When did Americans stop believing in the dream of a better country?

[EdmondDantes_]

43. I think the OP is looking back with rose colored glasses

African Americans had to deal with slavery, Jim Crow, separate but equal, riots in response to integration.

Women with sexual violence, limited educational and economic opportunities.

Native Americans had wars, reservations, limited opportunities.

Asian Americans internment camps, immigration bans, forced labor.

Hispanics low wages, immigration bans.

But ignoring that what I think changed was the ability to transfer work elsewhere. First factory work, now more white collar jobs. Instead of just competing with other white male Americans, the entire world became able to compete. When what was the middle class lifestyle becomes harder to reach, there's more incentive to deprive others because there's a certain level of zero sum to how people perceive economics. And too many of the elite got infected with needmoreitis. It's not enough to be a millionaire, you want to be a billionaire, and someday a trillionaire. More money than you can spend has to come from somewhere, and it's from the workers and the customers. So there's increased stress there too.