If there is one phrase that I am tired of hearing politicians utter in between meetings with lobbyists and hookers it’s “the American Dream.” They love to go on about how they’re planning on bringing it back but it’s never really gone anywhere. Contrary to what some people say the American Dream is not dead. It’s quite alive and alarmingly so.
Good ol’ Ronald Reagan loved to blather about how it was morning in America and people would be able to pursue the American Dream once again. And he turned out to be right. Reagan helped a lot of people achieve the American Dream. These people are now the heads of Goldman Sachs (who according to one of their executives is doing God’s work), Washington Mutual (hint: don’t take loans from them) and Bank of America (where do I even begin?). Those folks are doing just fine, I can assure you of that. Maybe they’re suffering from a little hair loss now but otherwise they’re plugging through.
Oh, and they cheated every step of the way thanks to little to no regulatory oversight. They, and we, can thank Ronald Regan for that because he continuously rid the business world of regulations that were supposed to keep businesses in line. But Ronald Reagan did it in the name of the American Dream. It’s not a secret either. A lot of Americans don’t want regulations for business just as they don’t want taxes on the rich. Why? Because if they are to achieve the American Dream of becoming rich and successful then it will be much easier for them to do it if they can do whatever they want with their business and not worry about getting taxed. The only problem is everyone else suffers. The poor have inadequate social services because the rich have all the money and aren’t going to be letting it go anytime soon. And the poor can’t get rich because the business world keeps cheating and destroying the economy while they laugh on the way to the bank in their private helicopter (cars are probably too passé). The poor can enjoy a low protein diet of grass and dirt for all they care.
But no one wants to do anything because if they achieve the American Dream then they’ll need these loopholes so they can keep getting rich. It’s a hilariously disturbing cycle and it all comes from the obsession with the American Dream. Well, maybe it’s time we put that dream down. I think it’d be a lot nicer if American pursued their own dreams and stopped being force fed one that involves them working themselves half to death while stepping on top of others and declaring it a rousing success. Instead they can dream about building a boat, writing a book or successfully growing tomatoes. Let me tell you, that last one turned out to be a lot harder than I thought.