The American Dream: Inequality In The United States

The American Dream The saying, the American Dream, meaning, “the American social, economic, and political system makes success possible for every individual,” was coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931. The American Dream was not only about obtaining wealth, it was seated in the belief that in America, a person could reach his or her full potential, because nobody could tell them what they could or could not do, they were free. Somehow, over time, the American Dream became just that, a dream, an unrealistic expectation passed down to each generation that basically promised success if you were willing to work hard and dream big. However if one was to say that there is still, in fact, such a thing as the American Dream, then it would solely…show more content…
I believe the reason we are in an economic crisis, the reason our growth as a country has tapered off, and the reason so many poor people can’t picture good futures for themselves, as well as their children, is because of inequality in this country (Johnson). We’ve allowed a few very wealthy people to accumulate a massive amount of political and economic power in this country. We have unknowingly built a financial, economic, and political oligarchy here, and until we break from that oligarchy or put it behind us by “reforming the banking system and changing the way finances are organized in this country”, we're not going to have anything that we will feel is appropriate to call a dream (Johnson). Where is the dream for those living on the street and begging for food and spare change? Where is the dream for the child at school with no supplies? And where are the dreams for those returning from war-torn countries to find their communities have been foreclosed on? Perhaps the dreams have all been dreamt. Because The American Dream was not supposed to be centered around a select few on Wall Street who have amassed billions of dollars that were provided by us the taxpayers, but instead for everyone to have some form of…show more content…
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