- it’s no longer about pursuing the opportunity, but learning how to earn the right to see it and seize it with determination, and if one does not
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.
Schmidt, Steffen W., Mack C. Shelly II, Barbara A. Bardes. American Government and Politics Today: 2010-2011 Brief Edition. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011
Desilver, Drew. “U.S. Income Inequality, On The Rise…” Pew Research Center. 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
With each class comes a certain level in financial standing, the lower class having the lowest income and the upper class having the highest income. According to Mantsios’ “Class in America” the wealthiest one percent of the American population hold thirty-four percent of the total national wealth and while this is going on nearly thirty-seven million Americans across the nation live in unrelenting poverty (Mantsios 284-6). There is a clear difference in the way that these two groups of people live, one is extreme poverty and the other extremely
People will journey far and wide, traverse the entire continent, suffer all manner of pain and suffering, if they believe that, in the end, they will be rewarded. That is why it comes as no surprise when people from other countries struggle to get to America, believing the ancient tale of "the American Dream", convinced that they will finally make it big in this land of riches. But they find out it is not like that.
The Ending of the American Dream Since the early colonization of America, the American dream has been the ultimate symbol for success. In retrospect, the dreamer desires to become wealthy, while also attaining love and high class. Though the dream has had different meanings over time, it is still based on individual freedom, and a desire for greatness. During the 19th century, the typical goal was to settle in the West and raise a family. However, the dream progressively transformed into greediness and materialism during the early 20th century.
What is the American Dream, and who are the people most likely to pursue its often elusive fulfillment? Indeed, the American Dream has come to represent the attainment of myriad of goals that are specific to each individual. While one person might consider a purchased home with a white picket fence her version of the American Dream, another might regard it as the financial ability to operate his own business. Clearly, there is no cut and dried definition of the American Dream as long as any two people hold a different meaning. What it does universally represent, however, it the opportunity for people to seek out their individual and collective desires under a political umbrella of democracy.