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Edited on Thu Jul-15-10 08:59 PM by Juche
For one thing income inequality combined with rapidly growing expenses mean the bottom 90% are being squeezed into bankruptcy and can't get a good foot hold on their economic situation.
I think that another factor is how mass philosophy seems to have changed. I'm not an expert, but it seems many old concepts like trusting the government or private industry (what is good for GM is good for america, etc) have died. More and more people are aware that both the public and private sector are plutocratic and aristocratic. Obama's health reform law was designed in part to protect the profitability of pharma and private insurance at the expense of the US consumer, who would've seen lower costs for medical procedures had meaningful regulations/negotiations/competition been put in the bill. What is good for Blue Cross is bad for America, and Blue Cross is going to get its way like it or not.
So even those of us who vote liberal realize we are going to get plutocratic rule. And those on the right 'want' (I don't know if they consciously want it, but they do vote in favor of it) plutocracy.
So that is a big thing too. I think the sense of community and shared sacrifice is dying, which sucks. People don't trust private or public industry to be anything other than self serving to the interests of the powerful. Income inequality means people can't live lifes of security or personal wealth anymore.
So how does it change the dream? I don't know. But w/o wealth, security, trust or community it is going to be a weird experience defining the american dream. But that is the situation we are in.
Plus the US is arguably in decline to rising giants like China, India, Brazil, etc.
My point is, I don't know. What kind of 'dream' can you have when large numbers of us realize we are plutocratic, on the decline, and going broke? I guess the dream of overcoming and fighting against those forces.
I don't want/have kids, but if I did I'd be far more proud if that kid fought against our (ecologically) unsustainable ways, our plutocratic rule and our national decline into personal and mass bankruptcy than if that kid became a doctor with a house, 2 kids and a new car.
Maybe and hopefully that is the new American dream. Fighting back against plutocracy, unsustainable economic and manufacturing technologies (that will deplete and kill the planet's ecosystem), fighting to keep the US something to be proud of.
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